Established 1899
What Other Cities ,
Are Doing Under I
Commission Form)
.. j-» ' - t
Rnoxville Saved Nearly $23,000
During Its First Year.
AYES UNIVERSAL SATISFACTION WHEREVER II IS TRIEDI
Ninety Per Cent, of the Citizens of.
Des Moines, lowa, Would Vote
to Retain the Present Plan-
Kansas Towns All Sat
isfied With Results
Wherever Com
mission Plan
Has Been
Adopted
Bv way of ii traduction, we want to state that at the begining
of the preparation of the new charter, the Charter Committee op
ened up a correspondence with the "Short Ballot Organization,"
and secured from them a "Digest of Short Ballot Charters" that
was of great service to them in compiling the charter that our
citizens will vote upon on the 17th March. In the following ex
cerpts, where no other credit is given, the extracts are from th?
"Pißest." It may be of interest to our readers to know, too. that
President-elect Woodrow Wilson is Piesident of the "Short Ballot
Organization," as well as being a member of the Advisory B-*rd
PARSONS, RAS.
Before Commission Form, Wis Is
suing Warrants Which were
Stamped 4 llnp«d for Lack
of Funds."
Parsons, Kansas, is a busy
railroad center with a population
of 12,463. Eighteen months ago
it went under the commission
form of government. At that
time it was issuing warrants
which were stamped "unpaid for
lack of funds," and the city was
bankrupt, to all practical par
pose*. Under the commission,
the city now is operating on a
cash basis has more than $40,-
000 in the treasury, and has liqui
dated $12,000 in warrant indebt
edness incurred in previous ad
ministrations.
Parsons was fortunate in secur
ing a first class mayor. When he
stepped into office, bootleggers
find jointists were operating
flagrantly, with almost no inter
ference from the police. Half a
hundred boot leggers and dozens
of joints and drug stores were
engaged in the unlawful sale of
liquor. Now the dives are gonef;
there are no bars in the rear
rooms of drug stores, and a hand
fol of boot leggers skate on thin
ice every time they peddle their
wares in ths back streets and
alleys. The mayor'is a business
man applying busineM methods
to the management at a city's
affairs.
DES MOINS, IA.
Taxes Reduced and 90 Per Cent of
People Wouldn't Change
Des Moins, low*.—Oct. 11912.
Charter Committee,
Hickory, N. C.
l)ear Sirs: I have received your
request of Oct. 1 and am for
warding copy of our charter un
der seperate cover.
Des Moines adopted the new
iplan of city government June
220ih, 1907, and the plan became
operative April 1, 1908. Since
that time our city has made rapid
strides.
Kesponsibility is fixed, every
department ot ine city adminis
tration is more efficient, perma
nent improvements which were
thougnt impossible by old coun
cils have been made, and these
things have been accomplished
with a tax levy averaging mori
than two mills less than the av
erage for the last eight yean
under the old pian,
I believe 1 am conservatiM
wh«»n I »ay that ninety per cent
of our citizens would vote to re
tain the commission form of gov
rnment we t the question pu
to a vote to iay.
V- y truly yours,
Jut, R. Hanna, mayor
THE HICKORY DEMOCRAT
LOLA, HAS.
Some Figures Shpwing How Ibis
Little City Prospered Under Com
missioo Government.
Ids, Kansas, with 9,032 in
habitants, has met with 'his ex
perience: For the first time in
years the general expenses have
been kept within the general
revenue. On April 30, 1911', the
total balance in all funds was
166,199,06, showing an increase,
after paying off several thousand
dollars of floating indebtedness
incurred by previous adminis
trations, of $24,381 19 for the
year. .
A few items through the de
partments are enlightening. In
1910, under the old form, the
city attorney's "salary and ex
penses" were sl, 061.68; in 191 L
$734.60. Election expense?
drawn from the general fund
were $711.14 in 1910rin 1911.
