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

s-~-A---~.~
What Wichita has done to advance
the interests OF its citizens, as de-
scrihed by Mayor Davidson las.
night, is worth reading. It affords
another forcibie illustration Of what
tn. commission form of government
can and does accomplish. Consider
it carefulIy-then cast your vote Fri
day.
Shall the city hall be a business
house?' This is the watchword OF
the progressive citizens of Guthrie
who are striving to renovate and
funigatc the municipal governmental
system 1t was adopted last night at
meeting of those advocating the
commission form of government,
which was addressed by Mayor G. l..
Davidson Of Wichita. The answer
will be recorded next Friday night
when the polls h8ye closed and every
indication points to an emphatic af-
firnlatiye.
Wichita Grasped Opportunity.
Mayor Davidson, and the commits
sion form of government, have been
in power little less than eleven
months In shat brief time, they
have immeasureably enhanced the
credit and prestige OF the KanSas
city in the eyes OF the country and
have rehablitaled the faith and CON
fidencs OF its citizens in their own
government. How and why it was
done formed the nucleus Of forci-
bic. straight from the shoulder afgrl-
Braved the Blizzard.
Wichita's chief executive was
scheduled 10 reach Guthrie at S:20
o'clock. but the storm had delayed ali
passenger traffic and he did not ar
rive until a few minutes before 9
o'clock. He was met at the station
by Alderman Higgins and Prof. F.
r.. Buck who escorted him 10 the
city council chambers One of the
most striking manifestations Of the
interest and the unrest OF taxpayers
who are dissatisfied with the existing
sllp-shod method OF iransacting public
business was contained in the size
and charac er Of The crowd that
awaited his coming Only hundred
people constituted his audience, but
they. slEnifican'ly, were for the most
part property owners. Moreover,
they came from every portion of the
city, hrcasing the most severe biz
zard IN years and owing TO the lack
of vehicles available and hamnered
street car service. most OF them wad-
ed through snow drifts and picked
their way over icy pavements to the
city hall.
Why CHANGE Is Needed
Mayor Davidson took as he text
of his municipal sermon, "The city
should be operated on business prin-
ciples as n business corporation. and
not as q politich. creation" During
from opinions OF James Bryce, pres.
enf ambassador from England to The
United States AN acknowledged adept
in me udy OF political economy,
Prof. Backmar of the university of
Kansas, ana other authorities on gov
ernment.
This country furnished no plan for
'lle government of cities" said Mayor
Davidson. "Our forefathers conceiv-
: cd only an Adorable system OF ma
iional and state government. This
was copied by The cities and towns
of our great country. Time has
proven II cumbersome and Inadequate g
to the peculiar reeds 10 which ii has
been applied.
For a great many years the people
whom It primarily affected have been
Wing cut against its numerous
cbuscs and its inenectiveness. Many
sporadic attempts at much needed
reforms have been attempted but,
even where thov have been brought
to frlition their existence has been
OF shnri duration It has been long
perceived by the Intelligent people o:
The United States that Il was neces-
slry 10 shift from political to a
business basis IN the conduct Of mu'
ricipa affairs. Several plans have
been tried and found wanting There
was fhes Indianapolis plan, similar in
some respects tu the commission, but
i'll retaining the Objectionable rea
tire Of ward lines and necessarily
ward politics Naturally, il proved
unsuccessfll.JlNa any other cities have
tried identical schanges without OBJ
iterating i bexeward feature--and nm
successfully. Hence. IL appears
rather we'll established that ward
representation IS a colossal failure.
Its Advantages Named
Certainly there is clearly estab
lished n deep desire to escape from
the old system by the people who ali
thorlze the government, and are th'
government. In my estimation the
essential advantages of the commits
sion form Of government over the ok
svstem are as follows:
''First--rhc wiping out OF war,
lines
"Second--The employment OF com
petent men giving their entire tim