Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1907-02-23


Attorney Miller Of this city, who has
had much to do with the preparation
of the measures now before the legis-
lature, providing for the commission
plan of governing cities for such COM
munities as may elect to come under
the system, has received the follow
| ing letter from the r-president of
Galveston, giving history of the plan
and its effect in that city:
Andrew Miller, Bismarck. N. D..
Dear SirI am in receipt of yours.
asking brief history Of the cause
for the change in our city government
and it's effect since it went into opera
ton.
The old plan of our municipal gov
eminent consisted of the mayor and
twelve aldermen, each OF the alder.
men being a representative of the
twelve wards in our city, BIT for five.
years, beginning in 1890, our city.
council consisted Of a mayor and six.
teen aldermen, one from each Of the
twelve wards in our city, but for five
at large.
Each administration Of our city gov
eminent contained some of our best
citizens, but this class was always in
the minority, hence the financial con-
dition Of our city kept gradually grow
ling from bad to worse, caused by the
extravaganza, business-like meth
DDS and graft. ys VI
Our city's current expenses exceed
ed her receipts each year, and this
4 deficiency was met by the issue and
8 sale of bonds. to the extent that for
i the period between 1876 and 1897
/. bonds to the amount of $3.50, 900 had
81 been issued, for which the city had
! received no benefit in the way of pub
8 lie improvements, except few strips
i of dilapidated wooden block pave,
ments.
This unfortunate condition of affairs
continued to exist until our great ca
Ilamity in 1900, after which the city Of
!: Galveston found herself face to face
y with financial bankruptcy If she could
not revolutionize and place herself
upon business basis, and it was un
Z der such forced and unfortunate con.
8 ditions as then prevailed that a com.
q mittee Of our citizens from the very
best legal and business element con
ceived the idea of city government by
4 commission, and at once went actively
{. to work, framing new charter based
upon commission plan as the lead.
s. ing feature Application was made to
Il the legislature then in session TO an.
null the old charter and grant the new
Il one as applied for, completely chang.
], ing the form of our city government
& especially in the election of officers,
4 land the details of its government. This
q great change was opposed by certain
4 of our citizens as being an innovation
/ on the established rules Of many years
standing, and this opposition was even
]. carried to our state capital and the
Legislature asked to defeat the move
i! but that body was with the people, as
i They knew and realized our helpless
condition, and the bill passed April 49,
Z 1901.
Z The charter as granted placed our
i city government in the hands of five
1 commissioners, three Of whom were
s to be appointed by the governor, and
! two selected by the people. The OBJ
s ject of this was to eliminate politics
i with all its kindred evils from oul
!, city government. believing the govern
/ or would appoint only capable, eff
y cient and honest men, and with a ma
a iority of that material in the board
" would certainly insure us good gov
q eminent, and again good and efficient
!. men would accept appoint ent.. when
! they would not enter into politica,
6 scramble for an Office, and to that ex
4 tent it would be the Office seeking The
) man and not the man the Office.
E Our charter called for one commits
i sioner to be known as mayor-presi
i dent, whose duty it was to-overlool
2 the city as whole, and a commits
sioner, each to be known as commits
sioner Of finance and revenue, water
: works and sewerage, police and fir
] and streets, public property and cleo
! trio lights,
vi With each of these four importan
E branches or arms Of the city govern
q ment, efficiently honestly and econom
] ically administered, we believed Thu
perplexing problem Of municipal gov
eminent was satisfactorily solved.
The next difficulty confronting oul
! citizens was to find five good and re
! liable men, who each in their own wa,
{ was particularly adapted to each Of TIL
positions to be filed, as man wit
would make good cOmniissi Oner d