The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1910-01-14
PLAN FINDS
MUCH FAVOR

M OCd Z AVN
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ord as heartily favoring change in
the Walla Walla city government, and
the extended discussion of the merits
of the commission plan, and the defects
of the present city charter was brought
A, to close. The proposition is to be
out to vote as soon as the census
is taken in April and if it is found the
election is to be called and immediate
city has the required population, the
steps taken to decide the question.
City Attorney Oscar Cain said the
closing word in favor of the commits
sion plan. and on motion of Harry II.
! Turner resolutions which had been
presented several weeks ago, were un-
animously adopted
Frank S. Dement, presided last night
in the absence of President J. M. CraW-
ford. and it was regretted that more
members of the club Were not present
to hear the able discussion. Many of
the chairs were empty when the meet
ing was called to order indicating that
the Land of Nod possessed greater
attraction than did the discussion of
| the all important question of city gov
eminent. However, those representa-
tive boosters and Give wires of the
city were in attendance and after the
time for placing the club on record had
arrived
In saying the closing word of ar
gument in favor of the proposed plan
of city government City Attorney
Cain said some things had been abso-
lutely settled in the business world,
one of which was that there must be
some final place for responsibility and
authority in order to make an insti-
tuition a success. That cities should
| be conducted by a method that would
! spell ruin for any other enterprise,
| he said was strange, but such is the
| case and he went so far as to say
| that no other enterprise in the state
| can take the Walla Walla city char
| ter for it's management and stay out
of the hands of a receiver for a year.
Debating Society Governs.
! According to Mr.. Cain, practically
| every city in the United States is gov
| erned by a debating society which
can discuss plans for action. but
which is vested with little or no au
| thority to carry its plans into effect.
/ I'VE can elect the best business
man in town to the office of mayor"
said Mr.. Cain. "but when he has as
sumed charge of his duties, he finds
| that he has power only to make rec
| concentrations to the council; we can
| elect good councilmen. and they, in
| turn, find they have to rely entirely
upon elective officers in order to have
| their ideas made effective. The city
| engineer may refuse to take proper
| steps in connection with street paw
| ing: the city attorney may hold up
| indefinitely the proceedings for the
| opening of a street. and this may run
| through all departments of the city
| government because the elective Off
| GERS are not under the control Of the
mayor and councilmen-are answer
able to the people at large
/ The commission plan of govern
ment provides for the division of city
affairs into departments, with a re-
| sponsible man at the head of each
| a man who is under the control Of the
| commission, and who is answerable
| to members of the commission. The
| heads of these departments may then
| make estimates of expenses for each
years work, formulate plans and have
! them carried into effect without fric-
/! ton or INSTRUMENTATION. Every city
| that has thus far adopted the COM
mission form of government. said the
/ speaker has been able not only to
reduce the running expenses, but to
reduce the indebtedness, and lower
the tax levy.
City Running in Debt.
| He gave figures secured from the
city clerk to show how Walla Walla
has been running into debt for the
past several years, the figures being
correct, in round numbers, as fol-
| lows:
Total Indebtedness in 1906. IS $4,000
/ Total Indebtedness in 1907. $4,000
Total Indebtedness in 1909. $4,000
| Total Indebtedness in 1909. 1,019,000
I Many substantial improvements, he
said had been made during those
| years, but in cities where the COM
mission government is effective, it has
| been possible to carry on extensive