The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1910-12-31
Civic Administration.

The wide spreading growth of the
Commission Form of Civic Adminstra-
tion is demonstrating the feasibility as
well as the economy of this system.
Beginning at Galveston it has made its
way into 100 towns and cities Of this
country and the time is coming and not
far distant when the municipality that
is not run by this business system will
be classed as a back number. Idaho
Springs should get into the van of pro-
gress by substituting the Commission
Form Of government for the present
political system. 1t should doff the ex-
pensive system and don the economic.
Speaking Of the advantages Of the
Commission Form at Grand Junction,
Earl A. Bickel, editor Of the Grand
Junction News, made the following
statements before the Denver Chamber
of Commerce: "The ideal Of business
and not political management Of = city
has captured the nation Over 100
cities and towns IN the United States,
ranging in population from 5000 to
OVcI OUU,O nave nuOPsCu IuS Sohu-
mission system.
Scarcely day passes but that the
newspapers announce that another city
has thrown off the diseredited, cumb er-
some and often graft-riddsn system of
ward representation and city manage
ment by groups of aldermanic irrespon-
sbles and has followed out the principles
in force in all our big, successful cor
porations by operating the city by
small board of directors, each personally
responsible to the people and liable to
summary discharge if dishonest or in
efficient.
The blot upon the American record
for free government has been the ad-
ministration of our tiles The solution
of tho roblem is in the commission
system. Today the commission system
is not an experiment. 1t is tested
and proven success 1t is now no long
er a question of whether it il desirable
to change to the commission system.
1t is merely question of how soon it
will be adopted.
The commission system is simply the
business management of city for the
people instead of the management of =
city for big business. 1t results in the
conservation of taxes. 1t is reform II :
surance.
Grand Junction has been under the
commission system one year. The time
is much too short to realize all the ben
efits we will achieve within the next
few years, but much has been done in
the initial twelve months.
The tax levy has been reduced 4 mills
in the face Of the fact that the 1911
budget outlines the most progressive
program yet adopted in Grand Junction
The fire department is to be reorgan-
lied and equipped with automobile hose
and chemical truck wagon. A free
municipal garbage collection service is
to be installed in January, the first
service of this kind in western Colorado.
1t will make Grand Junction the most
sanitary City Of it's size in the state
The artistic landscaping and improve
msnt Of the parks has been taken up
and will be continued. The free library
fund has been increased. The Grand
Junction water problem, a political
football in local politice for fifteen
years, has been taken hold of in busi-
ness-like manner and will ne settled
within the next eight ks and in all
probability construction work will start
in the spring upon half-million dollar
mountain writer system. A new sewer
district will also be opened.