Free trader-journal and Ottawa fair dealer. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1920-1927, 1920-08-09
MAKING A MISTAKE.

When the present administration
took over the management of city al
fairs it was recognized by everyone
that the members had mans jol
and that the finances of the city were
and would be in desperate cOndi
ton. The saloon licenses We're GU
off and costs in every direction mount
ing to unprecedented figures. Price,
have been mounting higher and high
er ever since. with resources of reven
ne remaining much the same There Is
but one solution, which everyone re
cognizes, if the necessary work of the
city is to be carried on, and that is
that city taxes must be higher This
is all the more necessary because
many things were deferred with the
hope that conditions would improve
and prices and labor costs drop The
reverse has been the case, and the
condition must be met.
1t Is, therefore, a mistake to en-
deavor to attempt TO cover up or con
ceal any of the facts from the people.
Mayor Weeks prediction platform
should be carried out TO the letter,
anu All Sttitl StSNlpllN WI but
This does not mean that the council
and mayor should not confer with
each other informally, especially with
regard to city appointments and ac-
tons suggested by different members,
but contemplated action Of any i'm
portance should be given the public
in time to fully understand and
thresh matters out before the thing
dis actually put over" And thorough
asked for, or il deemed necessary by
the people or anyone affected.
Two recent conspicuous examples of
the fallacy of this kind of action were
the passing Of the soft drink license
ordinance and of the annual appro
priation ordinance, which involved a
substantial increase, without proper
publicity and open discussion or ex-
PLANTATION in advance. In the case Of
the former much trouble m & h t
have been avoided and possibly a
better ordinance framed up. which
would be more satisfactory all around.
Regarding the annual appropriation
ordinance, its presentation and dis
cussion in open council with an OK
PLANTATION OF certain increases, would
have saved considerable unpleasant
comment and criticism. That the APP
preparations for the coming year must
be larger was expected by any think
ing man. Why, therefore, not give
the public the facts in advance and
let them know the why's and where
fores before they learned the facts
and through the "otcial" publication.
The public are accustomed to depend
upon the papers for the items Of
news value from the council meetings
1t is the duty of the council to assist
the news hounds in obtaining the
facts in cases Of as much Importance
as this and not compel them to dig
them out themselves as best they
can after the ordinance is passed
The news publication would be more
accurate and it would look better"
all around.
Another example of the mistaken
policy of the council mot to say child
iShness in this case was the holding
up of the appointments of the members
board and referring the question as
to how they should be appointed to
tho attorney general involving an
unnecessary and serious delay when
there was no occasion. The law is
explicit and calls for the appointment
of trustees by the mayor and APPROX
al by the council. Some alleged
agreement in the council body
seems to have been violated and the
appointments were held up. Not be.
cause the mayor or any commissioner
had any objection to any name Sub
mitted, but because the ethics in the
case had not been complied with
Here is bunch OF men who give
their time and energy to the man
agement of one of the most important
and farreaching of the city's inStitu-
tons without any remuneration what
ever teXcept to the secretary, who
does a pile of work for a mere pit
tancel, and they are seriously handi-
capped because these appointments
are not made because of no reason
except that someone's importance was
overlooked. At present of the nine
trustees who are supposed to hold
over" one is dead, one is on the other
edge of the continent, one is nccesar-
lily out of the city much of the time.
leaving six members three of whose
terms have cXpired) from whom to
get quorum Of five to transact the
most necessary business If any
member happens to be out of the city
and one other cannot be present
everything is sewed up-even the
payment Of current bills. This is
not fair to the trustees, nor to people
connected with or doing business with
the library.
1t is time to come clean" There
is no desire to crticise the councils
MANAGEMENT of finances or any of
the city's business. The commission.
ers have dene we'll and the confidence
of the peple in their ability to handle
big things was attested by the large
majority given recently in voting on
the proposed bond issues But they
can help themselves and stand better
with the public il they lay all cards
on the table and above all cut out
petty sQuabbles among themselves.