$263 58. An elastic category Of
"miscellaneous" in the general
fund shrank amazingly in 1911
being $468 47 against $7,950.60
for the previous year. The
salary account for the police pa.
trol dropped in the twelve- niontl)
from $4,161 46 to $2,062.38, and
the salary of police judge fron*
S9OO to 300 Labor in the engin
eering department cost only
$466 34 in 1911, while in mo it
was $1 418.02
KNOXVILLE, TBNN.
Saved $22,908.27 During its First
Year Under Commission Form of
Government.
From Knoxville, Teun.,Journal »n d
Tribune, Feb. 7. 1913,
Among the many reports
which were presented at Thur*
day's session of the Knoxville
commissioners, the most interest
ing was that of Mr. Sam E Hill,
commissioner of finance, because
it concerns the financial condi
tion of the city, and contains
suggestions by which Knoxville
might save money and become
a better governed city. He claim
ed that through the operation of
commission government, in its
first year of trial, that the city
had been saved the sum $22,908 -
27.
The report in ito entirety woald
j cover fully a page in this paper.
, In the beginning, he recites the
organisation of commission gov- j
. ernment, and how four com
missioners conducted the work
. that really belonged to five,
during nearly all of the entire
year just closed. The vacancy
* I in the office of mayor was caused
vI by litigation that was not term
inated until November. He
mentioned the names of the
boards supplanted by the cora
* I mitsfoners, told of the qpeat
HICKORY, N.C.. THURSDAY. FEBRUARY 27, 1913
MADERO MURDERED. ;
Mexican President and Vice PfesLij
dent Assassinated.
While being transported in an
automobile to prison at midnight
Sunday, President Francisco
Madero and Vice-president Sua
rez were killed by their guards.
The excuse is that they were at
tacked by a body of MaderoV '
friends who tried to rescue him,
he too trying to break away. (
The officers of the guards have i
been arrested. * The public be- ,
lieves that the infamous "fugi- .
tive law,*"' by which a prisoner
is given permission to run and 1
then shot, was invoked in these 1
cases. I
Soon afterward, accompanied |
by her brother, Senora Madero
and Mercedes Madero drove to 1
tie penitentiary but she was re- 1
fused permission to see the bodyI 1
of her husband. Senora Suarez a!- i
so was denied admittance to the ,
mortuary, where physicians, in
accordance with the law, were
performing an autopsy. 1
In contrast to the widow, 1
whose grief was of a pitably i
silent character, expressed in
sobs. Mercedes Madero, a beauti
ful young woman, educated .in 1
Paris, who has been a brilliant 1
leader of society since the rev- 1
olution of 1910, was dry-eyed i
nnd tigerish in her emotions. ,
liv the side of the two womei)
whose husbands had been killed,
the sister hurled accusations at
the officers who barred the en-,
trance.
"Cowards!" "Assassins!" she
called them, her voice pitched
high. The officers stared im
passively.
"You! The men who fired on a
defenseless man! You and your
superior officers are traitors!'* *
The U. S. government has
intervened in the Mexican revo
lution. Provisional President
Huerta was informed that Mad
ero must have a fair t'ial, but
his death came as stated.
Gustavo, was allow ci to run
for his life, and then shot dead
by his guards.
It is recalled in some quarters
I that the action of the Adminis
tration in the case of Madero is ,
precisely the reverse of that
taken 46 years ago when , Presi- (
dent Andrew Johnson refused to ,
interve2ie to prevent the shoot-
ing of the unfortunate Emperor
Maximillian. who was by a sing
ular coincidence betrayed by
the military leader, General
Lopez, who was his main reliance.
In that case, however, it is ap
pointed out that the Maximil
ian was in Mexico greatly
against the will of the United
States and also that he was tried
by a legal tribunal in the form
of a court martial.
_____ i
changes made in the system of |
government, and expressed the i
hope that the people wit) be t
patient and co-operative in await- ]
ing the best results from the n4w !
system. He is convinced that i
the commisbioners can do some- i
thing that will be really worth !
while. He shows that the tax
rate in 1911 was $1.70 per SIOO.
The tax rate for 1912 was $1 00
per SIOO. Counting out the tax
assessments for special purposes,
the rate for general purposes
during 1912 was three cents
less than in 1911,
COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORA
DO.
