Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-02-19
PRO-COMN|SSION
FORCES LAUNCH A
COUNTER ATTACK
They Also Send Petition to
State Legislature Giving
Their Side of CONTROVERSY
Attacks Opposition,

\ counter offensive against the
movement for reverson TO govern
ment of the city by mayor and alder
men has been started by the pro-
commission forces.
They began yesterday the circula-
ton of a petition. addressed to the
state legislature at Santa Fe, intend
ed to counterfeit the effect of the OPP
positions petition. asking the law
making body to authorize the calling
of an election here to decide whether
the voters prefer being governed by
the commission and manager or a
mayor and council.
The counter petition defends the
commissions administration and de-
clares that the new government has
not been in control at the city hall
long enough to demonstrate whether
it is fully efficient or not" 1t adds,
however, possibly lest that statement
he taken as an admission, that it is
Judgment of the signers that to the
present time the new government has
shown superiority over the old from
the viewpoint of efficiency.
The originators of the counter
petition have set high goal for
themselves, as the paper states that
taxes paid in the city during the last
five years
The counter petition also mallos a
direct attack on the men oehn ;he
movement for submitting he govern
ment question to the voters, asserting
that they see personal or oaw!San
advantage to themselves or thcn'
friends and that their opponents, who
are said to be relatively few, include
n few men who are actual seekers
after salaried offices"
One copy of the petition contained
sixteen names yesterday afternoon.
Eleven of these were the signatures
of employees of the city.
The full text of the petition fol-
lows:
The undersigned, your pctitionN"s.
are residents and voters % the Ity Of
Albuquerque. We are business men
and property owners. We represent
more than so per cent of the taxes
assessed and paid IN on city during
the past five years.
We wish to represent to your hon
orable body that We are opposed to
any legislation which would change
or propose 20 change the form of
government now in force in this city,
Change of any kind or agitation for
change would result in unsettling
conditions in our city, would disturb
progressive, efficient and desirable
municipal work now in progress and
would force upon MS year or more
of continued agitation and unrest.
We represent TO ynu that at the
election in which the present COM
missoners were chosen. as in the
election in which the preset charter
of Albuquerque was adopted, all citi-
cents had a right to free and full eX-
preston of their preference at the
polls The adoption of the charter
and the election OF the present COM
missioners both were by substantial
majorities. There was no injustice to
any citizen at either election.
We represent to you that to a large
extent, agitation now being conducted
for submission or Il reversal to the old
form of government in this city is
being conducted by a relatively few
men who see personal or partisan po-
litical advantage to them or their
friends in such change; and BY a few
men who are actual seekers after sal
aried offices in our city
We represent to you that the pres
ont, the commission manager form of
government. has not been in existence
long enough to demonstrate whether
it is fully efficient or not; but that in
our judgment as business men and
payers of more than so per cent of
the taxes of the city, it has up to the
present time demonstrated its effic-
ency over the aldermanic form of
government.
We also desire to point out that
the present commissioners inherited
heavy obligations from former city
administrations and have encountered
reduced revenues and other obstacles
which have made expansion of mu-
nicipal service unwise and impossible.
We represent to you that we have
fun confidence IN the ability of the
present commissioners to work out the
special problems now confronting this
city, and we desire that they be left
undisturbed, at least for the full pc
Rod of the term for which they were
elected, to work out their plans and
policies. At the expiration of that
time We have full confidence that our