Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1919-05-14
J. R. Cation Addresses
Voters of First Ward
Last Night
PRESENT SYSTEM BAD
Speaker Says Continuation of Pre-
= vailing Methods VIII Result in In
creased Taxation to Make up Deficit

A meeting of the First Ward vo-
ters was held in the Chapel of the
Good Shepherd at eight o'clock last
night to discuss city government
and the advisability of adopting a.
business administration Of affairs
from this city James R. Cation,
chairman Of the citizens committee,
made the principle address and dis
cussed in detail all OF the questions
| that have been raised in regard to
the proposed form of government,
and pointed out the many benefits
| that would accrue to the taxpayers
of Alexandria by the application of
business methods to our c!tv's af-
| fairs.
He emphasized the fact that the
present system had practically bank
| rl!ptcd the city and could not cen
tinuc to exist except by continuing
to raise the taxes to take care of
the present deficit. and said he saw
no reason why the Council-Mana2er
Plan could not save many thous-
ands Of dollars for Alexandria as It
had saved for other cities. Mr.. Ca
ton stated that he was Virginian
! and had Eved practically all of his
life in Alexandria, had no political
aspirations and was giving his time
IN this movement simply because he
believed in it and knew that the
| adoption ofja business system would
be great material benefit to the
| citizcrs Of Alexandria.
! Mr. Cation stated that he would bs
l glad to meet and discuss publicly
| this question with any advocate of
the present system of government.
| FIn stated that in initiating this
| movement the committee had en-
| dcavored in every way possible, n
using every means cf publicity, to
ret the facts of the matter before
the voters of the city, but, that
many of the opponents to the change
had not worked openly and had at
temrted to confuse the minds Of the
| public By stating that the five coun-
| cilmcn would receive large salaries,
| that the new form of government
| would be more expensive, and state
ments cf like character, and that
they had not come into The opeA
with any CT their reasons for oppos-
ing the change, and that they could
not poirt to anything OF tangible
| benefit in the old form that the
| Council form did not nos
sess. He stated very clearly that
| he would be willing and glad TO
| meet anyone en- public rostrum
who sponsored retaining the present
system.
| Mr.. Cation emphasized clearly that
none of the five cCuncilnen serving
under the Council-Manager Plar'
wcuid receive a single cent for their
service, that the expense of an cleo
ticn would be only about Sl5O. and
that the salary CT a City-Managec
would have been saved last year II
the intelligent handling Of two or
/ tire matters that had cost the city
thousands of dollars by tco much
deliberation and wrangling of the
| city council due to the system they
| had to operate under. The speaker
emphasized the fact that it was not
! his intention to criticise the men,
bers Of the city council or the city
officials. but he did criticise very
| strongly the system OF government
! that it was bunglcsome, unworkabie
and system absolutely Incapable
Of meeting the present and future
needs of the city.
The question as to whether the Clty
Manager could be an Alexandrian
Mr.. Cation answered in the affirma
tive, stating that it would be re-
Election upon the intelligence OF tht
citizens to say otherwise. I
Other points he emphasized II
his address were that the City
Manager did not appoint or remove
anv of the financial and legal officer:
!, or clerical attendants Of the coun
! ell. that the council designated wha
J: departments the cities buslnes
III should be divided into, and the hea'
Of these departments were appoint
l ed and could be removed by the Cit.
Manager, but, that each appointment