The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1920-07-30
CITY COMMISSIONS
FIRST SIX MONTHS

The first six months tenure of
office of the new Everett City Com
mission ended July Ind, 1920, and
as we scan its journal of accounts
we find a record of campaign pledges
kept that has seldom been equaled.
Commissioner of Finance, w. H.
Clay, who is also the Mayor, Com
missioner of Safety C. A. Turner,
and Commissioner of Public Works,
R. B. Williams, compose the City
Commission, which under the Chart
err is given control of city affairs.
The men above named were elect
ed on a broad platform of civic bet
terment and business administration,
coupled in Commissioner Turner's
prediction statement, with a prom
Use of absolute fairness in enforcing
the law. AS we have watched from
day to day the City Commissions
actions we find in the short space of
six months that every campaign
pledge has been kept. The Com
mission has brought action to re-
cover possession of Everett's City
Dock 1t has caused the Telephone
Company to comply with its fran
chise, involving paying back to the
city of a considerable sum of money.
1t has fought and won the long
drawn out case, pending many years
for a reduction in electric light and
power rates. This action was orig
inally filed in 1911 by the then,
Trades Council, and in one form OF
another has been licked around, dis
missed reinstated, orders for re-
duction entered and SCI aside, until
everyone had virtually despaired of
any practical result. The case was
argued for the city before the Pub
lie Service Commission by City At.
torney Faussett and Commissioner
Turner, and our long deferred hope
of lower electric light bills is about
to be realized.
The Commission was pledged tC
submit to the voters a municipal
power plant bond issue; still other
citizens desired a public market
more voters asked the opportunity
to themselves elect the Mayor, rather
than have it done for them. On al
of these questions every citizen ha!
been given an opportunity to VOTE
dL Il 81 6Cldl SISCllOll I6Iu ldSI May
That the Public Market and the
Power Project were defeated is due
solely to the citizens themselves, as
they were afforded the opportunity
to vote on the question which they
had long demanded.
Absolute fairness in the admins.
tration of the law without fear or
favor, and with discrimination in
favor of no man, was pledged by the
present Commissioner of Public
Safety, C. A. Turner, and we are
glad to record the fact that his word
has been kept. Organized labor has
been treated the same as any other
body Of citizens, which is all any
fair minded man or woman coulC
ask. Its committees appearing be.
fore the City Commission have been
courteously received and their de-
sires attended to in the same man
ner as have those of other individuals
or associations, and we take this oc-
casion to express our satisfaction at
the uniform and just treatment
given.
In the Finance Department, pre-
sided over by Commissioner Clay,
who also is Mayor of the City, bus
mess has been transacted in its
usually efficient manner The De-
partment of Public Works, under the
direction If Commissioner r. B. Will
liams, has also been run in a salts
factory way.
Organized labor has been recog-
nized by the appointement of one
# its members to the Park Board,
Mr. James Z. Goudie, Brotherhood
Of Railroad Trainmen, having been
made one Of the Park Commissioners.
While on the recent arbitration COM
mittee, appointed to settle questions
arising between the farmers pro-
ducing milk and city distributors,
organized labor received two appoint
ments. This arbitration committee
rendered a decision which was not
only satisfactory to producers and
consumers, but settled d threatened
interruption Of the city's milk sup
ply.
The spirit Of Justice and fairness
characterized our present City Com
mission in all its dealings with the
public. One of it's main character
lstics being that of giving full hear.
ings to everybody concerned before
rendering a decision on any matter
Perhaps the most noticeable change
in the conduct Of the City Hall;
affairs was at the Commissions
first meeting, when it moved from
the private office in which the city,
Affairs have been conducted for E
number Of years back into the oper
council chamber, where all citizens
may see and hear how their city
is conducted. This was a most wei.
come, and long needed move, and we
wish to congratulate our new Com.
mission for so doing.