Pueblo chieftain., 1921-10-30
why CHANGE CITY
GOVERNMENT?

at this time, and what is the purpose
| of bringing about change? Those
who are promoting the enterprise
seem to be quite active. whoever they
are, and. surely. they must have in
mind the correction of some short
comings in the present government
that will injure to the benefit of the
public generally; otherwise, they are
following an idle purpose. There Is
no sense in nor need of change of any
plan Of government or Of business if
the change Is not to correct some ex-
listing defect. Therefore, it would
seem that those interested in the con-
| templated change can point out to the
public just what they are going to
correct and how they know the cor
rection Is going to follow and what
will be the economic value of the
correction. If they cannot So point
out, then their efforts are not worthy
of consideration. Let them put their
finger on just what they are going to
improve and show wherein their i'm
provement is going to be of value to
the public.
| am satisfied that all the citizens
of Pueblo are interested in having as
our local self-government such a form
or plan as will bring about the best
results, but when new plan Is offer
ed to supplant an existing plan, those
| offering it should be able to show
without parley just wherein their plan
is going to bring better results and
correct existing evils. and they should
| point out the evils. If they cannot do
this. it is. as stated above, idle to con-
| slider their scheme. and, especially, at
| this time; for, surely, the citizens of
| Pueblo have enough before them to
take their time and energies without
| taking on unnecessary and new burd-
ems. No city in the country has such
tremendous task before it as has
| our city and the citizens should not
/ nh wit ont for
prises unless it can be shown. without
! question, that such enterprises will.
without guessing at it, aid in carrying
on the work that must be done. The
wisest statesman that this Nation has
iyet produced, said, You should not
! swap horses while crossing a stream.
, This is a homely metaphor, but it is
philosophically sound. Thus. the
question is, Can we. under the present
| circumstances. stop in the middle of
! the stream of our difficulties and
barter about trading forms of govern
ment. when we should be spending all
our energies in reaching the further
shore? Haven't we troubles enough
without taking on an experiment
, which can turn out bad as easily as
good. We are not SO lame in our
present government that we must turn
everything upside down now. If we
really want to try the scheme, let us
walt until we have little less to do.
II Is my nollOn t1dt tne citizens OF
Pueblo should bend every effort to
get out from under the heavy burden
brought upon them by the flood and
that they should not divide their time
nor their energies when II is not nee
essary. in a governmental experiment
| I understand that there is soon to
be gentleman from Dayton to talk
upon what is termed the Dayton Plan.
/ am satisfied that everything he says
that has come to Dayton as benefit
because of the adoption of the plan.
can be said in favor of the present
form of government In Pueblo. as
contrasted to the form that it super
seeded. 1t must be remembered that
Dayton did not go from the Commits
sion form of Government to the man
agerial form. but 1t went from the
aldermanic form to tho form that il
now has. In Pueblo. VIC went from
tho aldermanic form " the present
I form, and. as above stated. the results
inuring to the benefit OF Pueblo are
equally as great comparatively as the
results that have come to Dayton.
Thus, the Dayton plan cannot be con-
trasted against the Pueblo plan. 1t
can only be contrasted against the old
/ aldermanic plan. just the same as the
| Pueblo plan can be likewise contrast
4 cd. Thus. there can be nothing in the
Dayton argument that cannot be ad-
vanccd in support and commendation
OF the Pueblo change
No doubt, those who are promoting
the new plan are sincere and think
they are going to do something for the
benefit of the city. and. no doubt IL
YOU should speak to one of them. they
would point to the bad condition OF
our streets as one thing that they are
going to correct. But how do we or
they know that they arc going to cor
reSt the conditions unless they have
a larger appropriation. thus more
I taxes. to be used on the streets. Let
the man who thinks that the govern
ment should be changed on account
Z of the condition OF the streets. step
forward and say that he can or could,
with the same appropriation now al
7 lotted for that purpose. produce bet
ter results. II he cannot say that, n
/ then any reference to the streets by
him is idle. Before anyone can in
ment, he must show that with the
same amount OF money he can pro-
I ducc better results. He must not sim
ply talk about 1t. but must show how
and wherein he can do better-an as
sumption that better can be done is
no argument.
] l remember very we'll not many
weeks ago. hearing a man who had
| Just gone over one OF our streets in an
! automobile. damn the City admins
| tration and everybody connected with
IT. because the streets were not to his
| liking. | personally know that man
did not pay n cent of taxes. yet he
WAS extremely loud in his condemna-
tion of government that could not
furnish him better streets, The fact
is we should have paved streets
throughout all the substantial parts OF
/ our City: but this is not a matter OF
| form OF city government. II is citi-
zens' question and to be brought about
| by citizens movements
want to he understood as stand
I best form n ~
/ for our city that we can devise. but,
as am from Missouri. l want to
know that the new plan suggested
Will. without question. he superior to
and get better results than tho exist
| ing plan. Nobody has yet pointed