The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-07-04
Nm. uneUnAnr.s BILL.

| ernment for municipalities has been
gaining Roadway. While not absolute
| ly a new idea. IL received its frst most
serious experiment In Galveston. From
there It spread steadily through Texas
until nearly all OF its leading cities
have gone over to the plan. And from
Texas 1t has Travelled into various 9TH
Of Iowa. over year ago inauguratsd
the new form. and a series of letters
from there published In The Advertiser
recently show what a success 1t has
already achieved. '.,
The wave has finally reached Ala
! bama. Usually a city takes up the
agitation OF the Commission form of
government when It Is aroused more or
less suddenly to the serious defects
in Its old methods. Birmingham has
had several ugly scandals about its
municipal government in the last year,
and there has naturally followed an
earnest agitation for q change to the
new method OF city administration
which 10 reported to have done SO much
| elsewhere.
As a result Of the agitation in Bir-
mingham a bill has been formulated
| for the purpose of enabling her to take
on the Commission form. IL she chooses,
This bill Is the result of a great deal
OF investigation and thought by a rep
rescntative committee of Mrminghnui's
leading citizens. in conjunction with
Representative Urquhart, OF jefferson
County. It is understood that Birm-
insham has secured the consent Of
Governor Conner to include in hts pros
pective call for an extra session OF the
Legislature the matter OF the con-
sideration of bill of this character.
Representative Urquhart has been SO
kind as to send The Advertiser copy
OF his proposed bill. and It is repro
| duced in this issue. This paper has
not examined the measure critically as
to details. which after all are largely
legal questions. Doubtless In the main
It is a fine measure to secure the large
end in view.
or course. the bill has to be of
| general character to be considered by
the Legislature, but nevertheless, It
has been framed primarily to cover
Birmingham's case. In the first para
graph Of the bill this purpose has been
made clear by the restriction Of the OPP
GRAFTON of the measure to cities Of
| seventy thousand. To be sure, Birm-
ingham has not now that number OF
people In Its municipal limits, but 1t is
proposed alst at the same extra ses-
sion to pass another Greater Birming-
ham bill, which Is to take In a num-
Der of suburbs in Jones's Valley, there
by increasing the city to a population
| Of about hundred thousand. So prac-
| tically Mr.. Urquhart's bill is for the
| benefit Of Birmingham alone, as no
other city is likely to have seventy
thousand for some years to come.
Doubtless Birmingham's purpose in
this restriction Is not purely selfish.
She has no objection to other cities
working for an enabling act to benefit
them. IL they choose. but she does not
want to invite the opposition Of other
cities in the State to her measure by
naming a population minimum which
will let other cities in. nolens volens.
Apropos OF this Birmingham meas
ure the Commercial Club OF Montgom-
cry at q regular meeting Tuesday ev-
ening discussed the general idea of the
| In
situation about to arise in consequence
OF Mr.. Urquhart's bill. Most of the
discussion was favorable to the new
plan. and there we're some expressions
| Of a belief that Montgomery's gov
eminent would be improved by a
change OF its form. A committee was
authorized to look into the situation
that is expected to arise during the
special session Of the Legislature, and
to cooperate with the movement. in
so far as expedient.
As The Advertiser understands it,
the Commercial Club has not decided to
undertake now the agitation of a
change here to the Commission form.
The purpose simply Is to have the ITr-
quhart bill 30 amended as TO reduce
the minimum population of cities,
which may thereafter exercise the OPP
tion of adopting that form of govern
ment. The bill provides that the
change to the Commission method can
not be made in any municipal
fly except by vote of its people, and
In all reasonable ways the change Is
safeguarded 1t seems to us that there
10 no sound reason why the bill should
not be made a general one In fact
as well as in name, so that Mont
gomery. Mobile or any of the larger
cities In the State can have the OPP
portunity of voting on the matter. If
any one or another may choose. Very
probably no advocate of the Commits
sion method would be so enthusiastic
as to seek a vote on the issue here at
any early day, because there would
first have to be proper agitation and
the creation of a strong public opinion,
and that would require time.
1t Is to be hoped that the people OF
Montgomery will think about this mat
ter. and let their opinions have voice
Mobile is also moving In the same
direction. and there is every reason
why the three cities should cooperate