The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1910-01-01
ABOUT Commission FIRM
OF MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT
What Has Been Accomplished
By New Idea In Management
Of Cities. +
(By Ernest N. Critchfield, in Worlds

(By Ernest N. Critchfield, in World
Events.)
| Galveston gave the world a nev
| idea in the government of cities when
at the time Of it's great disaster il
September, 1900, it was granted tn,
commission form of government by
the Texas legislature. The tidal wav.
had killed 5000 people and destroyed
property worth nearly $4,000. The
blow was so terrific and sudden thai
the ordinary form of city government
was totally unable to meet the situa
ton. The new idea made the mayor
practically a dictator with city corn
Gil elected at large and responsible
to no particular section or faction
Under that plan Galveston prospered
as never before. The expenses of
municipal administration were re-
duced nearly 100000 a year and dur
ing the first five years of it's existence
the floating debt of the city was re-
duced 100000, while at the same time
heavy expenses were incurred in the
improvement Of city property. There
was no increase in the rate of taxa
ton and city salaries were paid in
cash.
The wonderful success of the sys.
TEN at Galveston attracted the atten-
tion of other Texas cities, and one by
one all Of the larger ones have adopt
ed the Commission form of govern
ment with the exception of San An
tonic, which has never voted upon it.
Among others is Houston which has
made a great record. When the Com
mission took hold in Houston, in 1905.
there was floating debt of over $780,
900 and an empty treasury. The city
had practically no credit. The first
work under the new system was to file
suits for delinquent taxes and nearly
100000 was brought into the treas
ury within eight months from this
source. BY the exercise of strict
economy during the same eight
months, $3O6,202.47 of the floating
debt was paid off, besides paying the
monthly bills promptly as we'll as the
of all employees. Such care
full management restored credit and
some much needed permanent i'm
beg to be made. Among
:hese were school buildings, paved
streets. sewers, fire ngine houses
sinking fund and water improvements,
which combined, cost upwards of
100000. The balance of the floating
1eb.s were paid and the city set upon
he hieh road to prosperity. The best
part of th1se achievements is the fact
hat they were accomplished while the
AK rate was being reduced twenty
cents on the 500.
And here is another side to this OK
pertinent with the commission. In
1905 the price Of gas in Houston was
B1.50 per 1000 feet. Now it is S1.15
Der 1000 feet. That same year the
,rice of arc lights for city lighting
vas $50 per year. Now they are $40
'er year. And there was no friction
,r litigation.
Aside from financial considerations
'ublic gambling has been wiped out
'ool rooms obliterated, the saloons
orced to obey the laws of Texas.
mainly in closing their places of bust
ess on the Sabbath day, and unfortu
ate women confined to one territory
How could these results be secured {
y the Commission form of govern i
lent and not by the other form with
hitch we are more familiar? Chiefly 1,
or this reason, that this new idea of /
overnment places the responsibility t
)r conditions on one man. and no 7
ood man will endure the criticisms
hich might pass unnoticed if the re- a
were divided Instead of t
Velve aldermen elected from differ v
Mt wards and with nothing to do ex- il
ept to move about among their con- il
ituents or attend to their own pri- D
ite business. four aldermen, at large v
'e elected and these men are consti e
ted the active heads of certain de- F
rtments of the city, giving their h
hole time to Its interests. They can IL
called upon by the mayor to act at IL
zee on any question which comes I'D, d
d a check ON each department is ci
aced there by the vote of the city CO
uncil as a whole and also by the
'yor who, under this system, has M
tive supervision Of all the depart hi
'nts of the city, Just as the active fe
i'd of big business exerts his isl
wer down to the smallest details. he
has never been the case, however be
It it has been necessary for the m,
=