Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1910-10-25
WORKING FOR
COMMISSION FOR
CITY Of SAVANNAH
Letters Received That Tell
Of Work of System.
How the Commission Idea Was De-
VGlOped and How 1t Has Progress
Sed---LettefS Full Of Interest to
Progressive Citizens Here, Telling
Of Forward Movement Throughout
Country.
(savannaEt Morning Newsl

(SavannaL' Morning News.)
The pan for the establishment of a
commission form of government has
gained a sturdy advocate in E. ".
Bell, managing yice-president of the
Georgia State Savings Association
who adopted a very effective means of
learning the advantages of the system
witch he proposes to make public
from time to time, that Savannahiars
may know how the system works in
other places.
Mr.. Bell, has been quietly inyesti-
eating the system, since he became IN
terested some time ago and has
through his investigators become
thoroughly converted to the compar 4
lively new pan of municipal govern
ment.
Mr.. Bells. latest move has been to
commence the writing of letters to
ire representative business men and
commercial institutions of the cities
where the commission form of gov
crnment has been adopted, for the
purpose of hearing from them their
opinions as to tie worth Of the system.
The first letters were written to
Houston, Tex, to leading men and
firms as shown by Dun & Bradstreet
Plan Generally Endorsed.
The unanimity with which the re-
plies approve the system is extraordi-
nary. Answers have already been re-
ceived to practically every one OF the
many letters sent to Houston, all o:
which commend AMI indorse the sys-
tenn in the highest terms. Other let
tiers will now be sent to the otaer
cities which are working under the
commission form. 1t is the purpose
to print the letters in pamphlet tor
general distribution when all have
been received
Houston was chosen for the first
city Ito be written to because of the
fact it is a close neigh5or of Calves
ton, which first tried out the system.
1t is reasoned that if Houston adopted
the system after it had been tried for
five years in Galveston, which is but
an hours ride away, the citizens of
Houston must have had abundant
reasons to know the system was a sue
cess.
Commission Cities Increase.
Mr.. Bel Las been particularly at
tracted to the study of tie plan Of
commission government through find
ing that the United States census re-
turns showed the cities which had al
opted it had increased wonderfully a
population OVER those cities which
were clinging to the Old FORM His
knowledge that Houston had adopted
it after having had close acquaintance
of its effects on the progress of Gal
weston was also a good argument 70.
the system.
The history of the movement in Gal
weston itself impressed him WITH the
fact that after it had been tried I'M
der necessity for a while the people
were unwilling to dispense with it,
The Galveston storm appears respon-
sdble for the beginning of tie wave of
sentiment now prevailing for the
commission form of governing citi IS.
On the 9th of September, 1900, Gal
weston was in ruins. Six thousand Of
her people had been swept into eterni-
ty and property destroyed to the ex-
tent of $18J000,000. TIE city govern
ment was paralyzed and temporary
relief was found in military govern
ment The soldiers were soon re-
placed by civil government in the
hands of commission appointed by
the Governor of the state. The results
were SO satisfactory that when tae
city had been rejuvenated and rebuilt
and the time came for settling on the
form of government to be adopted for
the future it was decided to continue
the commission form. Houston aft r
watching the experiment for five yeacs
followed Galveston's example. Dallas
followed suit and San Antonio fell n
to line.
Texas Idea Has Grown.
The innovation in Texas appealed
to other cities. Des Moines adopted
the commission idea. Birmingham ii
Montgomery studied the idea and al
opted it. Columbia is "a late recru t.
Other cities have taken it up. Hat
tiesburg, Miss, is studying it as are
many other municipalities. That So
vannah shall give the plan serious
consideration is the idea Of Mr.. Bell
and others who have become inter-
ested.
Of his idea in getting tie letters
from the cities which have tried t
plan, Mr.. Bell says: Simply for the
purpose of getting such information
as / could regarding tie commission
form of government, l lately selected
at random from Duns and Bra1-
streets reports a number of names OF
business men residing in Houston.
Tex, where the new plan of city gov
eminent has been in operation for the
last five years.
Il am not personally acquainted
with any of the gentlemen to whom
these letters were written and lad no
idea as to how they stood on the SUD-
ject Inasmuch as they have had ex-