The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1910-09-28
the the Bad Seasons" by Carl Crow
in Technical World Magazine for
October.
The Commission Plan.


never been agitated, but The
Chronicle has been taking an inven-
tory and has finally come out for it
good and strong.
The Chronicle sums up. results in
five cities that have tried it and
prints them, namely. Galveston.
Houston. Leavenworth, Kansas. Des
Moines. Iowa and Cedar Rapids. of
the same State.
Cedar Rapids had a population OF
$4,000 when it's last census was TAX
en-.
We quote results in that place as
by The Chronicle:
Bonds were retired and interest
paid thereon amounting to a total
of sS1,sS0.
A new fire station was erected: all
city buildings were put in good re-
pair.
Public work Of all kinds was done
on a large scale and we'll done.
The receipts from the police court
increased from s75 to about 500 per
month without an increase of arrests.
License tax was inpartially COL
lected.
Milk and meat inspection laws
were enforced.
Five patrolmen were added to the
city police force.
Gamblers were driven from the
city.
The social evil was segregated and
put uner severe restrictions.
Defective paving was rejected;
contracts were held to the specifica-
tions.
Cash discounts were taken on all
city bills.
Interest was collected on city bal
ances In banks.
The city's credit was established at
the highest standard.
Compliments from citizens were
given immediate attention. Civic
pride was awakened.
Business methods were introduced
In all departments Of the city govern
ment
The growth of the city was largely
accelerated.
In Des Moines, a city Of $4,000 the
advantages were greater. We quote:
The city's net loss in the last year
of the old government was $134,510.-
62, the net gain in the last year un-
der the new charter was $4s,439,1O.
a total saving Of $1S2,949.65. !
The tax levy for city purposes in
the last year Of the old charter was
1877 mills Con 90 per cent valuation
established by law; the first year
under the new charter it was sS4
mills.
Public Improvement to the value
OF $357,755.50 were made during the
first year under the new system.
Municipal expenditures were held
strictly within the city revenues. end
Ing the practice of piling up yearly
deficits, to which almost the entire
city bounded debt was due.
Street lights, formerly costing SIS
to sos, were reduced to uniform
rate of s65 per arc per year, and the
moonlight schedule was abolished,
insuring better service.
The streets weer kept noticeably
cleaner; the alleys in business Sec
tions, never before cleaned at all.
were now thoroughly cleaned.
The wages Of men with teams were
increased from $3.50 to $3.50; those
OF day laborers from 50 to s2.25;
much better service was reouir-
ed
Work done by contract was
to the lowest bidder. without mani.
pulation.
Friendly, but mutually self-respect-
ing relations between The city gov
ernment and public service corpora
tions were established.
City politics were entirely divorced
from state and national politics.
Private enterprise and public spirit
were remarkably stimulated: over
100000 was raised for public pur-
poses by citizens in two years. A
great Coliseum. new Y. M. C. A. and
T. w. c. A. buildings were provided
etc.
The city formerly notorious for
'divisive strife" became notably har-
monious.