Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1908-11-19
MUNICIPAL PROBLEM

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a2d a-sneo az Tie :15ge al c,e.k
q tt= corporation co1r-, a.e uod@,
the direction q this conmissio-e-.
The CITY secretary aid c..y 81.
torney are officers ~ith with ths
1nzyo--presi6sIt Is c,ose,y associated
AID are usually nominated ~ hin
Al, officers and employees z-e 1omin-
s,@d By the commissioners Il charge
Of tn= respective departments and
are elected ~ Z majority vote q the
entire board.
The mayor Or any Commissioner
can be removed from Office for Off,
cial misoo1duct. druakenness or il
competency upon YFoved charge
made before distric, Judge.
The strongest feature u the CON-
mission plan ot city government Is
its perfect simplicity, its direcIness,
and il limiting the number Of those
directly charged with the manage
te-est and 70 feel 4 certain pride II
the proper Management Of his de-
partment, realizing as he must tina.
merit as well as defects are easily
recognized By his associates, as well
Is By the public generally.
The Galveston commission govern
uent began Sept. IS, 1901 ~ that
time the city was practically bank
rupt; It's taxable values were greatly
reduced; it owed heavy floating
debt in the shape Of scrip issued for
current bills; the city hall, water
works station and some Of the fire
engine houses were il ruins and the
street paving in wrerched condition.
One Of the first acts OF the board
was TO secure the services Of three
eminent engineers, Messrs. Noble,
Robert and Ripley. for the prepare
ton Of plans for the protection OF
the city from calamitous overflow
Their report called for sea-wall 10
cost s1,500,000 and the raising OF
the grade Of the city, 100000
The county built the sea-wall and
the city has raised the grade. Gal
weston county has also just issued
100000 bonds for it's share OF the
cost OF $1,400,0Q0 causeway 10
connect the island with the mainland
Eighty-fve per cent Of the taxable
values Of Galveston county are 10
Gated in the city Of Galveston, hence
the entire burden Of taxation falls
largely upon the city proper.
The tax rate for city purposes in
1907 was $3.50 and state and county
purposes $1.1sk Valuations for as
sessing purposes are quite reason
able, and Notwithstanding Calves
toms experience and accomplish
ments, it's taxes are lower than any
large city in Texas.
Mr.. Mcfarland, president Of the
appointive board Of commissioners
for the city of Washington, says
that "the great danger to the cleo
tive commission form Of government
is that while at first it would be
non-partisan, after while the in
eyitable effect Of partisan politics
may appear and it will lose its high
character. The ideal system is one
under which the citizens treat all
municipal matters as public business
and not political business, and that
is not possible for any great length
Of time where they are divided into
political parties by their opinions
which have nothing to do with NUM-
cipal business, and only confuses
public opinion"
On this subject President Roose-
welt says:
"The lines upon which national
parties divide have no necessary
connection with the business OF the
city. Such connections open the
way to countless schemes of public
plumber and civic corruption"
The truth Of both these statements
is we'll recognized in Galveston, and
IL the high standard OF our city gov
eminent Is to be maintained this
peril must be avoided in the future
az II has in the past,