The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-08-07
SEES OBJECTIONS
TO THE COMMISSION
John Craft Writes of Visit to
Des Moines
MOBILE SYSTEM BETTER
Thinks 1t Wrong for Commissioners to
Have Such Large Political Patron
age-Sends Clippings From
Des Moines Papers
MOBILE SYSTEM BETTER
e Age-HeraId:

To the Editor of The Age-Herald:
Returning homeward from the National
Good Roads convention held in Niagara
Falls, [ thought l would stop off at Des
Mones and look into the commission
form of government and investigate It's
administration and ION what business
methods it is run, compared with that of
Mobile.
Des Moines taxpayers pay 40 mills as
compared to Mobile at liz mills; the Mo-
bile taxpayer saves 2S1a mills. The conf
mission form of Des Moines is five COM
missioners, each of whom has large po-
litical patronage Besides, they have
other prerogatives, making purchases of
supplies and the large expenditures OF
moneys.
The Mobile councilmen have no prerog-
atves in giving employment to city en-
ployes, nor in the expenditure of any
moneys. Naturally, under the Des MONIES
system the council has and does indulge
In politics by putting in political allies
and they have increased the number OF
offices, creating CHEQUES for their friends,
and they have them on the pay roll. This
assertion is backed by inclosed news
paper clippings from tile city of Des
Molnes. The number of employees in the
various departments has been increased
under commission form of government
over that of the aldermanic
have spent three days investigating
the different departments of this city as
compared with those of Mobile, and l
find that in Mobiles various departments
are as efficient men, just as competent
men, and that the departments have been
run more economically, and with not as
many ofsicehoders. The Mobile police
department and fire department and street
department are just as efficient and per-
form just as good service and cost less
money than Des Moines.
had the pleasure of being invited to
the council meeting, and there is no more
business method in that than of the ordi-
nary council committee of our city, In
fact, witnessed some methods that were
other than business, nor is the person.
mel of the council of higher class stand
ard business men.
The streets of this city, in the business
and resident districts, and those of the
better class of residents are paved and
well kept, but l drove over miles and
miles of streets that have no improve
ment of any kind, not even graded or
have any sidewalks. Lots of grass and
weeds are growing, and some of the cit
liens have formed themselves into Civic
associations to have their streets and al
leys cleaned up. which they propose to do
at their own expense.
The streets are Illuminated with gas
The business portion of the city Is
Illuminated by private expenditures of
the merchants That is not done out of
the public fund. All of the street i'm
provement is paid for by the abutting
property owners and the city does not
contribute one cent. The schools are
supported by tax, not from the city
fund
I am enclosing you some clippings
from the Des Moines papers and I wish
you would give them publication so that
the people can have an opportunity to
see the criticism of the home papers here
on the commission form of government
I have met great many merchants
and business men here and others, and
found much dissatisfaction as to the
higher rate of taxation here The first
term of the commission form of govern
ment, they raised the assessment the
second term, which is now four months
old, they undertaking to raise the
tax rate When some of the newspaper
men called on me, I told them<ny mis-
sion here was to compare and investigate
the commission form of government OF
Des Moines and when I told them our
tax rate was liz mills and mills of
that was to pay interest on a carpet bag
debt, they were surprised and wanted to
know why Mobile did not advertise and
boost that fact that they would not
knock their town by publishing my in
vestlgaton and said that the newspapers
and business association were boosting
and got more advertisement on the COM
mission form of government than any
thing they had to advertise with. 1t Is
apparent to any man that comes to the
progressive northwest to find we have a
crop of knockers at home but here they
are all boosters. If our newspapers and
public commercial organizations would
advertise the fact that Mobile is admin
istered for Tx mills to run the city gov
eminent, 1t would be one of the biggest
Advertisements would have.
also explained that the city council
of Mobile was the legislative department
end had nothing to do with the adminis-
trat'on and that the Board of Public
Works managed that with the police
commission, and that the mayor was the
chief executive and devotes his entire
time supervising the various departments
and he was empowered under the law to
suspend any one that was not competent
to do his duty.
7 noticed by the papers that in Cedar
Rapids, which has commission form of
government one of its commissioners
has gone wrong. sot into politics. $3.50
short. Coming up on the train from
Niagara Falls 7 met a gentleman who
lives in Dallas. Texas. who said only two
months ago two commissioners of Dali
las were dabbling into wrong doing in
the offices and werc expelled from Of
ffce.
7 stopped at Detroit as Detrait was
pointed out as being model commission
form of government, but T discovered It'll
Is run under the aldernanic system.
There Is more politics in the manage
ment of the government of Des Moines
and less economy than Mobile.
JOHN CRAFT.
Des Moines, Ia. August 4, 1910.
Among the clippings from Des Moines
papers by Mr.. Craft are the following: