Arizona republican., 1907-01-11


 government in the commissions c
 Washington and Memphis. Tenn, bu
 they were little more than hints. Flo
 the important feature of the system
 the committee drew straight iron
 modern business practice. Now. ther
 can be no doubt of the splendid, bruta
 vitality of the great business organiza tion. The whole earth is filled with ii
 We can not escape its compulsion-
 eating or drinking. getting up or lyinl down. The problem of the charte
 committee was to inspire with the fore,
 of this strong. live thing. the moribunC
 institution of the city government. Blu
 where does this great driving force O
 the modern business corporation com,
 from? From personality. The corpo-
 ration succeeds because it has harness
 ed to its use the ambition and interest
 of strong men, by placing upon then individual responsibility and authority
 The Galveston committee, in the same
 way, brought into the impersonal, per functory operations of city government
 the same power of personal interest and ambition-stimulated. not by any empty political preferment. but by the satisfaction of a fine and important public service.
 The Galveston Commission is a body of five men-a mayor or general man. ager, and four managers of particular departments. All power resides ins the Commission. A majority vote of the body is final The mayor is presiding officer and general director of the af- fairs of the city, but he has no power beyond his vote as commissioner, ex- cept some minor abilities to act in case of emergency. The commissioners must also come to the board for all power to act The Commission, at its first meeting, divides its departments these four heads: commissioner of fin- ance and revenue. police and fire com missioner, commissioner of streets and public property, and water works and sewerage commissioner. The mayor is elected specifically for his office, but the commissioners are not. But though the division of departments is under the charge of the board. the the public are practically certain. when they cast their votes, of the office each man will assume. In fact, the men who now serve were chosen because of special fitness for their work. The elections to the board are. of course. at large, and the whole body is elected together every two years-the election taking place in May. a time as far re- other elections.
 You must unde; exactly the function of these commissioners. for this is very important. They are not in any sense-although they are salaried men the mayor re- ceiving $2,000 and each commissioner s1.20O a year; they are governors or managers of departments. First of all, each represents his department in the board. They outline its policy there as specialists in its affairs and all ques- tions concerning it are referred to them for their opinion. All matters of the daily conduct of their departments are under their supervision. They are in much the same position to the city that the British ministry is to the affairs of England. Their superintendents under them take the management of the rou tine They simply advise and direct. The work consequently in all but the largest cities. will not be so great but that it can be undertaken by most business men. Varied amounts of time will of course, be given it, according -o the temperament of the individual In charge. but the daily average need not be large. As a matter of fact the Galveston commissioners give it more lime than they would if they were not SO actively interested in their work.
 A REALLY REFRESHMENTS
 GOVERNMENT
 It is a widespread belief-and one If the most hopeless beliefs in the cur ent pessimism concerning city govern nent-that strong and representative | nen can never again be had for the ! service of cities. There is an ample | iupply for the management of libraries | md hospitals and boards of trade. but l lone for the vastly more important ] york of city government Galveston | las contradicted this skepticism sue | 'essfully Her commissioners came in | O her service. it is true. under the | pressure of a great calamity: but they | till remain, and from present appear Inces they will continue some years l onger. Their work interests them; it 1 Ias become their hobby. as the libraries | nd hospitals and parks have their thousands of wealthy and successful | nen throughout the country. The hange in the form of government has made this possible. In Galveston, where the office of alderman was a treet joke or a disgrace, the office of is a high honor, and an bsorbing personal interest for its older.
 This is the class of men who do the ity business of Galveston: the first layor- president was Judge w. T. justin, for years one of the leading ttorneys of the city. His death, in he fall of 1905, made the first and only hange in the Commission up to date. Ie was succeeded by Henry A. Landes,
 veteran wholesale merchant, with tide and varied interests in local busi- ess affairs. l. H. Kempner, the com lissioner of finance. is perhaps the lost promising young business man in he city-a banker and active manager II f large business interests. Previous {; ) his election he was for two years city 1 -easurer. H. c. Lange. the water orks and sewarage commissioner. is ]; n active partner in n prosperous hOlesale house Before becoming he was for a number of 1 ears member of the subsidiary board ( hich managed the routine of the wa IT department under the aldermen. {. E. Austin. commissioner of streets l