The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-03-17

ouuS1A. y ' ihSs y tasIcAO no COIupctl.f
tho city. and thirty passenger trains
leave II every day. For twenty-seven
years 81 Paso was under the OLD torni
the consent OF tho Legislature. We
adopted the commission form OF gov-
eminent, and have never regretted 1t.
! was selected Mayor. or chairman of
my second term OF office. was re.
elected without opposition.
!. The ,s commission consists Of Mayor
clothed with ful! authority. and is held
responsible to the people for the con.
duct OF all branches of tho municipal
departments. He is personally respon.
1.-THE conduct OF all the officers except
the Councilmen. Each Alderman, or
commissioner. Is made chairman OF GER
.as departments OF the goyernme1nt.
the direction OF the Mayor.
Mayor Is General Manager.
1T makes a Legislative body of five
men, and practically does away with
the old idea that a city council IS
village debating society we proceed
corporation similar to business cor
porations, and that the Mayor is the
general manager. or superintendent,
ana the the board
put In charge by the stockholders-thc
citizens. The city being a corporation.
and usually the biggest within the
Why the appIieation Of III eo@
mon sense in managing II on bust
ness basis should be detrimental.
The Legislative body being small
,responsibility The lack Of numbers
I'm the legislative body has a tendency
to make the counciimen considerably
more cautious In the exercise OF their
money. or passing foolish Legislation.
In tho commission form OF govern
,nent It Is possible to misapply moneys
or to use poor Judgment; but each In
dividuai member realizes that vast re-
sponsibilities rest upon him. and this
| In itself is calculated to make him8use
better Judgment and act with more
discretion In the discharge Of the func-
Each alderman Is responsible for
the expenditures OF money In his de-
partmcnt. and upon him devolves tho
duty Of seeing that each employe !, does
Is required to devote his entire time
to the city's interests. and each alder
man Is required to work SIX hours
each day. n. Ell Pa s the Mayor re- re-
each alderman receives $3.50 per month.
The compensation to the Mayor In our
city Is insufficient. by reason OF the
the affairs OF the city. he IS capable of
earning larger sums in other pursuits.
How Ell Pnso Has Grown.
"One difficulty with the American
people is the disposition to pay their
officials small salaries, evidently as
Stunning that the honor conferred e Is
sufficient misrepresentation. The result4ots
this policy prohibits the ordinary
American citizen from aspiring for po-
Illitlcal preferment. and makes 1t neces-E
sary that he shall have an ind pendent8
the affairs of government without pau
Iperizing himself and family.
/ "Slnce the commission form OF goY-
Iernment became effective In Ell sE'asosH
! we have by the application OF business
methods saved the city approximately
$4,000 q years in expenditures. We
park purposes. and have enlarged the
IRE apartment, taking 1t from q vol
lsunteerEE basis and making It paid
apartment. We n have erected four.
fire engine houses. and equipped same.
with money from the general fund.
These were tho first buildings Of a
public nature ever erected without the.
assistance Of a bond issue. ls i3E
I'VE have builtS and extended sani.
tary sewers over various portions OF
the city without special levies or bond
issues. During the past three years
we have built thirty les OF paved
streets hich may . appeal to Rich
amounted d to 81 s. 000.O 0O.SS They will
total $29, 900, 900 to day. al wi y 4 resign
as Mayor ;wh en- I re turn, and my on yI
reason Is that I cannot hold tho posi-
Elton at the present salary"
Judge Sweeney leaves for FL Pasos