Salt Lake Tribune | 1918-08-18 | Page 15 | Quiet Campaign is Promised in Weber

Ill CAMPAIGN IS mm WEBER Both Parties, However, Expect Ex-pect to Put Tickets in the Field, Special to The Tribune. OGDEN, Aus. 17. There will be no fusion or "understanding" about the election elec-tion in Weber county this fall between the Republican and Democratic parties, and both will put tickets in the field within the next six weeks, Thi3 decision, it is reported, was arrived at after an ,H:"ormal discussion of the affaira among the leaders of the parties at their respective respec-tive conferences. It was stated today that the call for the primaries for the naming- of dele-pates dele-pates to the state conventions will be issued by the chairmen of the two parties par-ties in this county as soon as the state chairmen issue their calls. "When the first call comes it will be the signal for aciivity for local politicians. While the two parties will not agree to any fusion this year, it is asserted that they will abide by a pledge to make politics a secondary matter, in order to allow nothing to interfere with the fourth liberty loan drive, which opens September Septem-ber 2S and runs into October. During the time of the "loan drive" politics will be laid aside. There is a iossibility that there will be no campaigning whatever. This view is strengthened by the fact that the new election law will prevent many of the old-time methods. The general intention which seems to prevail in the city and county is to eliminate elim-inate as much as possiblo all unnecessary unneces-sary expense and disagreeable features In the election. There has been no com- ment upon the election here except among the party leaders and the candidates for the nomination for the various county and legislative offices. In the clubs and upon the streets there has been a little discussion about the possible consolidation of city and county offices wherever possible, in order to eliminate a big expense to the taxpayers. taxpay-ers. The advocates of such steps have announced that they are in favor of the introduction of planks in the platforms of the two parties to pledge the members mem-bers of the legislative tickets to seek to bring about certain legislation. They point out that with prohibition a great source of revenue of the city is eliminated, elim-inated, and has brought about conditions condi-tions where not so many peace officers are needed to enforce the laws, which were frequently broken when liquor was a commercialized commodity. It has been suggested that with a joint city and county building, and with one set of officers, the taxpayers would be sa?d several thousand dollars annually. annu-ally. The claim is made that the consolidation con-solidation of city and county officers of the state could be made as successfully as in other cities and counties of many states in the Union. The opponents of the commission form of government, who have advocated the city going back to the old council form, have expressed favor of placing the direction direc-tion of the affairs of the city and county under a board of five commissioners. Under Un-der this form it is suggested having five department, which would be divided as follows: Public affairs and finance, to include in-clude the clerks of the justice and district dis-trict courts and the offices of the assessor and city-county treasurers and recorders; public safety, the police, sheriff and health officers; public highways, 'the city street and engineering departments, and the county road engineer and supervisors; supervis-ors; parks and public property and buildings; build-ings; water works and public utilities. Advocates of the consolidation point out the success that has been brought about by the government in combining offices in the railroad administration and other departments. This has released thousands thou-sands of men for war work where needed. The combination of the public offices here, it is stated, would release a large number of men for war work of the government, gov-ernment, which, it 13 estimated, would run for a number of months, and possibly vears after the cessation of hostilities, in the period of the world's reconstruction and rehabilitation.