The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1919-08-07
Request Will Be Presented
to City G Commissioners BY
James Macgibbon At This
Mornings Session.
PETITION HAD MORE
THAN ENOUGH NAMES
Statutes Provide Means for
Revolving Commission
Government and Substi-
tuting Alderrnanic Form.

Calling Of 4 special election 70 deter
mine whether or not Pensaoola shall
go back to aldermanic government,
viii be requested Of the city oonmis-
sioners today BY James Macgibbons,
clerk OF the circuit court acting on
petitions filed with him.
when the checking or lists was com-
pleted yesterday At Mr.. Macgibbon's
office it was found that sss qualified
voters. or 40 more than necessary.
had demanded that : dscision be made
at the, polls. Only : small number
were thrown out - unqualified.
Authority for calling the election IL
given in section 40. chapter s7ls. No.
s2s OF the laws Of Florida. approved
May 8. 1918.
1t provides that:
AFTER the city has operated for more
than nix years under the provisions or
this act It may abandon such organtza-
tion hereunder and resume its former
government by provseding AZ follows:
Upon the pstitiyn Of number Of
vu>svp-~ ~vseayen ~s1Rsa ct<y -uquaS
TO. or exceeding. twenty per c6nt. or
the qualified Voters 1t the last general
city election = special election shall be
called by the board OF commissioners
at which the following proposition shall
be submitted:
shall the city OF Pensacola abandon
its organisation under ths provisions
Of law providing commission form
OF government, and assome its former
aldermanic form OF government7
m the majority OF votes cast at
such election be In favor Of such prop
osttion at the next regular municipal
election thereafter there shall
be elscted all municipal Officers ~ re-
Quired by laws existing at the time
Of the passage OF this act.
Upon the election and qualification
|of such officers the city shall become
- city Of non-commfssion charter un-
der its former charter. ana general
and special laws applicable thereto. but
such change shall not In any manner
or degree affect the property. rights or
liabilities Of such city, or any Of it,
powers expressed or implied. but shall
merely extend to such changes IN the
form or government.
The sufficiency OF such petition
shall be determined, tn0 eiect1ou OrQGr~
ed and the results thereof declared
in the manner provided for other elec-
tions in this act and the general laws
OF the state of Florida, and ordinances
OF said city. When an election - held
under the provisions Of this section.
no other may be called for the same
or similar purposes. for 1t least two
years next fhereoftcr. Nothing IN this
section shall be construed to limit or
abridge the power and rights granted
by section 38 thereof
Interest In the proposition. both pro
and con. clearly Indicates that ~ soon
AZ the election date II named the city
win be thrown into a heated political
campaign, which, however, will prob
ably be brief.
Il Is conceded to BE- the concensus
az sentiment among nom politicians
that q great many citizens and voters
favor return to the a1dermanic form Of
government on the grounds that 4 -
more democrntic than the existing
ccmmission fos1n, however y n be-
Iievcd there have been Indications that
politfcnl lines may b drawn that would
bring about = revival Of old fractional
Affferonces At least - . degree that
might tend to favor retention Of Cow
ernment under the comminoion charter,
otherwise the campal6n, = = believed.
would ~ very neaF1y one-saded af-
fair.