Thirty Per Cent. Gain in Economy
Under Commission Form and People
Very Well Pleased.
Cn the whole. Colorado Springs
is very well pleased with the
first eighteen months of com
mission government. It has ac
complished many things worth
while, and it has failed to ac
complish other things equally
desirable, but it is working stead
ily toward a higher plane. It
is getting results for which it
struggled in vain under the old
complicated and inefficient sys
tem of administration. Figured
in dollars and cents the expense
of government has been appre
ciably, reduced, for although
the amount of money raised by
taxation and disbursed is as
Kreat as ever, the city is getting
greater value for every dollar.
The efficiency of the depart
ments has been increased to
such an (xtent that the city clerk,
a capable and reliable official,
estimates that there has been a
thirty per cent.gain in economy,
ilf there is anybody that wants
to go back to the old plan of gov
ernment he haa not stood up to
; be counted.
r
[•
, Eczema spreads rapidly; itching «1
> most drives you mad. For quick relief
Doan's Ointment is well reccomaend-
L ed, 5L- at &U stent*.
COMMENT
1 'U ..'l . .."■
Why You Should Vote for the (
Lharter; IV.
Ia preparing the proposed charter
(or this city, the makers of it consult
ed a digest of the best and most suc
cessful and most satisfactory com
mission government charters of the
country. This charter is the cream of
the best there is in modem business
management for cities. It would be,
in our judgment, like a child refusing
to accept a handsome Christmas pres
ent; like a prisoner kicking a proffered
pardon out of the hands of a governor,
[or the voters of Hickory to refure to
pass this charter. It would be akm to
municipal suicide. T\) fail to pass "it
will set Hickory back a decadf in mu
nicipal progress. That is honestly the
opinion of this paper.
The Democrat discovers* by a fuller
Examination that the taxes, of the etty.
rill not be' as high previously been
stated under the new charter.'
Under our present charter, and the
imendn»enta thereto, the Board of Al
dermen can levy a tax of $2.25 on the
hundred dollars of property and $6.75
an the poll. In addition to the poll
Lax they can levy a $3.00 street tax.
If you will examine the new Charter
rou will note that the maximum rate is
$1.70 on the hundred dollars and
$5.10 on and a street tax uOt
to exceed $2.00, This makes a great
difference in favor of the new Charter.
In reference to* the license tax, if
vou will examine the old Charter, Sec
tion 2924 of the Revisal of 1905, and
the revenue act of the Public Law oi
1921, you will find that the present
Board of Aldermen can lefy any tax
that can be levied under the proposed
Charter, and that the amounts under
each are in nearly every instance the
same. At a number of instances vou
will see that taxes under the new Char
ter are less than under the old Charter.
The charter will bring the city gov
ernment down to the average man. It
will give the common peopleltfce power
that Really belongs to them—those j>eople
of whom Lincoln said that he believed
God must love them because he made so
many of them; those people to whom
VVoodrow Wilson referred when he said:
"I tell you the men I am interested in
are the men who, under the conditions
we have had, never had their voices
heard, who never got a line in the news
papers, who never got a moment on the
platform, who never had access to the
ears of Governors or Presidents or of
anybody who was responsible for tke
conduct of public affairs, but who went
iilently and patiently to their work every
day carrying the burden of the world.
How are they to be understood by the
masters of finance if only the masters of
finance, are consulted? That is what I
mean when I say :"Bring the Government
back to the people." I do not mean any
thing demagogic; Ido no mean to talk
is ii we wanted a great mass of men to
rush in and destroy something. That is
not the idea. 1 want the people to come
in and take possession of their own
premises; for I hold that the Govern
ment belongs to the people, and they
bave a right to that intimate access to it
which will determine every turn of its
policy."
Never a city a city which has once
tried this form of government has
desired to go back to the ojtd way. The
Greensboro News says only this week:
«■'Greensboro has the smile on the other j
cities. While nearly all of them are
discussing charter changes, we are
going steadily ahead under our com
mission government. Wouldn't go
back to the old, if we had to."
