The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1909-04-24
IMMENSE:
SAVING N
MUNICIPAL Al.
EXPENSES

President chadles W, Eliot Of Har
ward university, recently completed
an Investigation Of the municipal
conditions o. Galveston Houston and
othcr Toxas cities. which are now
under commission form ef govern
innnt
, as a reanlt 81 this investigation
be has declared that government by
commission 10 productive Of the
highost efficiency IN municipal affairs
In Gaiyesion there are no sine
cures. said President Eliot The
citizens gei days work for a days
pay frans every employe nf the city
something that can be said Ia few
Instances In my home city Cam
bridge, Mass and cannot be aald n
any case m Boston,
Taking the case Of Galveston aF
an example, II means simply this;
nhcre are only five elective Offices
q mayor and four commissioners
elected BY the city at large without
regard 10 subdivisions. The business
of the city IS divided Into four de.
partments. with The muyor.prcsldent
Jas the executive head, he being
charged with the duty Of seeing thai
all the city laws are enforced
The commissioners at the iirst
meeting after their election. or as
soon thereafter as possible, hy a
majority vote designate from among
their mombers one commissioner 10
be known as commissioner OF a.
nance ava revenue. and unde. whose
direction la placed the Offices Of city
assessor and collector, the city treas
urer and city auditor He is also
charged With TIE duty OF examining
into and keeping informed as to the
anances OF the city. and. With the ad
vice and assistance of The other com
mlsslcners, prepares the annual
budget Of the city
Another commissioner IL deslgnRt
"a as commissioner Of waterwosks
and sewerage. He has under his
special charge the construction
maintenance aud operation OF the
waiefw0rks and sewerage system an,
departments, The superintendent,
if these two departments and the
Joint secretary aad employees are i'm
der ille direction pf this commits
siOner
Another commissioner Is eallef
aommisaloaef Of streets and public
property He haa under hls Rneeia
charge he supervision OF all natter
relating 10 the streets. alleys aud prop
erty belonging to tho city aud q
charged with ihe duty Of lightlnl
lhc atreuls looking after atree
leaaine and sanitation. lhe supe.
vision 81 street paving construction
md rains aad seeing that the con
iiueaa oi tho grant OF public fran
ahises are complied with The eil.
engineer and his asslslant-eli.
health physician superintendent o
trays aud city sexton are under tA
direction Of this commissioner.
The other, and fourth. commll
iioner IS known as the police. AM
/ are commissioner. He has undea hl
special charge The enforcement Of al
/ police regulations and general su
Dcrval9n over The police and llr
/ departments The chef of polio
,hleI % the Are department aud "a
Judge ana elerk II NE e0rporalio
court ere under the direction of thl
commissioner.
4 These I've men meet every Thur
| day evcnlng. examine briefly bu
thoroughly every matter that come
beIofe them. report each on hla 0W
i department. discuss freely but col
olseiy and refer each matter back 1
Me head of the depagtmeAt with nov
er 10 act, or TO the city attorney Z
city engineer for Investigation.
Aud this has been the result Of hy
years Of government BY commisslo
Ia Galveston. once q des0late, RUNE
city
First. without lssulng bond 4
leyging one cent Of additional take
the total floating debt Of The cit,
more than sg90.0u0 has been pail
The city hall and waterworks puml
lng station. destroyed IN the storm
We're rebuilt aud other public pro
erty repaired 4 new englneh0us
was huilt. the streets IN the bualnes
section repayed with brick at coi
Of el25.00o. END another e35,Oc
was spent on rock and shell roads
fSl60pp VAS spent IN paying old iud
ments against the city and Part
the honded debt vas retired. m
commissioners were able to pay d
the salaries and city employees
. cash promptly. on time and withol
having " borrow one cent. ii th
apnual election campaigns that hay
pul aud kept these men in office nt
lone Of them, nor any other city o
icIal has spent a cent The city clu
as managed these campaigns a.
Total eost af Ssaa FOR five Years r