The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1909-05-10

sewerage commissioner: an engineer OF
wafer WORKS secretary Of water
Norks ana sewerage; an inspector OF
plumbing, and sexton or superintend-
ent of cemeteries.
In addition, there is The chief of police.
his assistant, and al his force; a FIRE
employees needed to care syccsssf,llIv for
the business of city Of 5000.
Meeting of the Board.
Six men sit around a table in an Of
fice-f1ve commissioners and the city
secretary. At one end presides the
mayor-president, Henry A Landes.
Grouped about him are the commission
er Of water works and sewerage. H. c.
Iange, conservative, solid German
American: the commissioner Of finance
/ H kempner, keen. shrewd young
fellow of thirty or thirty-flve. q banker:
the commissioner OF streets and public
property, Y. Z. Austin. and the police
and fire commissioner, A. P. Norman.
Usually present also are DR.. True
attorney; the chief Of police and fire.
Vuently ether officials. Citizens may or
may not be present, though all meetings
are public.
At the meeting which 7 attended a
committee presented a petition. but left
as soon as the petition was received,
tney seemed to have great confidence
that the commission would give their
request fair consideration. THE com
mlssioners discussed the petition in a
direct and business-lfke way some fav-
or1ng. some opposing; but here were no
speeches. FOR the benefit Ct the public,
no playing to the galleries" The meet
ing might have been that of the d.
rectors Of an ordinary company, and the
cltlzens, committee a committee OF
stockholders. This IS what continually
impresses one--tlse commissioners con
stitute the city's board of directors.
Every Commissioner Present.
The meetings are held usually once
each week. at s p m. but special meet
ings may be called Oftener. Every com
/ missioner is on hand The meetings are
usually short-from half an hour to an
/ hour The mayor-president calls to or
/ der; he IS addressed as Mr.. President -
The minutes are read. and a regular
/ order of business is followed. but rapid
/ ly; and As there has been more OF less
informal discussion beforehand, each
man knows about what is coming up
and what should be done. Everything
is direct and concise
The Commissioners are all business
man. The mayor-president is q wsole-
sale merchant of long experience;
Austin, a real estate dealer; Norman,
secretary and treasurer Of a live stock
concern and formerly alderman; LANCE.
q wholesaler. Except the mayor, they
are expected to give an hour a day to
the city's business; the mayor gives
six hours day, as -squired by law
They are supposed 20 direct, not TO
! look after the details. Up in Houston
/ they viii tell you that II IS better TO
have commissioners who give all their
time to the city, and so their commits
{ sioners do; here in Gal&eston the citi-
/ zens favor the other plan
You can get so much ADLER men, by
not requiring all their time said Z. r
/ Cheesborough- a prominent citizen in
terested IN Government; the first-cIass
business man cannot afford to give ali
OF his time 70 the city. even If you pay
him $1,000 or 5000 a year. He can make
I three or four times as much in his bust
ness.
The city of Galveston pays its COM
missioners $500, and requires an hour
/ who gives SIX hours, receives 5000.
Houston pays s.. 100 TO the commissioners
and $4,000 to The mayor for all OF their
tiIae. Both plans work well.
Results of the System.
Talk with the business men of Calves
ton, if you want to know how the com
mission has worked. Read the financial
/ statements for the past six years. Re
I call the continued reelection Of the
same board Look over the cfty-the
clean streets, the artistic. and weIl-keIt
depot, the good lighting, the pure water,
the sea-wau. the raising of the whole
city seventeen feet above the level OF
/ the gulf.
/ Not all this is due to the commission
ers; the women Of the city helped TO
/ beautify the railway station-a union
/ station. by-the-way; the United States
/ Government and the State of Texas
( helped with the sea-waII. and the grade
{ 70 fcfrr hrr~ r1n- al
I count. the facts speaks we'll for the new
government. Without issuing additional
/ bonds, and meanwhile paying all labor
/ in cash, the following amounts nave
/ been raised and expended:
To pay outstanding scrip and
interest on bonds issued by
( previous administration S169, e24- b
| Outstanding judgments paid
and eled--------.----------.. zl'oS6-4S
/ Permanent improvements crock
| paving, drainage, etc.).-.....-. 27S, SIS. 70
/ Permanent improvements (wa-
1 ter works, IRE department,
/ hospital, etc -----.-.------------ 124,040-3S
&s4.sss. g
! This sum of over half a million dol
/ lars has been saved out of ordinary
taxes after paying all running expenses
and without the issue Of bonds or in
| crease Of the tax rate, as is shown by
{she statement issued in December, 1907,
/ by the board Of commissioners
City Well Satisfied.
Business men tell you that the new
government is honest and economical;
the appearance OF the city speaks for
itself: the financial statement is sig
Ejfcant. But more than this, the de-
tsrmined organization Of citizens. formed
back of the commissioners, has re-
elected them in spite Of q stiff fight put
I'D by the old crowd. The City Club
has had the cooperation OF the best
/ Elements in the community, and has
Hooked after the petitions, the campaign
literature-What little there -was-aDd
the election of the men who have served
the city so Wei.
This has rendered il unnecessary for
the commissioners TO get out and make
a contest for their oWn-reelectiOn- And
vet the City Club has never spent more
than $500, I am informed in a single
campaign
Theye are at least two principles dis
cerRible in the Galveston plan:
Que, that Of having fewer men run The
city government. known 10 all. held re.
j spOnsible by the voters and gwen power
10 match their responsibility.
The second principle is their election
by all the city, not by wards, with tn.
result that they look to the city as I
( whole for SrnpOFt and administer thai