Above all things, study the charter
for yourself. Don't: accept as true what
John Smith says Jake Jackson said Peter
Johnson told him. It is going over
town this week that a Prohibition Re
corder conld be recalls » i»«tiii»u
of 25 liquor .-men. That is "an error.
Only elective officers can be recalled,
and the Recorder is appointed by the
Board of Aldermen, not elected.
Notice.
By order of the Mayor
and Board of Aldermen of
the City of Hickory, notice
is hereby given; that an
election will be held on
Monday, March 17th, 1913,
at the City Hall in said City,
for the purpose of voting
upon the adoption or re
jection of the proposed
Charter, for the City of
Hickory, as authorized by
the General Assembly of
North Carolina, at its 1913
Session.
Notice is further given
that J. H. Hatcher, W. J.
Shuford and- N. S. Dasher,
have been appointed as in
spectors or judges of said
election.
All electors wishing tc
North Carolina Stands
Near the Foot of all States
for Short School Terms
. , Ǥ * .
The Democrat has before pointed out that it does not look good to see North Carolina nest only
above New Mexico in the States of cne TJnion for lenghth of school terra. New Mexico is at the
bottom of the list with 90,1 school days in a year. North Carolina has only 93,5 school days in the
year.
The following table tails the tale. It wilt be sesn that such states as Rhode Island, Conneticut,
Maryland, New York, New Jersey and others have almost twice as long school term as ours. This
vvhkjb is reproduced here by courtesy of the Progressive Farmer, explaines the need of a six
months compulsory sehook term for North Carolina.
' '• ' - ' •w ->>•
• - -
M ~
7. Wisconsin —173.0 days. . > . 1_ -
8. Nebraska—l7o.s days. - _ ..
12. Michigan—
-13. MiMSachusett^iea^aj^^^^^^^
15. Utah—ls7.o days.
16. ii—^
17. *,2hto^l£2^ii2L—
-19. mbmwmmmmmmmbmMMMWßM
21. Vermont—l47.o days. .. :. .. ~-_:._i__
22. North Dakota—l 43.2 days. '
23«
24. G®°2fo^22LLilsEL—-■■■-■■—*■—»■■■■■■■«■■*»
25. Montana—l3B.s days. _ . "
25. Minnesota—l32.s days. _
29. N£222£^l2L2^2Z£———
30. Mississippi—l3l.o days. ■ ______
31. Vi£2ini^l3o ; sda^
32. Indiana^l^^dw^ ammm^m
33. Oklahoma—l2B.sdays. .... •___;
34. mmm—m-mmmmmmmmm—m
35. Louisiana—l24.l days. - . , -
36. «i«-—«—— -
37. Tennessee—l22.o days. _ *', .
38. Texa^^io^dag^^^ mmrn+mmmmmmm %
39. —i——mm—'
40. Idaho^ll^jSd^Si^ —■■■■■«■■■___________
41. J^i2i2£Sti2^^2£2^—
42. Alabama—loß.s days.
43. A£jJ2s2iii*£j22£2ii— ——————
44. ,£j££i22^l22i222^*—^*— —*■*—*»
46. Arkansa^^o i da2S^^^ iiß|Biißi>>B _ ii^^_Hii^Bßßßi>H>B i i
46. Souti^Carolinar-^J^dav^
47. North Carolina—93.3 days. _
48. New Mexico—9o.l days. |
vote for the adoption of
said charter will use a print
ed or written ballot, upon
which the following words
shall appear, "For Adoption
of New Charter For City of
Hickory," and all electors
wishing to vote against the
said proposed charter be
coming law, shall vote a
printed or written Ballot,
upon which shall appear
the words, "Against Adop
tion of New Charter, For
City of Hickory."
It was further ordered
that the registrar, shall keep
open the registration books
fur at least fourteen (14)
days prior to said date of
March 17th, 1913, the regis
tration to be had as law di
rects.
J. A. LENTZ,
Mayor of the City of Hickory,
G. R. WOOTTEN,
Acting Secretary and TreasuJer.
