Perth Amboy evening news., 1920-07-27
WATCH EFFORT
ON COMMISSION
No Politics Stirring as Far as
Municipal Elections Are
Concerned, Due to Move
POSITIONS TO BE FILLED
Will Elect Mayor and Three
Aldermen, But Commission
Means Change in Plans.
POSITIONS TO BE FILLED

II a sufficient number OF voters
sign the commission government pet
itions asking for an election to decide
whether or not to change the form
of municipal government here and
the commission idea Is the favorite,
as the election to follow on the issue,
it will mean that the regular election
this fall for municipal offices includ-
ing mayor, three alderment and re-
corder will not be held. Possibly 1t
Is this uncertainty as to whether or
not the commission move will win
that is responsible for the lack of
local political gossip.
There has been but little, IL any,
talk of candidates for mayor or
aldermen, although Jacob M. Klein's
name was mentioned some time ago
for recorder. Mayor Frank Dorsey
has said nothing Of his intentions OF
running for reelection, but he mas
not intinlated that he will not be
as city father from the first ward
expires this year was mentioned
candidate. Early in the year Alder
man William G. Wilson. whose term
as a. likely Republican for mayor but
no more talk along that line has
been heard recently. Alderman
Thomas Patten, of the third ward,
another member of the council
whose term expires this year, has
been silent as to his intentions as
has John ]. Clark, the fifth ward al
derman.
In order to give the commission
government. move here real impetus
the Perth Amboy Commission Go.
vernment Association was formed
last week with former Judge Adrian
Lyon as it's president. An executive
committee was named and an inn
portant meeting will be held to-
: morrow night in the office OF Mr..
Lyon in the Savings Institution, at
the corner of Smith and Maple
streets, at which committees Will be
appointed to arrange for the educa-
tional campaign which will be con-
Quoted in this city during the time
The petitions are in circulation.
It is planned to divide the city into
districts, as was done during the war
In the various campaigns. and to
have a chairman named to be in
charge of the work in each section
This chairman will have charge OF
all the activities in his district and
be assisted by a working committee.
In addition to the members OF
executive committee those willing to
assist in the movement may offer
their services to either President
Lyon OF any tueIIlpcI VI (AiO S@>cSoli'S
committee.
After tomorrow's night meeting
each chairman will have received his
working instructions and can COM
mence to carry on his work in the
particular section of the city assigned
to him.
With the results of the last COM
mission government election acting
as an incentive the men working for
the change in municipal government
here feel that their efforts will be re-
warded with success. Despite the
fact that the last attempt to secure
a change in city government was not
directed by a large working body,
but by only a few individuals, the
move in 1917 was defeated by only
1873 votes. With such a close cleo
tion three years ago it is the belief
of those behind the movement that
a concentrated effort at this time
will put the commission move across.
Two of the six wards in the city
voted for the change in 1917. by
vote of 1872 to 21S in the first ward
and 211 to 1S4 in the second ward.
The other four wards favored the
present form of government, the
vote being: Third ward, 1913 to 16O;
fourth ward, 367 to 224; fifth ward,
1913 to 100, and sixth ward, 315 to
21o. A total of 2,777 votes were
cast, of which 1.480 were opposed to
the change and 1927 in favor of 1T.
In order to make it possible to
hold the election during the latter
part of August a request Is made
by Harry z. Medinets, who pre-
pared the petitions which are being
circulated for signatures, that ev-
eryone having a petition secure at
least seventy-five names at once and
return these petitions to his office
in order that they may be filed and
a count made of the number OF
voters who have annexed their
names.
The law states that an election to
decide the issue must be held on
the third Tuesday after the filing of
the petitions with the necessary
number of names. If all of the pc
titions are returned the latter part
of this week so that they can be
fled next Monday 1t will be posi-
BILE to hold the election in August.
Twenty per cent. of the qualified
voters of the city must attach their
names to the petitions in order to
have the election called.
After the election has been called
it will be necessary to have thirty
per cent. of the votes cast for gem
eral assemblymen in 1919, cast in
favor of the change in government
in order to make it binding. Thus
the votes for commission government
might be greater than those oppos-
ing it and yet, if the number. was
not sufficiently large. the change
could not be made.
About 5,135 votes were cast in this
city at last years general election
for assemblymen, thirty per cent. of
this number being 1,540.
p. A. Hdwe for Bench fathes.
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