The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1909-07-17
OTHER CITIES FOLLOW,
RESULTS GRATIFYING
Only Opponents are The Poll
tician and CRATER Who
are Out Of Jobs

After the flood which wrecked
Galveston in 1900. the citizens OF that
town undertook the work OF rebuild
ing the city. The difficulty they en-
c0untered was not Is the lack OF con
fdence on the part OF the people that
the work coud be accomplished OF
that the undertaking was feasible.
Neither was ii In the unwillingness
OF the property owners and business
men ~ provide the means for re.
building the city. The obstacle that
blocked Galvestons progress was It's
city government
Galveston found that the old sys
tenn Of municipal rule composed OF q
mayor and a number Of ward alder
men. without responsibility on any
member OF the government to per.
form any specific duty; with the Cit
divided against itself into repre-
sentative districts and each district
controlled by selfish interests 10 op-
pose every other district. with no
authority on the part of any one to
do anything was an effective barrier
10 the great work of city building.
So Galveston appealed TO the legis
lature for the abolition Of its ward
government and asked for a commits.
sion at the hands of the state 10 di
rect its affairs pending the rebuild
ing Of the city. After persistent ei
fort II secured such a board and tht
members were called commissioners
That Is why the new rule is com
monty called the Galveston plan o.
commission government.
The new rule was so successfu
and met with such popular favor thai
II attracted tho attention of Calves
toms neighboring city Houston The
latter city soon adopted n TIL,
commission plan proved even mor
successful in Houston with its great
er population and large municipal in
terests. than II had In Galveston ant
from Houston II spread TO Othe
Texas citles-Dallas Fort Worth an
a large number of the smaller mu
inequalities OF that state.
A few years ago a prominent cit
zen Of Des Moines. Ia., John w Ber
ryhill. who has large business inter
ests in the South. had occasion {,
visit Galveston. While there h,
found It necessary TO transact som,
business matters with the city. HI
understood what IL meant to dea
with clty councils where the mos
triiiing matters are referred to com
mittees. subcommittee and re-rt
ferred to other committees and sui
committees, reported in and reporte
out OF one department after anothe
through long series OF council meet
ings. Very naturally he eXpeete'
that much time would be required il
completing his ongagemont with th
Galveston council Bur when he IN
formed the mayor as To the nature q
his business he was directed 70 m
head Of The proper department am
was surprised TO learn thai the mai
ter was closed ia fifteen minutes.
Mr. Berryhill became interestc
and investigated the Galveston pla
and concluded thai 10 would be a fin
thing for Des MOines lie went hom
and started the campaign He talb
ed about II TO his neighbOrs, mad
speeches before The commercial an
civic organizations Of his city, wroi
letters TO the newspapers and final
all Des Moines became interested
That is the way Des Moines got con
mission government And the dis
cussi0ns In that city were read "
the people Of Cedar Rapids one O
Des Moines municipal ncighbors. an
Cedar Rapids adopted the plan n
the same time.
And while Mr. Derryhsl was mal
ing a campaign Of education in sh