The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-03-17


 ] The fruit-stands hen coops. etc, have
 been driven from the sidewalks. Mon | ey has been saved in street lighting,
 though more lamps have been proyid-
 ed.
 In the matter of sewerage good pro
 gress has been made. Before the storm | there was only private system in the business centre. This was bought just l before the storm and the new sloptng grade has made 1t possible to put In ! general system. There are now
 eighteen miles of sewers. The town
 has been made clean and kept clean 1 by efficient sanitation. War has been waged on nlosuuitos and flies. and
 though three cases of yellow fever
 came in on ship last year. there was no spread, and no alarm. It Is all thus summarized by the Mcclure writer l "Galyeston. in short, is now begin
 ming to reap the results of five years | of clean. able city government She 1 was desperate and bank rupt; now her l credit is good She was unclean; now l she is clean: she was town of vice | and license: now she Is orderly. UA- l paved streets are well paved, there are 1 good sewers where rorinerly there were none, there is ST ample water supply l in increasing use. The city is pro- l tected from future danger from flood. l But good government has meant more | than it's direct service to the city. Ii | has meant indirectly industrial and commercial prosperity. Property which I fell dead. with no buyers. after the l Storm, has regained it's former value. and in sections has exceeded it. In | two years more, when the grade rising l is cleaned up. much larger increase l will undoubtedly take place. The city 1 Is prospering in a business way as i. never did before. The fine beach and Sea Wall are being rapidly developed to entertain the growing excursion trade with a big amusement village. But most important of all. the shipping from the port is increasing tremend- ous1y. It has trebled since 1900, and Galveston is now the second city in the United States in point of the value of its exports. The government of the town did not, of course, cause all CT this growth. but the conditions it brought about were a great factor. For good government is not merely a mechanical, routine, negative thing; 1t is strong, positive agent, which takes hold on the far future in any city which is fortunate enough to possess it."
 So much for Galveston. What about Houston. which has followed her neigh bor's example? The best answer to this Is the following letter from the Mayor of Houston, Hon. H. B. Rice, received from him about a month ago: Mfr. F. P. Glass. Montgomery, Ala
 Dear Sir:--Replying to your request for information as to the Commission Form of Government for municipalities, we take pleasure in sending you under separate cover, a copy of the Charter of the City of Houston, and submit the following statements with reference to the advantages of the Commission Form of Government in general. and its practical benefits to the City of Hous- n A0 tirfsI Iar KTA ized some of the advantages of the | Commission Form of Government over | the old system, as follows:
 It applies business methods to the | administration of municipal affairs.
 It is means by which the affairs of f the city may receive prompt and intel Hgent attention, without harangue and | waste of time.
 It places the responsibility of city affairs on responsible individuals and | holds them, and them alone, responsible | for the conduct of the city government
 It Is quick and adequate means of avoiding complications and expensive entanglements.
 It affaords an adequate system for the provision of means for the payment of legitimate debts.
 It is of inestimable value in stopping financial leakage.
 By the application of business meth ods in the expenditure of funds 1t en- abies the city to get on it's feet finan- cially
 It affords sure way to reduce the | tax rate Of the city. and at the same [ time to increase the expenditures for | public improvements.
 IL IS guarantee of dispatch in all matters of interest coming before it's executive officers.
 It is a gateway through which a greater current of prosperity may flow.
 IL IS an assurance of prompt atten- ton to the petitions of citizens
 It Is one form of government for mu nicipalities admitting of the application or modern business methods.
 It Is a method of government which afords power to act, and fixes re- sponsibility for action.
 That the Commission Form of Gov eIninent ei mas been of great benefit to lowing: 'ii0 Aoi-
 In less than one year floating in. deotedness, in the neighborhood of four hundred thousand dollars was paid in full.
 The tax levy has been reduced from two collars to one dollar and ninety cents on the hundred dollar valuation
 It has made possible A larger bnd- get or appropriations than ever known before
 It has enabled the present adminis- tratlon to erect three excellent mod ern schooi buildings at a cost of one hundred twenty-five thousand dollars ($l25,oOOO, and to build six miles of street paving. without bond issue.
 It has created business confidence in the city as government. and has gwen rating to the credit of the l city that 1t never had before.
 IL has enabled the city of Houston to save hundreds of thousands of dol- lars annually.
 Our experience demonstrates to the r world that the commission form of government is decidedly a success.
 It has cleaned out the gambling in- stitutions, and abolished variety the- atres; showing an increased moral tone.
 D=ring seventeen months of the com rSssion form of government, there has not been a speech made on the floors of the Council Chamber nor A veto by the Mayor nor a dissenting vote on any question: The average length of the public sessions of the Council is less than ten minutes.
 The Time is ripe" for the adoption of business methods in connection with our municipal governments. | Long ago, better methods were adop- ted in our systems of banking, mer- | chandtsing and even in the modes of | farming, but the great majority of | our cities are still being operated un- der the old slipshod methods inaugu- rated with the settlement of the coun- | try What a1a 1{arh4