Bisbee daily review., 1910-04-08

size where the ward politician can get in his work-setting aside the best business men of the community for the best politicians of the com munity; through sheer hand-shaking and patronage-getting ability-the average American city finds that its affairs are no longer satisfactorily conducted.
 The old method-the method in vogue away back wonder before the days of the republic and for some time after-was to turn the affairs of a community over to few of its most representative citizens. and these fulfilled such duties more through a sense of patriotism than for the honor or emoluments of or flee.
 And it is this very system, or something very much like it that is coming hack into vogue. The political plan" of governing muni- cipalities has been tried and found wanting. and. in every section of the country, the most progressive com munities are turning 10 the "busi- ness plan" of municipal government for relief.
 The Galveston flood seemed an awful calamity at the time. bat good has come Of it. It was Gal weston. as someone has said. that made a permanent contribution to the science and the art of efficient municipal government when it in vented the commission plan"
 Since Galveston tried it and made a success of it. other Texas cities adopted it. Then it was tried fin important towns in other western states. These include Des Moines and Topeka. the latter of which has just accepted it. and now. Boston Buffalo and other Eastern cities ar5 to try the commission plan.
 Speaking of this rapid advance oi the commission plan of municipal government. an observant exchange says:
 For this form of government. sim plicity. directness and economy are claimed. It places responsibility up on a very few persons, these arc always in sight. and they can be reached quickly by any wave of pop ular discontent Graft is said to have been made much more diff cult under this plan than under the old form of government Ameri cans who have acquainted them selves with the way that London Paris, Berlin and other great cities in the more progressive countrie. of the old world manage their af fairs point out many defects in th' methods in vogue in New York Chicago, St. Louis and other Amerl can municipalities. Possibly thes' may be corrected by the commis sion plan Of government"
 Speaking of Galveston's valuabl experience this same exchange says
 Tn the collapse of the whole SC cial order in that crisis desperaa expedients suggested themselves The old machinery was too slow am too uncertain for the exigency. Tn commission was as swift and a direct in it's methods as the vigi lance committees in San Francisco early days. The Gordian knot which could not be united quicl enough were cut. Society was re dueed to it's simplest te-Ias. ar1 -hi machinery which would meet t1i demands of economy and sreed il quirement- Tradition and ccnven tion. in several directions. arc be ing challenged. In these days. an, in many fields. the path blazer i active"
 There is much food for though here for all American municipalities The chances are equal that tn ward politician has gained contro of all of them-and that he run them all equally had. It isn't takini chances to try a plan that vii take a community's affairs out Q the hands of the small-fry politician and place them in the hands Of tn best business men. Keep on thinl ing it over; the leaven is in th dough-and it is working"
 THE LESSON
 OF IRRIGATION.