The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1909-04-30
cash IS SAVED CITY.
COMMISSION PLAN is INDICATED;
STORY FROM DES MONIES.

system of Municipal Government;
Town Gets More For Money;
Lighting and Paving Costs Less.
Des Moines, April 26.-Just what
may be accomplished by a city operat-
inc under the Des Moines plan, Ill the
way of saving money for the people, Is
| shown in a report issued today by
Commissioner John MacVicar, superm-
tendent of the department OF streets
and public improvements. Ii there is
doubt in the mind of any person as to
the efficiency of the commission plan,
this report should serve i'll a measure,
to remove it.. Mr.. MacVicar has dem
onstrated that by applying direct busi-
ness methods to municipal affairs the
cost of electric and gas lights may
be lowered, paving, sidewalks and curb
ing laid at less expense. and the Gus
tumary loss from waste, be eliminated.
In 1907, before the commission plar
was adopted here, Des Moincs paid
from $75 to 500 Il year for street arc
lights. Commissioners AlacNicar sue
cceded in compelling a reduction OF
these rates to So Il year. In 1907 the
city paid $12.392.l4 for 995 lights, half
of which were arc and half %incandes-
cent. In 1908. the fiscal year which
ended April |, 1909, the city paid SAL
1851 for l,G4l lights, about GOO of
II 7 ..- T., tho. ,.Au1- thn
city got GAG more lights in 1905 than
in 1907 and it paid less money by
nearly 5000.
Cost of Lighting the Streets.
In 1907 the city paid $GG,242.9G for
:. lOS gas street lights. In 1905 it paid
500, G93.99 for 2,l79 gas street lights.
In other words, the city got II more
lights in 1908 than in 1907, and they
cost "a total of S5.54S.97 less. This re-
suits from Commissioner MacNicar Sc
curing the the passage of an ordinance
reducing the rate from $22 to $l1 Il
year.
The average cost of cement side
walk construction III 1907 was 10 $40
cents a square foot. In 1908 the aver
age cost was 1914 cents. In 1907,
81, 7O4 square feet were laid, and in
1908. 1854 square feet. For brick
paving, Des Moincs paid an average
i'll 1907 of $2.ll a square yard. This
included the incidcntals such rs in
spection, advertising, engineering, cleri-
cal work, and chemical tests. Under
AVN-. ,,,1,,,l.
the average cost was reduced in 1908 to
$2.04 a square yard. In 1907 46,S69
square yards were laid, and in 1908.
$500 square yards. The average
saving in cost was cents Il square
yard.
Asphalt Paving Costs Less.
For asphalt paving the city paid
500 a square yard in 1907. In 1905
it paid $2O7, and there was nearly
t twice as much asphalt paving laid. For
curbing in 1907, the city paid an aver,
age of ~ cents a lineal foot. In 1908,
under the commission rule, it paid 40H,
!, cents. During the fiscal year 1907
, 2.272 catch basins were cleaned at a
; cost of So. 1000, an average of $l.40
; a basin. During the fiscal year 1908
, cost of $4,942.05, an average of $l.0J
a basin.
The foregoing are only a few of the
items wherein the city has saved, and
these reductions are due to the fact
t that the authority for handling such
matters is centered in one man, who
| looks after them the same way he
would look after his own business
Business methods are applied. 1t has
, been said that a city loses $40 by care
/, less methods to 81 from graft, and the
report of this Des Moines commission
er tends to prove it.
] Saving the Pennies.
The cents and fractions count Mr.
2 MacNicar said, when referring to side
walk and paving contracts. They APP
2 pear small, but in the course of Il veal
amount to vast sums. Des Nome,
f. was gouged by the l~ightin" companies
for years before the commission plan
was adopted. When the new regim,
, came in, it went about in a straight
;, forward manner to bring about a re
duction in rates.
. My contention is and has always
| been that any city may apply bust
ness methods to its government ant
save thousands of dollars annually. 4
merchant watches for the little loor
holes where his money escapes. Cite:
do not. But with each commissions
: responsible for certain branches of TIN,
government, the responsibility is placed
and definite. And each COMMISSIONS
under the Des Moines plan, will care
fully guard his work because what h,
, has done and what he has not don,
will show in his annual report"