The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1909-06-19
CREDIT TO COMMISSION
FORM OF GOVERNMENT
Has Caused q Complete Re-
VeTSaI IN The Position Of
This Oklahoma Town

Tulsa, Okla, june l9.-Three
months ago, With the eyes OF every
other city In Oklahoma upon this
place. Tulsa inaugurated the COM
mission form of government with "a
corps ol officials elected on non.
partisan ticket. Ever since Tulsa
had been o cltg II had been governed
under the aldermanlc system, and
the change from the aldermanic to
The more modern commission form
OF government was the result OF q
demand for an economic business
like administration Of the clty's at
fairs with partisan politics barred
which would make the credit OF the
city cqnai to that Of other cities Of
the country
IN short. Tulsa would eventually
have gone bankrupt under the old
form OF government. Instead Of suf
flclent revenue from the usual
sources being provided TO administer
the city government Il had become
necessary the last three years %
supplement this supply OF revenue
by bond Issues. City warrants Rere
practically worthless
Had to Bowow from Gambler.
II person had q claim, say o.
500, against tho city It YVES custom
ass X Isssn shn creditor & warrant
for 9ii0. rs he would have TO carry
this warrant six months or yea
IN an probability # he did not care
10 acaln Il az a ruinuus rate 81 Inter
est. Upon s.la face Of these var
ranis The city paid G per cent Inter
est and upon the actual aAOunt o
the debt betweed ie and 30 per cent
TO Illustrate The straits to which Tul
a. WAS driven In the school year o
ig070s. Dick Borden, proprietor o
the biggest gambling house here
"staked The city 70 the amount @
$4,000 upon which he drew rs PEI
cent Is help carry on tho cit,
schools.
No sooner he'd The first Legislature
enacted law which provided To-
snecial charters lu cities OF the frs
class than lhere was g edmand here
i1r commission charter, modelled
on the Galveston plan
Soon proposition as 10 whether
inc city would adopt special char
Ter was put TO vote Of the people
lt carried rs q large majority 4
commission charter vas then draft
I'd which provided for onlY six elect
i've officials. mayor. four commits
eloners and city auditor. To thes'
Xix officials was 10 be lnirusled thl
COMMUNICATION OF the affairs Of thi
rity. with g nruvsu IN the charte
that amy or al oi them could be fe
called for malfeasance IN office upoi
reiltion signed by 35 per cent OF the
voters,
The charter was put 10 il vote o
| tho people Iniy OF lasi year, and |
carried Governor Haskell last Jan
nary gave Il hts official indorse
mont and authorized the election o
the first set OF officials under ihl
new form of government The cleo
| ion was held February rs. and will
tho exception OF ono commlsslune
and auditor non.partsan heke
defeated q straight Democratic
| ticket.
Got the Money Together
When the new administration WI
| luaugufaied March /. II faced an out
| standing bonded indebtedness 10
current running expenses Of approx
| imately $4,000, d depleted treasur,
/ aud every source 1T revenue exhaust
| ed, The new officials were unde
lsona not to run the city one cent Il
debt for current rtnning expenses
and It behooved them to get busy
| First an occupation tax was devised
| RoftwhmrW places hitherto runnni
wide open AMI paying nothing L
| ihe city were forced TO pay Q la
liOf siH0 month. dog tax Of iron
| SO % s5 q head was devised and 70
| lhe first time systematic colles
llon Of poll tax was provided for.
Again cul was made IN the run
| ming expenses Of the various depart
monts. The fee system, the fluaT
ciRl ruin of many cities. Was ahO
lehed A system Of bookkeeping wa
Installed III every department whlc
absolutely prevents graft IN large o
small amounts. IN the selection q
employees those xere taken Nh
showed fitness and not one was en-
| nl0gaA "a payment of political. debit
j for 8he rev administration had non
~ fay. Tulsa noW has the beat pc
| llce and fire department In us hi
| tory, and although much larger tha
| year ago. is costing The city bu
little more money than when ha
the present size
Out of Debt. What's More.
Today The city Is out Of debt an
on cash haals Warrants bear II
iraerpsl bul are cashed At their fac
value upon presentation , The bani
| The same aa check Tulsa bond
II inv hrire y fsehnf neenltm
| the bond market than eyer before
| As to the management Of the cit
! Never in the hlalpf Of she rllr ~
! so much municipal improvement II