The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1910-02-01

that is, the spending OF the money I
which was left aftee city DEBTS were
paid The funds We're iuggled from
one account to another to meet emer- /
gencies, and At was impossible to tell
al the end Of the year JUST what each |
department had done
Always in Debt Before.
When the money was exhausted
the city discontinued to pay bills tol
big corporations. such as the light
company ana the water company
These campanics would wait for their
money until the taxes came IN. The
city would pay small bills as long as
possible and then il would arrange
with Che banks 70 cash them until
more taxes came In II vas haii
4 hazard and an unsatisfactory manner
4 Of doing business. hui no one was 10
blame, for the councilmen represent
4 cd only thoir wards and ihey d'd
\ BUSINESS as did the members Of The
city councils which had preceded
4 them
And they did not have the lime to
devote to the work. The council met
4 but twice each month and she coun-
A cilmen were expected to do all of the
business for the city in these two
meetings. If there was something
extraordinary to be considered, spe-
cial meeting could be called, but If
1 il was by no means certain that a
(. quorum could be obtained because
councilmen had business matters Of
their own To look after and social
duties they did not feel like giving
up. Tho city paid little for the work
; exacted
n II is different with the commission
! system The five commissioners
Z meet each Monday morning and they
} don't adjourn meeting until the bus
mess before them is given proper at
tention Then they go to their Off
! ces in lhe city building for the day
+ or wheye they can be reached by The
. mayor by telephone. They attend tC
!, their departments just as Goes The
! head of a department in big private
4 business. Ii a citizen wants some
5 thing done which should be giver
\ immediate attention, he goes to tht
Q city hall and finds a commissioner OF
{ the mayor ready to give ear to wha
e he has TO say,
S Business is done rapidly and in {
e business like way. That is the one
) pre-emnent feature OF the commits
). sion plan. II facilitates the business
L of the city =.
! How It Works Out.
An illustration: Under the Old sys
+ TEN if person had a complaint Il
) make regarding a light on corne
! or a bad crossing, he would go TO thu
7 mayors Office or the city clerk. III
l would be asked to make his com
: plaint in writing and file it with th'
\ clerk This would be done and be
D fore the meeting of the council tn,
: member from the wa d in which th'
g complainant lived would, If he hap
pened to be in town and present a
c the meeting of the council, indorse o
refuse to indorse the complaint.
$ II it was indorsed il would be rca
with many similar complaints al Ia
y meeting of the council, which woul
: be the first Monday night in III
. month. The mayor would refer III
complaint TO the committee on street
and walks or 10 the committee hay
ing charge of matter This commit
Tee might have meeting before tn
next meeting Of the council, tw
weeks later, and might not IF IN
committee did meet aud fayorab
considered the complaint, the cour
ell would then either accept or re
iec the report of the committee.
II accepted the mayor w0uld in
siruc The head of lie department
10 see that the matter was properl
cared fof ana ask that a report b
made al the next meeting, one mont
from the time The matter first cnm
hefofe The council. One month wa
The Qnickcst possible time to re
through little matter. perhaps O
great importance 10 the person max
ing the complaint II the committe
did rot meet and If there was III
slightest objection from any member
the matter might be delayed 70
weeks.
Unde the Commission Rule.
See how simple 1t is under tn
commission plan. The complainant
regarding he crossing goes al ono
to the commissioner having in charg
such matters. The commissicne
talks il over with THE person VIII
wants something done and if tn
commissioners thinks II should b
done he gives the order and II !
done at once. NOT next week or mex
month but today If IL is of sue
great Importance that Il viii eQuir
an ordinance. the commissioners ar
there to hold session and pass tn
ordiuauCp