The Mankato free press., 1922-03-10


mayor, the judge and special judge of
the muhieips! court would be elected
at large, and the city councilmen from
their respective wards. Under the
recommendations oi the committee
Consisting of Z. V. Waters and Rev.
Carl Kruger, the mayors salary
would be placed at $500 per year,
provided, he put in eight hours a day
at city work, or he might choose to
perform TIM most urgent duties at
a salary of 5000 per year. Each
councilman, under the plan suggested
by the committee would receive S10O
per year. payable in monthly install
ments. In case the mayor OF council
men absent themselves from thee
consecutive meetings. ii would be
grounds Icr declaring their offices
vacant, and some other person would
be. appointed by the incumbent mayor
and council. The report of the com
mittee further suggested that the
mayor OF the city be the chief exec
utiVe' OF the city. He would be en-
powered to appoint city clerk, as
SCISSOR, city attorney, city engineer.
chief Of police, chief OF the fire de-
Lartment. health commissioner, park
superintendent, and superintendent
OF streets, with the approval of the
olher members of the city coucil. The
recommendation. favored dividing the
administrative departments of the
city into the following divisions: De-
partment OF public health, sanitation,
police and general welfare: depart
ment OF accounts and finances; de-
partnIrnt of parks and public grounds
department Of water works and sew
ehs: department of streets and alleys.
department OF buildings and fire pro-
lection and department of education
The minority report filed by Adolph
Mueller doubted very much whether
the ward system Of government
WOULD work out we'll for the city of
Mankato. Mr.. Mueller also stated
that he did not favor the city mana
ger plan. for the reason that he fear
ID that such an officer would have to
r' politics to large extent. If the
~ wishes to revert back to the old
cTrl OF government, and the ma
j Il so votes, Mr.. Mueller said that
NJ As willing to abide by the decis-
FArronally, Mr.. Mueller said that
he rid not think il the best policy to
bring the public school system of
D.
ion oi q commissioner of education
elected every two years there would
be too much of chance for politics
10 creep in
After the reading of the majority
ann minaritT reports on the duties
salaries and number of city officials,
The feast of ,pratory broke loose.
500 Per Year Not Enough
Frank J. Mahowald said that he did
not think that 500 a year was any
inducement for good men to take the
responsibility OF assuming the duties
OF councilmen. This would hardly
pay for the work OF sitting as a
loaid Of equalization, not to speak OF
other duties.
Charles, T. Taylor came in with the
remark in speaking of the suggested
powers Of the mayor in the majority;
report, by stating that 1t looked to
him, as If It were placing too much
power in the hands of the mayor. 1t
loked too much like a one man Job
TO him. Under the recommendations
the mayor would have the power to
hire and fire whom he pleased.
Judge ILorfn Cray in speaking of
the commissioner of education feat
ure OF the recommendation, said that
there Us a great deal of the Mankato
school district lying outside of the
city limits. and for that reason he
would advise people to 20 slow on
the appointment of such a commits
sioner, at least until state legislation
IS passed which would be in accord
with such change.
Judge Cray said that he did not ia :
sor going, lack to the old ward sys-
lem; lem. Tnere was too much. of the at
tltude OF you scratch my back and /
VIII scratch yours" in order to get
anything passed in the way of city
improvements. In the election of the
aldermen at large, there is no such
situation. In closing his remarks,
JuQse Cray would not have the mem
Ders OF the charter commission pass
the buck TO the voters of the city to
pass on recommendations. The mem
ners or the commission should give
me most careful study to any rec
ommendations to be offered and not
oner them until they are thoroughly
stualed from all angler.
Henry. Himmelmann called atten
aon 70 the fact that a great many
valuable improvements were made
under the old aldermanio plan. but
no would favor The present system of
government. He did think that
.ounclmen should get more than
s'SQ rsT year. and $500 was little
ffHSeY. ihdyOI. IlC uOuDLGu
ever at that figure where the mayor
wculd have to devote his entire time
TO the citv, whether the right class OF
man tor the position could be secured
for that salary
Waters Opened Arsenal
At this point in the discussion e
Y. Waters did not fail to shoot a
hroadside into the present admins
tration for alleged extravaganza in
work on Liberty street and on the
Van Brupt street slough road.
L. L. Chanplain agreed that there
were some things in the majority re
port that he agreed with and others
he did not. He thought that the mat
ter might well rest for consideration
to another meeting of the commission
He did not like the optional features
of the mayor as suggested in the ma
$jority report. He also thought that
the matter of the appointment of a
commissioner OF education, should be
gone into carefully. owing 10 the fact
as Judge Cray stated, that part OF the
Mankato school district lies outside
the city limits.
W. p Ess1lnintt shaueht that the