The Parisian. (Paris, Tenn.) 1907-1962, 1921-02-18
Details Of Platform Announced By Progressive
Citizens Municipal Ticket Should Appeal
To Public In General.
RISON is CHOICE FOR MAYOR; ADEN,
LEACH, AND WARREN ALDERMAN LIST
Slogan OF New Business Mems Ticket Is Eff
cheney, Economy, Aggressiveness And
Progressiveness; Election April End.

and spiritual welfare, which in reali-
ty is the very foundation of our
governmental affairs and progress
The Sunday laws must be strictly en-
forced.
The portion of the city referred to
in vernacular as "West Faris" should
be taken into and treated as an i'm
portant integral part of the city
proper in all the plans for policing,
development, lighting, fire protection,
and otherwise, and should not be re-
garded as a conquered province" and
meted out the portion of a step child.
Instead of passing ordinances be-
hind closed doors by initiative only
of the legislative council without q
referendum OF the people, every pro-
posed ordinance should be given to
the people in it's primary form and
public hearing had on at least two
readings before final passage. This
will tend to preclude the passage of
ordinances for individual benefit, and,
will keep the people informed of
what city legislation is being enacted.
They will not then have to depend
on reports and rumors only as gath
cred by local newspaper reporters
following meetings of the council.
There should be published, period
ically, for the benefit of all the
people and taxpayers, a statement
of the conduct of the financial affairs
of the city in all its departments,
showing in detail the various salaries
of the city in all it's departments, and
1.-THE distribution of all expense, that
the general public may be in touch
with the affairs Of the municipal gov
ernment. The expense of publishing
such statement is less than $50 a
year, and this amount which is now
paid the mayor as salary" should
be so diverted.
There should be a complete audit
and survey of the city books in every
department and the possible resources,
as is provided for by state laws, and
it should not be necessary for i'm
terested citizens to be forced to bring
to attention OF the city administration
any lapse of time for making these
audits through the medium of the
petition method. This audit work
should be performed by expert certi-
fled accountants, and not by "jack-
leg" auditors.
Along The Lines of Constructive
Efforts.
A necessary revision of the ancient
city charter, through legislative act
lit being thoroughly logical to as
sumo that a charter written to apply
to conditions of nearly a quarter
century back, cannot be effectively
applied to meet present-day condit-
ions, and cope with current ideas of
economy and efficiency-material
changes having occurred during the
pre- and after-War periods, especial
ly.
A City Treasury.
Creating an. office of City Treasur-
er 1t is the idea that such a plan
would not only concentrate the hand.
ling of the moneys of the city, in
stead OF these moneys being handled
by the water and light plant office,
the chief of police, and the city re-
corder, with "everybody's business no.
body's business" but would eliminate
the unnecessary and excessive COM
missions in fees now being paid "gen-
eral agents" under the antiquated,
lsmall-town, inefficient, inconvenient,
and expensive plan, to say nothing
of the crude business methods This
move would save the city hundreds
and hundreds of dollars annually. 1t
would provide for the converting of
the present accounting force in the
water and light plant office, it being
considered that two regular account
ants in that office, as now can ca
kpably handle all the affairs devolving
upon a city treasury and thus elimi-
nate more than $1,200.00 in fees
that would accrue to the police chief,
who is in addition now paid a
straight salary of 100000 a year. ID
would also eliminate the fees receiv-
| ed by the recorder from licenses and
privileges, amounting to some 100000
a year. With an income from taxes
of only about $4,000 year, these
hundreds of dollars needlessly deduc-
ted in fees is quite an item, and an
Iamount that could be effectively used
for street maintenance, etc. A more
systematic check could be had, thru
| a concentrated city treasurer office,
on all licenses and privileges-as
under the present inefficient system
there are many firms and individuals
and corporations who are not paying
privilege taxes and other licenses,
thus causing a dead loss in the city's
possible revenue. Further, tax and
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