The Daily Alaska empire., 1944-10-19
REDS PUSHING MANY ISSUES
 DEEPER INT0DI5(US5ED AT EAST PRUSSIA MASS MEETING.

iellS Jlly III Oi II 5, otAiAoAio AAoAA' many people were heard on build ing codes, closing hours for liquor dispensaries, public ownership of utilities, manager form of civic government, and postwar plan ming.
 A motion to have new building code and see that it is enforced was passed with no objection by those present.
 Likewise, the proposition to close both bars and liquor stores at midnight, public ownership of utilities, and the formation of a postwar planning council passed with little objection.
 On the motion to have city, manager form of government, some of the audience preferred the council-mayor system.
 Parsons InstigatOr
 At the opening of the meeting, Ernie Parsons announced he was the one who was solely responsible for it. He then asked for discus sion on the building code problem He started the discussion by saying that the old code was obsolete and the new code that had been pro- posed was much better.
 Jack Fletcher, Manager of the Baranof Hotel, suggested that the city and the property owner are liable to suit if an accident oc- currs because of building failure due to non-availability of building inspection.
 Hugh Antrim, recently -deposed City Engineer, said that the code is only as good as the enforcement and that the old code enforced would be better than the proposed new code without enforcement.
 Antrim Quizzed
 When asked by a member of the audience, What does the present code lack?" Antrim said the main bad feature was the lack of flexi- bility and practicality. The code, he said, was drawn up by the best of local talent then available (by Milton Lagergren, nine years ago. but does not cover everything 1t should and what is covered is too rigid-cannot be changed to suit changing conditions.
 F. Davis asked if the new code were adopted would it have to be adopted in full or could it be altered to fit the needs of Juneau. Antrim again replied and said minor points would have to be changed. Over 600 cities have already, some with changes and some without.
 Hector Plante asked why the city council did not bring out clearly their reason for letting the engineer go. No one in the audi ence answered this question.
 Fred Paul then said the city ought to have a code, but that if we have one, the people in the city must back up the engineer.
 CnIo Urc
 Curtis Shattuck, when asked by Chairman Parsons to explain what effect a building code had on fire insurance rates, replied that the city is not given any credit for having a code However, if the code was enforced and in num- Der of years it was found that en- forcement cut down losses, insur- ance rates might be reduced. Parsons again told the fate ot i the new code which the Contract or's Association had approved. 1t was laid on the table and nothing more was heard about it.
 On a motion by J. B. Burford to go on record as favoring the code, Chairman Parsons asked fol a vote. After some more discus. sion, the majority offered no ob' jection.
 City Manager Plan
 The next question was whether Juneau should adopt the city manager plan. Harold Foss ex plained the plan briefly. Then Mrs Harold Smith asked if the man ager could be fired. Foss said h. could.
 In the subsequent discussion i was brought out that it is believed the manager could not be appoint ed for a long term unless the Or ganic Act was changed. Parsons stated the city govern ment, as now constituted, was no so good, as the mayor had to- short term. Dr. J. O. Rude ex