The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1911-02-04

MAYOR GIBBEs EXPLAINS AD-
vANTAGEs OF PRESENT
FORM.


Method Employed by New Admin
tstration.
Columbia. Jan. 3O.--Elimination OF
politics. n cash balance. a business
Ike method and results are some of
the points brought out by Mayor w.
III. Gibbes In q letter on the commits
sion form OF government. The letter
was written to an Atlanta concern, the
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. j COM
pany. and Is used In an advertisement
I'm the Atlanta papers.
The letter says In parts
so many letters are being received
at this Office asking for Columbias
experience with commission govern
ment that you must pardon my send
Ing you reply prepared in anticipa-
ton OF your inquiry. the receipt OF
which Is hereby acknowledged.
I'VE have a mayor and four coun-
ciimen. and elections are held alter
nately each two years. at one time for
two counctimen. and at the next for
the mayor and the other two. the
= terms OF Office being four years In
all casos.
We have the Initiative. referendum
and recall. all upon 20 per cent.
petition primary election.
Our voting qualifications for the
primary are the same as for the gem
eral election. viz: n State residence Of
two years. county one year. and city
four months before the next ensuing
general election. together with the
production of receipts for all taxes
then nna'iy' due and payable.
'As 70 the justification OF this gov
ernment In Columbia IL is hard to
ind n stronger one than the state
ments Of members OF the preceding
council. When went to two Of them
for On explanation OF their bulge,
before publishing the appended hnan
- eiai statement was informed:
First. That bills payable amount
ing to $4,000 and secured by an as
siscment OF tai es were not placed
In the budget of the years expenses
because their appearance would de-
stroy the balance and fnjure the
the city's credit
= Second. That the income for the
year 1910 had been 'purposeiy under
estimated because IL there appeared
to be a surplus there would be grab
from all sides for all the money In
sight by eyry department.
Our financial statement shows
that during me incumbency Of our
predecessors for four iaonths aud
i1days or 1910 they spsnt "a tosai OF
s2se.5si.ss. Deducting from this
amount bills payable and past due in
terest of the year before, and all
> money ST snt for permanent Improve
ments and we find that they seem to
have spent what seems TO be a net
amount OF s1ss.lsS.Je for running
expenses. or a rate per annum of
ssss.53s.Oo.
During our administration OF seven
months and 20 days In 1910 We spent
Nsis7,iO7.fs gross. or 167,435.04 after
deducting permanent improvements,
which indicates an expenditure per
annum Of s2s2. 10000.
1T will be noticed that our prede-
eessors started the year with a past
due interest debt OF s27.945 and bills
payable OF $4,000.
"Our council has started the year
with cash balance OF $19.O04.3G;
with a prospective excess OF income
over running expenses of s117,sO5,
or a total OF s136.SOS.35 available for
permanent improvements in 1911, and
with an anticipated saving I'm current
expenses. increase in efficient collec-
ting OF city dues and underestimated
income for safety. which. together,
will amount TO At least $50,
more. which will go 20 swell our in
come and reduce taxes in 1912.
Therefore, We are now finally In
a financial position to state not what
We hope or expect to do, but that we
will go ahead from this time forward
with city building and rehabilitation.
These statements are not made to
disparage our predecessors. who were
good men under the handicap OF a
' defective system.
They are made simply To- show
that. In the short space OF seven
months and 20 days, there have been
accomplished under perfected form
OF government. and its proper admin
stration. results that seem not TO