Bisbee daily review. [volume] (Bisbee, Ariz.) 1901-1971, 1908-11-29
THE REVIEW MORNING


of the department OF finance and eoun
! ing, has worked his reforms along
different line. The first thing he clt
was to put the city funds in the banks
at interest The city now has $2S ,00l
drawing per cent annually, whnt
the other funds are carrying 2 PEI
cent on daily balances. Fcrnieris
this interest went into the pocket D
the treasurer.
Superintendent Schramm has Also
adopted system OF monthly reports
so that the people know exactly waa
their money is being spent for lie
adopted new and uniform system o.
auditing, and passed a rule that every
city employee must indorse his Own
warrant thus putting an end 20 )
practice of permitting the boss to
draw warrants for all his men. anu
with certain sums as royalty fol
permitting those on his gang to work
Superintendent Macvicar has
wrought great Improvements along
the line of street and sidewalk I'm
proyement. He went over every
downtown sidewalk. and forced own.
ers OF all which were not neat 'and Il,
good reDair to replace them with &c.
ment. thus addipg not a little TO The
appearance of the business streets.
Paving 1f streets was extened in IA
manner never before known. and the
paving is of the very best. Contrac-
tors, who formerly ran the city coun-
ell as they pleased. and put down paw
ing any way they des red. were quick
ly and effectively checked Nowadays
paving must have quality. or It isn't
accepted.
Superintendent MacVicar also lea
the movement which resulted in low
ering the rates for electric lights. anu
for city. water. The electric light
company agreed to the reduction, but
the water company objected, and a
suit is now pending in the federal
court
Then. again, MacYicar started d
movement which means saving of
$4,000 to the city in the manner OF
a contract let to the Welshbaeh Light
ing company, which Is also in the fed
eral court. He discovered that the oiu
city council had given the Welsbaeh
company a lighting contract, without
advertising for bids, as the law re-
Quires. He assailed the contract as
Illegal, and it is upon this question
that the struggle is ON in the courts.
The city gangs were abbreviated
of useless workers, business methods
were put into the offices and through
out the city. The streets are nov
kept clean, and MaeYicar Is laying
his plans for knocking out the smoke
evil.
Wesley Ash, superintendent of
parks and public grounds, is the labor
union man on the commission, beng
a member of the United Mine workers.
Mr.. Ash started In by firing several
park foremen, who were getting $40
a month for dong nothing. He cut
down the cost of lighting the city
parks from S2.75 to S2.55, effecting a
saving of $1,000 a year in this one
item
Mr.. Ash showed that he wasn't
afraid of work by taking charge of
the moving machines, and making hay
on public grounds. His department
has effected saving of $4,000 a year
already.
For the first time in years, the CON
t'ngent fund has not been exhausted
as yet, even though the old offieeiola-
ers, before retiring, voted away all oil
the funds for which they could find
use so as to embarrass the, new coin
missioners
These are some of the things that
have been accomplished in Dies Moinas
since April /.
But the Des Moines plan is not with.
out room for Improvement. So far, tW L
Iowa cities have adopted the charter,
Des Mo mes and Cedar Rapids. But
its fame has spread, and in other paris
of the United States, the Des MDines
plan is being adopted. Sioux Falls
and Lincoln are the latest converts
to the commission form OF government
as outlined in Des MONIES.
The Iowa legislature will meet with,
in a few weeks. At that time, the D,ss
Mo'nes legal department. under the
head of Corporation Council w. H.
Baily and City Solicitor Brennan win
ask for changes in the law. Or rain
er they will ask for improvements
''The most noticeable weakness II.
the Des Moines plan as adopted in this
city is the power of the entire c'Cy
council to say what men shall be
hired in any one department" saIn
City Solicitor Robert BIennan, who
is drawing UP suggestions fer the leg
islature. The law should be so
amended that each superintendent
shall be supreme in making appoint,