The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-11-25
The Best Explanation Yet Made
Public on This Matter.
A STORY OF SUCCESS.
The Coming Form of Govern.
ment for Cities.
AConcise Description of Methods
and Results.

commission plan of city government
that has yet been made public. 1t is
written by a trained newspaper man
who had come in contact with the
workings of the plan:
Dear Sir:-Your letter addressed to
the editor of the Houston Chronicle,
concerning city commission govern
ment, is referred to me for a reply.
1 advise you to back the movement
for a city commission. 1t is the COM
ing form of government for cities. 1t
means economy, efficiency, responsible
ity.
1t recognizes the fact that a city
government is a business corporation,
chartered by the state to perform GER
tain practical services for the people
associated in the city. 1t puts that
business on a business basis. 1t gets
rid of the old political. or ward sys-
tenn, of city administration, and enables
the city corporation to plan it's bust
ness as a coherent whole, in building
public services, for example.
Houstons government, before the
commission, was the ward government
The several wards, as in most cities
so governed, fought for the spoils of
taxation. Public works were built dis
connectedly. The ward that had the
smartest politicians in council got the
lions share of public money, without
reference to its actual needs. The poll
ticians, not the city engineer, dictated
invested in public works.
The result was the city piled up a
big bonded debt, with little or nothing
to show for it. 1t had a floating debt
of about half a million dollars. Its
credit was so bad that local tradesmen
would not sell it a@bag of oats without
getting the cash in hand. It's scrip
was kicked about the town away below
par. 1t owned none of it's public ser
vices, and these services in private
hands We're bad
In three years of commission gov
eminent the floating debt has been paid
off. The first sinking fund, to redeem
bonded debt, that the city ever had
has been created, and the city's credit
has been brought back to and above
par Five fine brick school houses have
been built, several miles of brick pave
ment have been laid. the waterworks
has been bought from a private COM
pany and so improved that Houston for
the first time enjoys an ample supply
of pure artesian water for all purposes,
at lower rates than under the private
ownership, and many other improve
ments have been made, without raising
taxes or borrowing a dollar of money.
Such public works bettermentS as have
been made in those three years have
been made to conform to a general
plan, drawn to meet the needs OF the
city as whole.
Now that the city's credit is once
more gilt-edged, the people have voted
$40, 900 of public works extension bonds
October 1909, and it is probable that
a like or larger sum will be voted every
year for four or five years to come, or
until Houston obtains, for the first time,
a completed system Of hrst-claSS pave
ments, drains sewers, water mains, etc.
The people of the town have in three
years virtually ceased to think or talk
about wards; they think of the city as
a whole. The city commission hrst
elected three years ago was reelected
= 1,a nd Of xHfO Won re
Pressure is being brought to bear to
keep the mayor and two commissioners,
the two that have stood with him in
doing the work outlined above, in office
for another term.
Texas commission city, is well satisfied
with the change: she would not go back
to the old way-I doubt if there could
be got 200 votes here to make the
change.
Houston pays her mayor $4,000 year
her four city commissioners $1,000
year each. Galveston pays mayer and
$1,000 year each. In
need not pay any salaries:
Men that would not take part in ward
politics. with it's constant scandals, are |
ready enough to take part in clean, |
efficient responsible business govern |
ment. They perceive that it is impoS- |
sible for crooked politician II known
to be such, to get elected to the city |
since all the commissioners |
are elected by the city at large. The |
rascals that used to come up to the old |
city council from slum districts are out |
of it now The Slum district bred the |
slickest politicians, and usually led the |
but it has lost its pull 1t Is |
now only a fraction of the city, always !
outvoted by the respectable business
and working classes in the rest Of the |
city
The Galveston idea of the city com
mission is the simplest and in some |
ways the best one in Texas. There the |
is board of directors for
business corporation. Its members
10 not give the work all their time. |
Each has a private business. They or
ganize the city's business, lay down a
policy and hold the department foremen
Or chiefs responsible for results. Your
present city administration, serving
without pay, would no doubt serve on
he same terms under the commission.
Il YOUR state law makes it necessary to
pay salaries, as in Iowa, the change
will still be a good one. Because While
you have a good mayor and council I'M
Ter the ward system today, you may
nave a bad lot two years hence, or four.
Under the plan of electing all officials
rom the city at large you are likely to
Keep rascals out of office-you can con-
against such a man the decent
Tote of the wwhole town, and that is
he best thing about the commission
,lan 1t makes local politics respecta-
lie. SO that decent men can take part,
md it bars out the slum BOSSES
Houston's charter does not include
he recall. It should. business cor
toration that cannot get rid of dis
lonest or incompetent employees at any
me is badly organized. But the mayor
las power to hire and dismiss any city
mploye below the rank of department
hiefs without consulting the commits
toner's The department chiefs, city
ttorney and city secretary he nomi-
ates and the commission confirms. All
minor city employees work from day to
ay The mayor is the general man
ger of the corporation, with board
Gonarfr77anf |