The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-10-24
The Commission Plan

1He suggestion made by walker Percy in his speech at the Hippo drome Tuesday night that our muni- cipal government could be better ad- | ministered by board of commission CTS, each paid a reasonable salary, than it IS under the present alder manic system, Is well worth consider ing. The Age-Herald, without reflect l ing in any manner whatsoever on the 1 Board of Aldermen as a body or any individual member thereof, believes the commission plan has so many things in it's favor that 1t should be , enacted into law.
 The legislature at it's extraordinary sessession in November can by two thirds vote take up the matter and amend the city charter, so as to abol- ish the aldermen and substitute com mission. This commission should con sist of three men, including the mayor. 1 The commissioners should be elected 1 by the people just as the mayor and aldermen have been chosen. It might be well to provide that one of the commissioners should be an engineer, as is the case in Washington, D. C., where a commission of three men has long and successfully administered the affairs of that great city.
 As MT. Percy remarked, we have no more right to ask busy men to serve this city without pay than an individual or business concern would have to ask men to work for nothing. In Galveston a paid commis- sion has recently taken the place of the city council and the change there is giving the utmost satisfaction.
 It is purely a business proposition and from a. business point of view readily comments itself to the citizens of Birmingham for obvious reasons In the first place with a small body selected from the city at large we would be more likely to get a uniform 1 fly higher class of public servants than under the existing plan with ward politics on election day playing a large part in the result, and log roll ing, and unseemly wrangles in evi- dence in the council chamber. And in the next place higher class men, who are paid to work and give full time, would accomplish more and do bet ter work for the community than un- salaried officials.
 With Mayor Ward in the executive office and ex-officio chairman of a general administrative commission, as he Is now chairman of the police com mission, and with progressive, pub lie spirited, upright business man of wide experience such, for example, as James Bowron or T. G. Bush as an associate on the commission, Birming- ham would be in every respect q model municipality. The Age-Herald mentions the names of those two prominent citizens because they havo ample leisure, as well as exceptional fitness for public office. They are the types needed. Either of them would make an ideal commissioner. The mayors salary Is already fixed at S5000. The associate commissioners should each receive something like sSo00 or sS50O year.
 MT. Percy is very busy lawyer, but he would be willing. no doubt, to draw the commission bill and appear before the legislatures committee on municipalities and explain and advo- cate the measure.
 Let's go to work and have the com mission. This is the modern, busi- ness-like method of running cities, and it will only be question of time when majority of the large municipalities will be so governed.
 l --------==------------------- ------=-------------
 Moren'c Ctoomc hin Crboro