Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-03-10

takes. No doubt mistakes have been
made in our city Of Auburn where
there are hundreds of farms scattered
over her ten square miles of territory.
am deeply interested in Auburn's
growth and prosperity, My home is
there. and there expect to lac out :
1.-THE remaining days of my life. I am (
loyal to the city's best interests and
| willing to sacrifice and work and
serve to the end that the people of
Auburn may continue to enjoy their
| natural rights of life and liberty Of
earning and possessing property, and
Of obtaining safety and happiness.
! We here today. representing all of
| the people of this State, may weel
consider, seriously and thoughtfully.
the second section of our own Declar.s-
alton of Rights:- - - f.-si
"All power is inherent in the pee- 4
pie; all free Governments are found
ed in their authority and instituted
| for their benefit; they have therefore
an unalienable and indefeasible right q,
! to institute Government and to al
| ter, reform, or totally change the
| same"
! I am thoroughly familiar with the
| Auburn Charter, and know in detail
| just how the city has been governed
under it. / believe in the spirit of
| the Charter-its Short Ballot form
| of Government, it's Civil Service
rules, it's financial safeguards. its
budget system. it's sinking fund pro-
| lection, its city planning and zoning
features, its accounting system. and
it's general business provisions.
! The heart and soul of its charter
is sound and right, and no change
/ is suggested in it's general plan and
purpose.
Under the provisions of this char
ter the autocratic powers permit the
manager to disregard the will of the
majority and become a master rath-
err than a servant of the people. The
Chamber of Commerce, the associa-
ton responsible for the agitation to
withhold from the people of Auburn
the right of suffrage on their own
affairs. has suggested the elimina-
| ton of the mayor. The Lewiston
Journal, OUR great family newspaper,
has suggested the same thing; but,
gentlemen, no such amendment has
been brought before this House. but
there has been an amendment
brought here suggesting the elimin-
alton of the manager, and l submit
to you that if the people of Auburn
can be allowed the privilege of vot-
ing upon their own affairs, that they
should and would be willing to give
this charter vote of commendation
if they, in their best judgment, be-
| lieve that is the best form of govern
ment for them; and also, if they be-
lieve that the amendment is best for
| them, 1, as one member of this
House. am absolutely in favor of al
| lowing them to cast their ballots.
Mr.. WING of Auburn: Mr.. Speak
er and gentlemen of the House. do
not care to weary this House today
about the troubles and the difficult
ties of the city of Auburn. My dis
tinguished colleague (Mr. Winter)
is mistaken in one of his statements.
as it seems to me. There are three
members here representing the city
of Auburn, and not four, two OF
whom you have heard. and you are
now hearing the third. | was not
aware before that the city of Au-
burn was represented by four rep
resentatives on the floor of this
House.
Now gentlemen, it is perfectly true
that we have very decent citizen
ship in the city of Auburn. You
have just heard read here the words
of my father, who spoke at the time
of the Fifth Anniversary of the town
in which / was born, and I will
agree with my colleagues that we
have good city, and that it is filled
with good citizens; we are progress
sive forward looking city of folks.
Some years ago the far-seeing men
of my town and the men who had its
affairs in charge. became convinced
that the old fashioned form of char
ter, with city council and board
of aldermen, and the usual run of
conditions. those peculiar excrescen-
ces on the body polite. was not n
able medium for the government ~
our CITY, We were confronted by an
increasing debt; each year as the old
adm;nistI alton went out and as the
new one came in, thelsnowball of deb
Increased. We looked into our sink
ing fund. which was supposed to pe
csi ablished by law, and there was
nothing there, and like the decent
men we were. as my colleague says,
we II led TO remedy it, and that rem
cdy is found in the charter which this
Leg stature gave to the citizens of
Auburn in 1917 That charter was a
departure in municipal government IN
this state; that charter was submit
ed by referendum in 1917 to the poo
pie of the city of Auburn. 1t pro-
vided that the affairs of the city OF
Auburn should be placed in the han IS
of a council of five men. The polily
and the government in the city Of
Auburn was placed in the hands of
that council: the execution OF tina.
pc Icy was placed in the hands Of
manager, and we began operations
under that form of charter In 9TH
err words, we attempted. to turn from
n political organization into a bust
ness organization with business meth
DDS.
Now. gentlemen. the first thing to
discuss in any controversy Is to state
distinctly what the question is, and
where prejudice and misrepresenta-
ton has been exerted, to distinguish
IL from any other form. I think thai
- It, T~..-,