The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1919-06-14
Agitation to Return City tc
Alder1nanic Form of Gov
ernment Starts City-Wide
Discuss.
CITY COMMISSIONERS
TALK PROPOSITION
That Whole Discussion Will
Bring About More Inter.
est in City Affairs is Opi-l.
of Many Citizens.

On the heels of the meeting OF
prominent citizens in the chamber %
commerce rooms Thursday night to
organize effort TO return the city
to the aldermanic form or govern
ment, a city-wide discussion has be-
gun, and all eyes and cars seemed
turned in the direction of the city hall
yesterday in anticipation of possible
utterances by the present commits
sioners. Each OF the commissioners
submitted to informal Interview.
indicating that they do not propose to
see the present administration Of af-
fairs impeached without a first class
struggle. While Mayor Sanders did
not feel disposed to challenge the
movement for a change very serious
ly, Commissioners Hinrichs and Pou
We're not backward in attributing mo-
tives to the various agltators and to
indicate that the commissioners would
contest every inch of ground and meet
every charge with a stiff counter
charge.
A striking development in the dis-
cussions was that practically every
city official and emploVe who Ca
pressed himself declared the contest
to be one between the 'aristocrats
dred and the low brows," the "classss
and the Masses" the employer and
the union labor" as various ones eS-
pressed 1t, and the argument was ad-
vanced that the laborer is now in the
saddle in Pensacola and intends TO
stay there.
The commissioners are inclined TO
discount the agitation, referring TO
the fact. as they alleged, that prac-
tically the same fight under the read
of mainly the same men, was made
two years ago, resulting in an TO
victory for commission government.
All asserted that the leaders of the
movement are persons with known
grievances either political or per-
sonaI.
Mayor Sanders stated it to be hi
belief that the discomfort now mani
tested was traceable largely to the
result OF the recent election, but called
attention TO the fact that over 3,0na
registered citizens failed to take p -
in that election and expressed the
feeling that parties dissatisfied win
the result could have spoken at cleo
ton time with much better grace than
now. He expressed himself as highly
appreciative of the political favor the
people had granted h:m for so many
years, under both forms of goyerA
ment and was willing now to st@A
aside, if such should prove to be the
real will of the people. He called
attention TO the fact that a change
would not interfere with his present
term Of office.
Hinrichs Talks Freely.
Commissioner Hinrichs stated that
at least two of the present agitators
are in the employ of the L. & N r.
r., and that this is a last effort of
that corporation to keep the city in it's
clutches. which he stated had been a
curse and hindrance to the growth OF
Pensacola from the day when the first
grant Of power was given TO the
present. He asserted that Pensacola
can never be great till it becomes
free to welcome rail competition an4
thus freely open its doors to com
merce. He also said that the ships of
the Clyde and Mallory lines pass with
their valuable traffic within five
miles of our doors and have made
offers to enter this port and help in
its development, and that the same
interests now seeking to dominate Ine
city have rejected such offers of
riches to Pensacola because of sub
servience to the railroad autocracy.
Mr.. Hinrichs further stated that tn
present sewer system of the city, ad-
mitted generally to be fit for nothing
but the scrap heap, and which was
installed at an outlay OF a million
dollars, was the work of the alder
manic government, under the leader
ship of the very men who now seek
che return to that form, but who were