Perth Amboy evening news., 1920-08-16

Favors Commission Government
EDITOR EVENING NEWS
A few years ago when commits
sion government was up before the
voters, I voted in favor OF II. but be-
cause of the short campaign and
the people not knowing about it at
that time, It was defeated by q very
small majority. I favor the change
not because there Is anything par
ticularly bad about the men who are
now in control OF city affairs. there
Is no evidence Of incompetence IN
tho present administration. Sup
pose we forget all about trying to
secure any better men than we now
have in public once and take Just
what we have got. The wonder Is
that they do as well as they do. Give
them power with full responsibility
direct to the people as 1t must be
under commission rule. and the men
who are now in charge of city at
fairs could not help but give better
service. whether they wanted to or
not.
II Is a very healthy condition when
people begin to take an interest in
their own local affairs. This is quite
right because as I understand IT,
commission government separates
local affairs from county. state and
national affairs. and gives the peo-
pie q chance to consider affairs
alone, as they should be. II there
spicuously in the commission form
OF government, Il Is publicity. Ev-
erything is open and above-board.
No ordinance EAR be put into effect
until ten days after 1t IL passed by
commissioners, and the people can
call for a referendum on the ordt-
nance II they so desire. The ordi-
nance must be signed by the re-
qLired number of commissioners, so
that Il will always be on record who
is responsible for 1t. Every man
has to stand on his own merits. The
plain people actually have a chance
to rule under the commission form
OF government. and II they don't like
the men they have placed in once,
they can. after a years trial, have
them recalled and put somebody else
in their place. Under commission
rule the plain people can through
the initiative compel the pas
sage of an ordinance whether
the commissioners want to pass 1t
or not, for instance, 1 remember
some few years ago down at Long
Branch the people wanted a public
market, such as we have Tor the
farmers, the commissioners refused
to pass an ordinance creating such
a market, a number of citizens got
up a petition signed by the required
number of voters, and forced O. vote
on tho proposition. The plain peo-
pie carried 1t by a big majority,
and the ordinance went into effect.
1 have fr:Lpds living in cities in
this state where they chanEed from
the old system of local government
to commission rule and they tell me
they would moi change back under
any consideration. l fail to under
stand why any Perth Amboy voters
&C property owners should be against
commission government when they
have everything TO gain and noThtnS
TO lose. Any economies effected and
there are bound to be some, will not
only be a benefit to the taxpayer, but
the rent payer as well. Any action
taken with a view to lowering the
present high tax rate will naturally
assist in lowering rents, thereby
benehtting everybody. Every citi-
zen interested in the betterment OF
Perth Amboy regardless of party,
should turn out on Tuesday and put
commission government across.
THOMAS j. SMITH.