The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1922-07-31
FUTURE?


Tomorrow will be a n lous day for places other
than Lakeland. fillsborclgh county will vote over
again on bond issue of $3O0O 900 for the extension
of that counys system OF paved highways. Clearwater
will vote on a new charter similar in many respects to
that to be passed by the voters of Lakeland. Here
and there throughout Florida there are slated school and
road Bond issues that August st will apparently be
important day.
That which concerns Lakeland the most is of course
the charter election 1t is not the purpose of the mem
bers of the charter board either individually body.
to attempt to dictate to the peop pie of Lakeland what
they shall or shall not do in this matter of charter adop
ton rejection. That is up to the individual con-
science of each voter who choose for himself or her
self the may be, whether change is Desired or
whether the present charter meets the requirements of
this growing city The charter board was called upon
by the people CT Lakeland to draft charter The nine
elected to membership on that board endeavcred to
perform to the best of their ability the duty imposed upon
them by their fellow citizens. After consideration of
plan of procedure, after study of just where to begin
and how to begin eight Of the charter board
bes decided that, since practice governing such
matters plainly sets forth in general way that there
only three forms of charter in use in this country the
old councilmanic the later straight commission and the
modern commsslon-manager; Of these three formt
would have to be adopted by the board as a basis On
which to erect document for Lakeland. With the
exception Of L. W. Bloom who was delayed in attend
at this particular meeting the entire beard expressed
opinion unanimously in favor f,buildng on the COM
mission-manager plan After Mr.. Bloom came in the
situation explained and while he expressed prefer
i. L al
two propositions could be submitted to the voters he was
willing to vote with the other members of the board to
proceed with the drafting of charter based upon the
commlssion-manager plan. This is simply by way of
history to how and why the charter beard drafted the
charter which the electors will vote tomorrow 1t
not necessary advance arguments for or against
in this day end time everybody knows that the commits
son-manage plan of city government the acknowledged
standard ord that cities working under the stragh
mission plan have been gradually taking the next forward
step by cngaging the services of manager A notable
example of this right here Florida is to be found in
the recent action Of Daylona The theory and practice
of this method is that responsibility for the successful OPP
Grafton CT a cys affairs p ed upon the shoulders of
a trained man who devoes H. entire time to the ciiy.s
interests running the municipality as a strictly business
enterprise In e present instance every possible SAFE
guard has been placed the charter secure the rights
Of the people and 10 guard their interests, the manager
being nothing than the executive branch of the civic
government, carrying out the wishes OF the legislative
branch, the three city aers. That is the
of the proposition simple. thoughtful men
and women have had II. 10 study the matter and
reach tho own conc usons Our system of doing things
in hi, country permits of free expression of the will of
the people and every and every has the right
10 his and her opinions and express that opinion through
the alot box If the majority tomrrow decide that the
new charter viii afford the avenue through which Lake
land ambitions to become a great city best be real
led the Telegram believes that it will be happy day
for Lakeland and that there will be started in operation
plan whereby those who are to come after and
take up cur burdens will have working tools which will
enable them to achieve what is best in civic advancement
The very fact that city after city in the United States
ard Canada is adopting this system and that few if any
are conent with the ougrown straight commission pan
ought to be sufficient incentive to Lakeland To- fall into
line as an exponent Of the latest and best in civic govern
ment On the other hand, if the majority for the
retention of the present charter and are satisfied that it
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