A. A. WHITENER,
City Attorney.
HIDES.
Prices paid at the Hickory Tan
nery:
Green Hides 10c per pound.
Partly cured hides 11c. " 44
Green Salted Hides 12c " "
Dry Flint Hides 18c " "
Dry Salted Hides 17c 44 "
Tallow 6c 44 44
Rye Straw 50c per 100 lb
Baled and delivered.
A Knock-Out.
Dr. King's New Medicine for colds,
Cold Breaker, is now getting in some
fine work. It is speedy, safe and
sure. The price is only 25c. Conven
ient package. Find It at all medi
> cine dealers.
*
Democrat and Press, Consolidated 1905
Catawba Items.
Miss Johnsie Lowrance is visit
ins: her sister Mrs. Will Paisley
in Greensboro. She will also
visit in Richmond, Va. before re
turning home.
Miss Maude Smith is visiting
her sister Mrs. Joe Price in
Lenoir.
Mr. and Mrs. S. E. Perry spent
Sunday in Newton the guests of
Mr. and Mra. Socke Kale.
Mr. George Lowrance of Be
noit, Miss, is visiting Mrs. Low
rance at Mr. J. R. Cline's.
Death entered the home of ,Mr.
and Mre. W, U. Kale Friday
night ane claimed for its victim
Clyde their fourteen year old son.
He had been ill for several weeks
but lils condition had not been
considered serious until about a
week ago. The funeral was con
ducted at the Methodist church
Saturday afternoon by Rev. B.
Wilson. The choir sang Clyde's
favorite song "Sweet Hour of
Prayer'*. Six of his school mat
es, Dan Sherrill, Frank Aberne*
thy, Schley Wilson, Tom Gille
land, Charlie and Grady Moore,
acted as pall bearers and Chom
ner Leonard carried the flowers.
He is survived by his parent?,
three sisters, three brothers, and
a large number of friends.
Mr. J. D. Elliott has been
elected president, Mr, J. W.
Hartsfield vice-president and
Mr. F. A. Henderson manager
of the overalls factory. The
home of the factory will be over
the Merchaots Provision Co., in
a room 50 by 85 feet. Work will
begin March 10th with a force
of 35 women, and the capacity
will be 60 dozen overalls a day.
Dr. Kings New Discovery
Soothes irritated throat and lungs,
stops chronic and hacking coagh, re
; lieves tickling thioat, tastes nice.
' Take no other; one* used, always us
. ed. Buy it at C. M. Shuford, Moser
ad Lull, or Grimes Drug Stores.
MAYOR GIBBS OF COLUMBIA
Drops a Few Gems of Thought on
Municipal Government that is Ap
plicable Just Now.
After all, I believe that the
picturesque law-breaker is a more
important figure than the color
lew and passive peon of submis
sive righteousness who imagines
that his chief sphere of useful
ness is at hid money making desk,
and who quakes lest political ac
tivity shall destroy his profits,
while the civic good is trampled
in the dust.
As for me; I place no value t
upon the office of Mayor as a per
sonal perquisite* .and. banner
tasted the honor, I say solemnly
to the people that if they will con
script another to take up the
fight for them at the end of this
term I shall gladly retire to work
a while for myself.
Let us arouse ourselves and
get a man who will always be on
guard to resist the attacks of
the enemies of the public good,
as well as the insidious approach
es ot friends who would use in
fluence for favor.
Did Johnsoa Leave a Quorum?
Charlotte Observer.
One thing Archibald Johafon left us
in doubt about. Waving the sheep to
hit right and the goats to his left, Ad b
leave sheep enough to nuke a quorum
Seaboarl /Ur Line laitwsy.
Schedule Effective JUL 1. 191 Z
' ■ ■ ' ii i ■' i i ■ j
Leave T.inoelntoa, N. C.
East Bound
Train No. 46, S£2 a. m., daily
- " 112, 6£B p. m., ~
« v '
West Bound
Train No. 131 U dSa. daily
" " 4T, 555 p.m.,
For further information apply
(Matte, NC.
1