Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1910-10-08


 lnder the old system, and the exam ,le set by the island city has been successfully by nearly hun 1red progressive cities of the United States and considerable number of Canadian cities to their great better ment.
 Boiling the question down to it's least proportion, the fact is plain that there is no reason why a muni- cipality should not be administered precisely as a business enterprise is administered Methods which make a business enterprise successful should prove equally successful if applied to the municipality. Business enterprises do not tolerate unnecessary employees or incompetent employees, and there is no reason why they should be tol- erated by a municipality. Because the latter belongs to the people is no reason why the people should not or ganize according to business princi- ples employed in their private affairs The average man would not for an in- stant permit his business to be man. aged as the affairs of the average city is administered; yet he is satisfied to see slap-dash and inefficiency in city government simply because he has been accustomed to it all his life and it has never occurred to him that the system can be changed for the better.
 The call for a change in the plan of municipal government has gone forth, and there are yet many cities to answer it. That they will answer it sooner or later is certain. The day is rapidly approaching when all cities with more than ten thousand popula- tion will throw off the cumbersome methods now in vogue and adopt the new. Why not Pine Bluff? Why should this city not be in the van- guard of cities demanding emancipa- tion? The time will never be more opportune and the people never more willing to act on the question.
 The legislature meets in Jannary It can grant permission to change oul plan of municipal government and tt change our charter from it's presen form to that of government by com mission. Opposition to such a nov, will come largely, if not wholly, iron politicians; but they should not be al lowed to prevail. There is too mucl at stake, and only those having pat riotic interest in the welfare of tn, city should be allowed to decide thu matter.
 Even a casual examination of thu mission cities scattered over the coun try justifies the belief that Pin, Bluff can accomplish more in fiv years under the commission plal than it has accomplished in thirty five years under the present system and that, too, without increasing th' burdens of the taxpayers. Many cit ies which have accomplished wonder, in the way of civic improvements have also actually reduced the rat, of taxation. Not only this, but the, have. in many cases, created sur plus to take care pf emergencies something which no city under the old plan has ever been able to ac complish.
 Commission government is simpl, matter. It is it's simplicity which re comments it. The old system is bat principally because of it's complexity Its ponderous machinery, it's secret iveness and its great rolls of red tap, serve most effectually to disconcer and entangle the voter, and the resul is naturally kind of pernicious oli garchy which is un-American and un Democratic in the extreme.
 -O@O-
 REACHING THE TOP.