Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1910-10-13
UNDER COMMISSION
DOING Big Things
Reasonable Assessments One
Of the Results.
Commission Responsible to the PeO-
pie and the City Employees Re-
SpORSlbIe to the Commission
Economy in Government Means
Public improvements.

A city that does not need an in.
creased sum of money from year IL
year to carry On ordinary works O.
improvement and to meet the ordinary
expenses of running the government
especially WIDEN an unusual measure
of growth is being enjoyed, certainly
becomes unique. Houston, Tex, is
such a city, judged by the message OF
Mayor H. B. Rice for the fiscal yeai
1910-1911. IN this report the fol
lowing sentence appears:
II desire to state that the actua
value of real and personal property II
the corporate limits CT Houston il
about $250,O0O,OO0, and yet we only
assess same $62,O0O,OO0 for the sim
pie reason that we do not need more
revenue for current expenses"
This message by the way, embraces
reports from every department of tht
city of Houston, showing how evet!
1ollar of the peoples money has bee.
expended. This is supplemental Il
monthly reports issued throughout ta'
year Among other things shown il
the message ia tine fact that all pre-
vious records were broken in the has
fiscal year, the total permits issue,
being $4.167,793, an increase of $685.,
443 over tire previous year.
The report of. z. CASTOR, commits
sioner of finance and revenue. SUD
united at this time, showed availabl:
assets, including $582,S3222 in cast
and $3.50, 3S198 in accounts receivable
amounted to $1,013,114.19, agains
which the city had current liaI5iltie.
amounting to $61 1901
The Two Plans.
Frank Putnam formerly editor d
| the National Magazine, who has fol
several years made his home in Houy-
ton and who is deemed an authority
upon municipal affairs, said in speak
ing of the operations of the new sys-
tenn in that city:
The commission plan stamps the
city hall as house of business and
demands that the public business be
given the same thoughtful care tn
is given private enterprises. This
form Of government has been great
success in Houston ami it comes
nearer solving the problem of NUM-
cipal management than any plan yet
devised. WitE bad men, the commits
sion plan can, of course, be made to
fail in a measure, but it could never
be the complete failure that the al
dermanic plan has proven. 1t fixes
responsibility definitely and positively
and one cannot imagine a man with
the least pride not attempting to make
gOdi. The plan is vast improve
meRt over the aldermanic system and
even under the most adverse condi-
tons can never prove so dismal a
failure. No city can make mistake
in adopting tile commission plan The
only subject open to debate ds the
plan itself-and any plan is better
than the aldemanic system at its
best"
The mayor of Houston receives 2
salary of four thousand dollars per
annum and the commissioners
cially termed aldermen" twenty
four hundred dollars each. They arc
required to give all OF their time to the
duties of the office
The Houston charter provides a
form OF referendum, though it is not
as broad in its application as tho
same feature is in numerous Other
commission cities. The purchase oil
public utilities by the municipality
must be referred to TIE people, and il
is also obligatory upon the board tc
call an election when franchises arr
to be issued, provided as many as 50l
qualified voters file a. petition re-
questing such an election.
The recall is not provided, but il
it's absence provision is made for tht
removal of the mayor or commission
ers by Impeachment. In the event o
the mayor or one of tie commission
ers being guilty of wrongdoing ant
the board failing to remove the Of
fender, five citizens can institute il
dicial proceedings and accomplish tn,
removal through the courts. This, tn,
Houston citizens believe, is better thai
the recall.
The School System.
The public schools are under tai
control of a board of trustees, wht
are appointed by the mayor, subiec
TO the confirmation OF the board o