The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1923-03-30
WATERS WOULD
DEBATE EXECUTIVE
Joint Verbal Battle Sought
By Candidate
TALK OVERAFFAIRS
His Statement Calls For Dis
cussion With w. A.
Beach

e. V. Waters seeks a joint debate
with Mayor w. A. Beach. The for
mer executive desires to hold a pub
lie discussion of city affairs, and is
willing to leave the arrangements
for the verbal battle to a disinter-
ested committee. Mr.. Waters today
issued the following statement:
Il am believer Of the principle
that the people shall rule and gov
ern and am opposed to a one man
rule doctrine. In seeking the cleo
ton of mayor. / am not attempting
10 force upon the citizens OF Man
kato the election OF any particular
candidate to the council, that the
citizens are capable of electing their
servants.
Il stand upon and expect to be
elected upon true, and not false
doctrine, OF tax economy. l also
pledge to the people an administra-
ton Of strict enforcement of law
and order during my entire admin
istration, and not one made in the
approach OF coming election.
During my former administra-
ton no punch boards and slot ma
chimes were permitted and none
were ordered out on the approach
of election, as was done by the pre-
sent administration.
Opposes "czarian Methods"
II am opposed TO cZarian methods
in handling Of city affairs and be-
lieye that the people have right 10
expect that whenever a proper ap
plication for charter amendments is
presented to the council that these
the people should be given a right
10 vote upon, by the city admin
stration, without having to go to the
expense of having the Supreme
Court order the city administration
10 submit the amendments to a vote
of the people.
81 am also opposed to expensive
and endless litigation carried on in
the name of the city by outside law
yers, who have no interest in the
crafty the personal whims and
wishes OF the individual members of
the council.
ministration the city had on hand in
cash $84,0 and the council reduc-
ed the tax levy. Notwithstanding a
deficit of $4,000 from the former
administration and the shrinkage of
$4,000 in license fees.
The present administration has
raised the interest budget $500 over
and above any previous year, that
must mean borrowing $4,000.
why was this done?
IL am in favor of reducing, and
not increasing, the tax payers bur-
den as the present administration
has done. The previous administra-
ton had made a tax levy OF $4,000
against the property owners for re-
pairs of front street pavement and
TO pay $1,000 towards the expense
Of the repairs. The present admin
istration has relieved the property
owners of this burden and has cast
il upon the tax payers Of the city.
Why this burden on the people?
Regarding the Taxes
Mayor Beach claims that he has
saved the people taxes / claim he
has not. Take for Nuisance the street
car matter Mr.. Beach read figures
before the council which he said
were compiled by the city engineer
under the mayors direction in
which he claimed the item c. ex-
pense which the street railway
wanted to avoid was something over
SIC, 900, and when the ordinance was
proposed to relieve the car line Of
this eXpenSeNwh1ch then would 1ali
on abutting property owners where
It. would be IL the car tracks were
not in the street, the mayor and his
council deliberately injected into
this ordinance on their own motion
(perhaps to fill the ordinance) a
provision imposing this burden OF
over $4,000, as he claimed, upon
the tax payers at large. This was
radically wrong as the property
owners along the street, and not the
tax payers Of the city, should bear
ITO more fully discuss the NUM-
cipal affairs Of the city hereby
challenge Mayor Beach to a joint
debate to be arranged by disinter-
ested committee and ] agree to pay
one half of the expense connected
therewith-Respectfully yours, E.
V. Waters"