Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1911-07-30
CITY GOVERNMENT
BY COMMISSION
ORIGINATED In Galveston Eleven
Years Ego,
RESULT OF GREAT FLOOD.

uovv It Rebuilt the Town. Constructed
tbs Sea Wall, Restored Credit and
Scored Such a Success That 1t Is
Nav. soreadina Throughout the Land.
Nv JAMES A. EDGERToN.
Americans are long suffering under
abuses. but when the limit Is reached
+bov 90 after the evil without gloves.
Our municipal governments present a
case in point. For generations we
hove stood their .rottenness, inetticien-
nv grating aud disgrace. Now they
are becoming so bad we can put up
with them no longer. The result is
that we are Graduating the old sys-
tenn root and branch and substituting
therefor the commission plan of gov
eminent The old scheme had got
mast the mending point. 1t had be-
come honeycombed with ward ana
nart;san politics. TO ourselves II was
reproach. to. other nations a standing
Joke. 1t was combination of Tam
many and Hinky ,Dink. The expo.
sures In St Louis. San Francisco.
Pittsburg and elsewhere only scratch.
cd the surface. 1t was time for
new deal, and the new deal has come.
Now the cities OF the entire land are
falling over each other in their haste
to try on the commission system.
Wherever inaugurated it has worked
like charm. Everybody is happy
over 1t except the professional ,politi,
clans and the. grafters.
The commission form OF government
In America is only a trife more than
ten years old. 1t started In 1870 as a
result of the Galveston flood. So-stag-
gering was the catastrophe that the
old form of government was una bic
to meet the crisis. Alderman McMas-
ter proposed that the council resign III
a body and call In business men and
experts to deal with the extraordinary
situation. This was done. A commits
sion of five was formed. two of them
elected By the people and three ap-
pointed by the governor. Afterward
the supreme court decided that the
all the commissioners were elected.
Prior to the hurricane and tidal wave
that so nearly swept her of the map
Galveston had the usual sdiscouraging
history of municipal disagreement.
As a result she was in debt. her bonds
were below par and her treasury on
the verge Of bankruptcy. Under the
commission system the city was re-
built. the grade raised several feet. the
streets repaved. a retaining sea wall
constructed. the debt cut down. ex-
penditures kept within the revenues.
city employees paid In cash. bonds
brought to a premium. streets kept
cleaner. sanitation improved. saloons
kept out OF the residence districts. poll
tics banished from the city hall. public
gambling abolished civic spirit awak-
ened and condition Of harmony and
prosperity begun such as Galveston had
never before known. In other words
face of the calamity than the old had
done in times of tranquility. One most
significant fact is that, despite the OK
reldlfnreS required to rebuild. raise
AUG protect the city. the tax rate was
&t;d down lower than that OF any
large CITY III Texas
10 show the contrast bet ween the
Ola Galveston government and the
dew, public improvements had stopped
e2aet the former ring rule and
public buildings were deterioratinG,
hflalleeS were going behind at an aver.
aye "f SlMiu)O every year. city EN-.
floye"S including even schooIteae hers.
Were r'ld IN scrip. and The bosses. whe
were growing fitrl had such grip it
Whs linpoSsibe to shake them loose.
All that is NOW changed. The float
!is deh has i%en retired Il sinking
'ifid started. Iaiblic improvements are
t"'h: forward. tills are paid in cash
"ae" d:t. and the political boSses
htf ts".ntne unpleasant memories
mar 'ii"Se and other beneticent re.
sa1S are due to the commission sys
'ein OF governniei.t il proved by the
'at' that other cities adopting the
commission plan have had like ex-
perienre
tindrr what came to he known as the
galveston plan each Ut the commits
ni"hers took charge 0f some branch Of
'''e CITY government. For this he was
Responsible to the commission as a
MN"'e and to the people so success
'"l was the system in the city Of its
origin that other municipalit in all
parts ut the land began tn study It
With interest.
1" one who does not believe in uni
versal panaceas and cure-alls the
WORKING out Of the commission form
VI government il little less than mar
se'"hs 1t has agreeably surprised
""h its friends and enemies. IL 1t
TUE long 'ooked for solution Of our
"'''""1'mi government problems? An
unqualified affirmative answer IL al.
n'"S' 'h' good to be true. and II ID
700 early to 20 TINT for. ye, the more
"''" studies what has actually been
"'1'''nn'tsied under the new system
=" more enthusiastic be grows MY
"Wn prediction n that Al aeon A the
uttk NJ 4 Ilprir,as. s,3ta a.-s