The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1910-09-09
The Story Of the Short Ballot Cities
Series of Articles the New Commission Form Of
Municipal Government
BY RICHARD S. CHILDS
The Success of the Commission Plan

| saloons to exist, subject to periodical
! fines which brought in $4,000 a year.
The commission closed the saloons ana
disposed Of this illegal revenue with
out disturbing the tax rate. Over $780,
900 was spent IN special improvements
the first year as against an average Of
$4,000 in previous years. In the Arst
! two years under the new system six
miles Of street were paved as against
twelve miles In the preceding twenty.
five years.
Dallas, TeX.-Commission plan ia ef.
feet 1907. In it's first two years the
commission wiped out a deficiency Of
100000 and established a credit bal
ance. At the expiration Of the flrst
term Of the commission, petition sign
ed by 300 voters was circulated amid
much enthusiasm asking the commis-
sioners all to run for reelection. The
chamber of commerce advertises the
commission government as q desirable
feature of the city to attract new In
dustries.
Houston, Tex.-Commission plan In
effect in 1905. The commission reduc-
ed the tax rate 10 per cent and estab-
lished policy of so regulating expen-
ditures as to further reduce the rate 10
per cent each year, until the tax be-
comes one-half what it was under the
old government. A floating debt of
100000 was paid off and in 1909 the
cash on hand was 100000. The city
has bought a watarworks and made
enormous paving additions (Which are
not assessed on property in Houston)
has acquired new parks and deepened
the ship channel instead OF languishing
in the hope Of a federal subsidy. The
price of gas has been forced down from
$1.5O to S1.15 per thousand In adver-
tisfng herself to attract new industries,
Houston states "her city hall is busi-
ness house; she has no wards, no ward
politicians and no graft"
More remarkable than the fact that
every one of these cities has bettered
its financial condition-the surest
proof Of efficiency--is the fact that In
none of the whole sixty-eight has there
yet been reported a single serious al
legation of graft. Any instance of
graft, whether proved or merely al
legged, would have been seized upon
triumphantly by the enemies of this
: type Of government and magnified and
exploited to the utmost, but thus far
: the objections have perforce been
mainly theoretical.
A type Of these theoretical objec-
ions has been the frequent statement
that the commission plan is ''un-Amer-
lean" Yes. thank Heaven! A city
government in which graft is not even
suspected is decidedly un-American!
1t looks like the splendidly admins
tered cities Of Europe. The sooner we
can Americanize. this un.American
thing the better! 49,.
The phenomenon of the commission
plan of government which gives the
most satisfaction to many people Is
the complete disappearance from in
fuence of the typical ward politician.
The whole field of peanut politics"
seems to have disappeared. In Gal
weston, for example. the nominations
which are recognized as emanating
from the politicians who formerly con.
trolled the town. get only 20 per cent
of the votes. In all the cities it Is
claimed that the city service has been
put on a nonpartisan basis. with
great increase in efficiency. Certain 1t
is that under the commission plan,
candidates have repeatedly been elect
ed without the help of political ma
chimes, while the voters are casting
their ballots without relying upon the
guidance of the machines either.
Under the typical old style city gov
! ernment with its multiplicity of pet
ty elective offices, elaborate political
machines are necessary. The govern
ment cannot go on without them
They have supplied real deficiency
in our governmental plan, filling gap
between the people and their public
, servants which had to be filed some-
, how. We have no right to curse the
politicians, for they have been highly
useful TO us. Rather we should pity
, them! The politician has one of the
/ hardest jobs in the world. In return
, for his service in applying the neces-
, sary cohesion to our ramshackle gov
: ernment and keeping our impractical
form Of democracy from collapsing al
, together, we have forced him to make
catch-as-catch-can living, giving him
small, insecure offices in the govern
, ment, and bouncing him without cere-
, mony or justice with every change Of
, administration. We have put him in
: a position where he could acquire
wealth by having an easy conscience
, and could earn nothing but defeat and
/. discourtesy if he were honest. Con-
sidering the power he has had to do
q evil without getting caught at 1t, 1t
I is astonishing that he has served US
: no worse.
e Goodby. old friend! You have con-
: tributed to our American life a unique
3 type, unknown elsewhere in the world
/. genial, picturesque, human and use
: ful-but the people are beginning to
3 learn how to do without you, and in