The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-06-08
SATURDAY. JUNE $, 1907.
It Is not work TINT Kills men, 'a .nn
work IN healthy; you Gun
hardly put more upon n 1nnn '''"" '.e
cnn bcnr.-H. w. Bccchcr.
THE HOUSTON PLAN.

THE HOUSTON PLAN.
can business methods be applied ~
Ia, government by officers selected
,,nder the usual system of waro pom
tics? So, -,
ron business methods be applied un-
dor the commission plan OF 1''u'1'e'pA :
overnment? The first question an
s,,ors itself, The second question is
answered afirmatively and Win en-
,h,s,s IN an official statement from the
,o,ty of Houston, Texas, with a copy OF
,,.,,,ch we have been favored. Houston
lac given the experiment a fair triai'
and any proposal to return 70 me oio
system would BIO laughed to scorh.
Tho new charter passed the Leglsla-
= +,,ra IN 1905. It confers the usual pow
zacrs upon the municipal corporation
i. I.,,d 90 far as we have examined IT,
saas not differ in its general provi-
s,ons from the charter OF Hlch1'loiu'
Il rrhe essential and radical difference -
& a. +he Legislative body. Instead OF
having a Council and Board OF Alder
,,,an consisting of several members
f.o,m eacl, ward, the administration OF
+he business affairs Of the city Is COM
" ,,,t+ed +o a Mayor and four aldermen
i who. together, are known ana des 'l5
,,nuted as the City Council. THESE are
H p1ected by vote Of the people from the
u c,tv At large and hold office for two
years The Mayor receives saiars
~ 81 600 a year and each of the com
II r,issioners a salary of $4,000. rms
xcouncil" is continuously In session
4 from day to day, each giving his en-
ire time to the city's business, and
welfare. Public sessions are held
tl.eyery Monday Each commissioner, r"
asyays the official statement, represents
..li,s;the whole city instead Of q particular
ward: hence his task Is the develop
,nent Of the city as whole. and not
one section at the expense Of another.
Ward lines have been abolished IN
Houston and the ward Idea place.
among the relics of things that were
In short. the business affairs Of the
whole city Of Houston are managed BY
81 president and board Of directors, like
other business corporations are man
aged.
Sd Il. What s the result? In less than on
wear this form of government enabled
the city to wipe out q huating indebt
edness of approximately 100000. whil'
current expenses were promptly me
month by month.
1t enabled the present administra
excellent modern brick school building
at u cost Of s125,o0O; to pave six miles
of streets; to expend $4,000 for public
parks. and to appropriate $4,000 TO
harbor improvement 1t has created
business confidence In the city gov
eminent and strengthened it's credit
The tax levy has been reduced from
a2 to $3.50 on the $500. it being tn
policy OF the Council to continue tn
reduction 10 per cent year. until
rate of per cent. is reached.
1t has cleaned out the gambling
houses and poolrooms and closed tn
saloons at l o'clock.
During the twenty-five months {
its existence. there has not been
speech on the floor OF the chamber, nc
4 veto by the Mayor, The averag
length of the public sessions of tt
Council is ten minutes.
"Our experience" says the oflici
statement. demonstrates to the wor
that the commission form OF city go,
eminent is decidedly success"
Again we ask: AS this plan has pro,
5E en- to be so successful in Houston mr.
Galveston. why would 1t not be equal
successful in Richmond? Surely, 1t
worth Investigating. The plan hi
I'LL not only helped Houston in the wa,
above indicated, but IT Is n spleridi
advertisement for the city. The stat
ment which Houston IS circulating
that her government is ideal; that ci
revenues are expended TO the best a
vantage; that improvements are bei
made, while the tax rate Is being 10,
sred--is tempting inducement to |
vestors and TO settlers. Such a sta,
ment would be equally as strong
drawing card for Richmond,
54& ---;----.-------------
MI xEXCLUsIVIa" NEWS TWO MONT
lsj OLD,
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