Southwest Washington labor press. [volume] (Hoquiam, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1925-10-09

does not want to be deprived Of the
profits they now enjoy through their
monopoly. That is natural. Every eff
fort TO defeat the public viii has and
viii be made. If the people only knew
it, and had the concerted courage to
act, it could be demonstrated that by
public ownership and operation of all
their public utilities the city could be
run tax free, and also provide for all
needful expansions, repairs and future
developments as well. Hysteria and
class divisions have no place in a city
campaign; for elections and public
business can be conducted without mud
singing and the usual personal asper-
sions and manufactured "roorbacks"
or campaign lies.
Duty of Every Public Officer.
Every public officer takes an oath
of office to observe and enforce the
laws and constitution, and that means
all laws, not some laws.
believe that the city of Aberdeen
should, preserving all safe guards for
home rule and the public welfare, have
a change in its present form of gov
eminent to the end that a mayor or
city manager will be paid a salary
sufficient to make it an all day and
full time job. The salary should be
something like four or five thousand
dollars a year, and if he was worth
his salt, he would save that and more
to the city each year, and more.
Should Eliminate Old Methods
The city as corporation has assets
of millions of dollars and it is grow
ing in amount and value as time goes
on. The encumbering of old ways
should be eliminated to facilitate bus
mess on modern lines all down the
line and yet preserve home rule, de-
mocracy of power and representation
of all sections of the city by wards,
eliminating half of the aldermen, add
ing the salary sums to that of the
city manager, who should by charter
changes have the power of appoint
ment of every other official all down
the line with the consent and approx
al of the Board of Directors (Alder-
men,
The Board of Aldermen could elect
as now their chairman of the board,
who would be the functionary of all
honorary work, such as presiding at
all meetings, representing the city at
conventions and be the ornamental
head and let the City Manager earn
his salary on the job.
The alderman salary could be left
as it is, for with small changes and
the legislature meeting soon, that body
could be prevailed upon to change our
charter to such degree as to meet the
above requirements.
Democracy of control through rep
resentatives of all parts and classes
of the city could be had in the board,
and the meet as now and advise and
confer with the manager, etc., bring
ing the city government in line with
modern corporation administration,
and put the responsibility into one
mans hands under the Board of Alder
men, responsible to the people. The
three or five commissioner plan does
not meet conditions as well as this
plan, to my mind.
Tax Problems.
The tax question will always be
with US, and each should pay accord
ing to what he has, and not try to
shove the load in any degree onto the
other fellow, for that is putting your
hands into the other fellows pocket.
Special favors operate thusly, and
"I'm agin 'em!" To lessen taxes we
must spend less, or have greater in
come from the pockets of the citizens
in some way, or increase the earning
power of the city itself by public
ownership of its own utilities in in
creasing numbers, and, through the
earnings, thus lower taxes to a final
extinction of taxation and support of
of the city government in toto through
revenues from it's utilities.
Other cities are doing it, and more
will dos so as people get their sights
set to it and go cunning for the ex-
ploiters of the public and the general
welfare, useless professional politi-
clans leeching an existence at the font
of public treasure. One thing that
must not be lost sight of is the fact
that as we are a growing city, and
developing, and adding to our indus
tries and population we should not be
niggardly or parsimonious in the use
of the funds of the people. With the
city growth there is added RESPONSE
sa.l Arrk he