The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1910-02-17
IN ELEVEN MONTHS HAS
PAID OFF 100000 DEBT
Entirely Que, Speaker Declares,
to Application Of Business
System in City Government


Continued from Page one
hing 10 do, we We're assured, and
that Nag to Increase oua tax eFy
But. we objected, thar is pretty
tough action for us 10 take when we
ara 1rng 10 demonstrate the supe-
rioritv of our new form OF govern
..ment Howeve., there being no 9th
er way out Of the difficulty, We did
increase it 4.4 mills. Now, listen.
That Increase. owing 10 The way u
which lie government has scrutinlzea
and weighed its expenditures, has al
ready raid this floating indebtedness
of S305, 600 ana we are now making
ARRANGEMENTS 10 reduce the rate !
mills this year. at least and J hope
hat it may be possible to reduce y
mills This in eleven months.
Pull Doesn't Count
Ojhar advantages OF the commis-
sion form Of government brought ou'
by Mayog Davidson We're the prompt
ness with which public business was
dispa .ched. the commissioners meet
inc every Monday and when neces-
sarv, remaining in session three DAYS
Also. ;hat the commissioners nave
reenla office hours. whore they are
accessible at all tines within Their
+ WORKING hours, and In their oiiice3
to any citizen. and that II was much
easiee 10 enforce ordinances the
chief Of police and all other depart
meut leads being appoinliye ana ie
4 sponsihle To lhe mayor ms rs
said. eliminated any personal pun q
netty politics. Under the old syS
iem where the treasurer and otnel
/ officers were elecied, they could pran
ticallv tell the lnayor and any oihel
10 go chase himself as long as iDeA
we're certain Of their following
4 Furthermore, all employees and labor
ers OF the city of Wichita excepting
appoiative Officers, under the cnafl7 =
are under civil service equation
ana cannot be discharged wlihou
cause. AS an illustration Of how
This works out, Mayor Davidson SAT-
hat during the last big fair in Wien
ita NOT single house was burglar
lied. Incoming trains We're watche.
and known crooks promptly pFoVld
ed wi Il free lodgings
Where Business Scores
In answer 20 invited question, :,
Navor navidsoa informed his alld'
ence that the present tax levy wa
i rs mills. s1on TO be reduced thai th'
: mavor received salary of $500 am
tho four commi ssioners S1.S0o; tia
there WAS never a time in the histo"
of Wichita when there was more phl
lie improvement in progress, mat ih
last annraisemen Of property had y
creased during the past year % ne
cent. explained the system Of elet
lion and features OF the charter o'
seurs to his hearers ana, al TINS June
lure unconscionsly scored slr2a
noin for che business government .
/ answering a question relating TO th
, lighting of the city He spoke OF n
character of the lights and their cos
~ and then said
ri s.Wa are now figuring on naiufl
gas lights and The ''funsten, Sd-eandi
mower electric ilght Eithef woui
cos, us 500 a year. Then we az
considering tho 1dvisability of breal
Ing un the central street corner hgf
in fhe residence district, distribu
inc The light throughout the blool
instead of concentrating II all at on
point Nhe ii is not all needed.
"Tha commi sion form OF goYell
ment Is an accomplished faci and he
come stay, We announced In COZ
cmsion "if you DO no, adopt con
mission form oil government now Nq
are sure 20 adop some form OF
sooner or later'
Alderman Hisgins. chairman OF Il
finance committee of the city councl
who acted as chairman. tollowe
Mayor Davidson and in brief a
d esg seathing'y described the pre-
en- sys en- of government, after cor
plimen. ing Mayer Davidson upon h
talk ana thanking him on behalf
the citizens OF Guthrie He saI
that with the present system of go
ernmen matters We're going fro
bad 10 worse, thai The indebtednei
of the city was increasing with eat
administration. hat il had to be pa
some time and [ was merely que
Non Of when he taxpayers shou
cry aheit" bzfng2 heir condition WI
bette.ed & Z S
r, ANY system hal foes not proyit
revenue IS 6 Tnk ssttpe and do
Iot deserve. so he llsssted, 8 he q
-alara.l-Ana- adnl.ttea- --ll--.ll. ~ Aansh-
memhar OF he finance committee,
frequently found himself unable
figure NJ where The tax money weI
owing 10 lack # systematic recog
He also ci ed o,ne abuses whi'
would be eliminlted hy commissll
form Of government
Mayor Davidson LETT this mornii
for Wichita