Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1911-06-30
city Government ~ cemmlssisu,
By James A. Eiverten.I

huasSss Hus W tscN Tue limit Is reached
they 80 afer the evil without gloves.
Our nuricipsl governments present a
case Sin point. For generations we
hsve stood their ro,tenness, inefiicien-
cy, grating aud disgrace. Now they
are becoming 50 bad we eau pat an
With them no longer. The result Is
tast we are Graduating the old system
root and branch and substituting there
for the commission plan Of govern,
meui The old scheme had got past
the mending point. IL bad become
honeycombed with ward aud partisan
politics. To ourselves ii was n reproach
- other nations standing joke. [,
was combination of Tammany aud
Hinky Dink. The exposures in st.
Louis, San Franchises, PittsbGrg and
elsewhere only scratched the surface
II was lime fora new deal, and the
new deal has come. Now the cities Of
The entire land are falling ever each
other in their haste 10 try oa the com.
mission system. Wherever inaugural
ed il has worked like charm. Every.
body is happy over ii except The pro-
fessiouaI uolitictsrs and ,beyrafiers
The commission form OF government
in Americs is only trltle more than
ten, wears Old. II started in 1e00 ma a
result of the Galveston flood So stag.
perippI was The ra,sstronhe that tho
old form of government was nnah,e "a,
meet the crisis. Alderman MeMaster
proposed TINT the cou,cil resivn in \
body and call in business men and ex
e,ato deal Win tho extraordinary
situation This was done A commits.
sim of five was chosen. Two az them
e,e.,ed hvthe neo.,e and three apnoin-
ed by the governor. Aftergard the
sunreme court decided that The cover
nor had M RIGHT To apnoint. and al
were elected
p,inr IN the hurricane and tidal wave
t;,at ga neariv asent her Off Tho man
Galveston lad the usual disconropin, !,
history of municlnal miscovernneut.
Asa result she was in dent her honds
were below mar ana her treasury on
The verge of hankruntev finder fhe
svsteo tbe.ctv Was re-
.huft, ,ha trade raised severa, fact the
s,rasts ,enaye,I, a rptaininy sea wall
..,n.,roc,ea tho dent chi down ex.
,apdtrnres kent within Tho reyenues
city emn,ovees maid IN cash bonds
broucht nremium street, Kent
cleaner SANITATION ,mnroved saloons
kent ont of fine residence districts poIj-
ties banished from the city hall. public
gambling abolished. civic sn,rit awak-
ened and a condition of harmony and
prosperity begun such as Galveston
had never before known. In other
words the new government did better
in the face of the calamity than the
old had done In Times of trannuillity.
One most significant fact il that. de-
spite the expenditures required to re-
build, raise and protect the city, the
tax rate was kent down lower than
that of any Ia roe city in Texas.
To show the contrast between the
old Galveston government and the
new. putlic mproyementsb had stopped
nnaer tbe former ..ring ruIeu and
public buildinps were deterioratipg.
finances were going behind at an aver
see of 500 000 every wear. city en-
nloves ineludinc even schoolteachers.
we're Maid in scrir and the bosses who
were growing rich had snch grin II
,,os in,,ossi,,Ie 10 shere tbeu Ioo.e
AIlth.+ "a NOW ohanoad rhe fioat.
inn daht bas hoon retired a singing
fpna started nuhIic i,nnrovements are
going forward hiIl. are Maid in cash
u,hen d,aa,d tbe noritioal hosses have
bac,,na unn,easant memories. That
,t,oso ooa atbar hanet;capt resplts are
d,a ~ Tho oo,,,is.;on systeno NJ GOV.