Perth Amboy evening news., 1920-08-24

FOR A CITY PLATFORM.

t~dnutnateS Ior IhunlcIpat oIHceSs Why
not adopt a platform for municipal
affairs upon which the candidates
can stand and which might create
an issue that would give the people
some real reason for fayeFing ons
candidate for local once against an
ether? The mere name Republican
or Democrat mean nothing as fal
As local affairs ~ concerned except
IS = designation a. to which crowd
viii hold the city Jobs for the next
year. Surely we ought to be able
20 rise higher than that in our mu-
nieipal ambitions.
There are any number of public
questions in which the people are In
tsrestsd that would make a strong
appeal to the voters and by advo-
eating one or more of these things
an Interest would be created in the
election that would bring about real
results.
The only danger in regard 70 plat
terms for municipal candidates Is
that each candidate, &c he promises
anything at all Is likely to promise
everything in the way Of Improve
mehts and development that he can
think Of. He will include municipal
docks, a city plan. soldiers memoir
ial. bathing beaches, payements for
al streets. a new railroad station.
abolition Of grade crossings. aviation
Geld. new city hall, parks. double
track trolley, and all else that has
e been mentioned tn connection
with the city's progress. OF course.
this makes a farce of the whole
thing. It il evident on the face Of
Il that the purpose of such a plat
form j. merely to catch votes and to
tncluae all the improvements than
lhe ether fellew .migAt suggest. Ne
ene expects that the candidate, If
elected, will accomplish halt Of these
things. In fact. he will forget them
almost as soon as the election is
over.
What we would like to see is some
party pr candidate take up some eae
muuieApal problem and make it a
aure OF the campaign. Let the
party decide what. in it's opinion. is
the greatest need of the city at the
present time. Let it be stated and
let the whole campaign be based on
that 50 that the people will be eeh-
WINGED that the candidates standing
en- such a platform really mean bust
meas and that, IL elected. they win
consistently use all their influence to
the accomplishment of the purpose an
aouneed. This does net mean that they
viii try only once and, being DEFEAT
ed then drop the matter. We have
in mind the tenscity with which
Mayor Dennelly. of Trenten, has
fought for the development of the
waterfront of that city and, after
many years. he has wen. He with,
stood the SCORING and laughter that
greeted his efforts at first and now
has the satisfaction Of having those
WAC ridieulsd him IN the beginning
praise him for his feFesishtsdness.
II ome man will eems forward
as a candidate fer ehaee in Perth
Ambey who viii take some ens mu-
nieipal development like this and
work out = feasible solution 50 that
II ian be put across he will be doing
semsthing worth whils for the city
instead Of merely helping to create
soft berths on the eity's pay roll for
faithful party workers.
There Is Of course, the great handi-
cap 10 any program such as this in
the Anticipated city charter that any
candidate for Office here has TO work
under. We have in mind the efforts
Of Mayor Garretson to have grade
crossings abolished while he was in
once. He went as far as he could
during his limited term in Office,
carrying the matter 70 the Public
Utility Commission where II hung
hre. BY persistent agitation this
might have been forced out eventual
IL and pushed to a successful con-
eluxion. but with eHly . two year
term the time expires and another
Hlan is elected who ia not IS inter-
eztsd. perhaps. in the particular
thing that interested his predecessor
- that the work in that direction Is
dropped and something altogether
now is started. only to be lost In the
SANE was.
However. the people Of the city are
net interested In having the old
charter with all It's handieaps re-
moved. So We must struggle aieag
me best Ne can under existing eea-
aitions. But at least a start can be
made IN some aiFsettss and ws ere