The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-04-08
COMMISSION SHIP LAUNCHED MONDAY Three Officials Have Agree
 ment Upon Date WHAT WILL HAPPEN No Radical Changes Will Occur But Sinecures at the City Hall Will
 Not Be Tolerated-Woe
 to Fat Salaries
By CLYDE W. ENNIS

The good ship "Commission Govern ment' will be launched next Monday upon the troubled waters of municipal affairs. There will be no sponsor. NO wine will be spilled upon the bow. There will be no festive crowd at ahe launching, but 135,00o persons in Greater Birmingham will watch with undisguised interest the first voyage. Incidentally the eyes of the south will be upon it. President Culpepper Exum will be at the helm, while Associate Commissioners James Weatherly and Alexander o. Lane will be pilot and first mate respectively. It will be an event in the description of which no adjectives will be necessary. There will be no formalities, no star chamber per formances
 At the conclusion of long consulta- tion held yesterday with Judge Lane, Associate Commissioner Weatherly called President Exum over the phone in Montgomery. MT. Weatherly in dicated to MT. EXum that he and Judge Lane had talked over things, and If it were agreeable to the president the first formal action would be taken Monday. The president said it was all right with him when his coworkers were ready. So 1t is settled that Mon day shall be the day upon which the long anticipated event will take place. In its evolution from a council of S2 to commission of three the govern mental system of Birmingham has un- dergone no little change. The com missioners will no doubt become ac- quainted with this fact immediately after taking hold of things.
 Another meeting of the commission CTS was held last night in the offices of Mir Weatherly. This was subse- quent to the arrival of MT. Exum from Montgomery. The three commissioners discussed informally the trend of events and it was agreed that Monday would be the logical day upon which to qual- fly and begin work. There was no formal announcement to this effect but it was stated that unless very seri- ous obstacles arose the ceremony would be an event of Monday morning.
 Much Speculation
 Since the commission has been surity, and since the personnel has been named by Governor ONeal, there has been no end to the speculation about the first acts of the three men. The city as a whole is excited, eager and anticipative The present officials are even more excited about the prospective change than the people.
 A careful investigation into the opin- ions of the three commissioners fails to reveal any reason for the present city officials to be otherwise than calm and unafraid. It may be stated with the assurance of the commissioners that the three men to rule" Birmingham will go into office with the desire or determination to pick up officials and fling them from the second or third story windows of the stately city hall. Nothing like that will happen. AL though some think this is one of the principal duties of the three, it was stated yesterday that the commission CTS would accept without special in- vestigation the present organization. The officials will be retained. There will be no revolution, and the officials and the people who expect such will no doubt be disappointed. The first thing the commissioners will do will be to look at the financial chances of Rirmine eham. From the time one ceases to believe in Santa Claus, all ef- fort is to get money. The question will accordingly be money, and this is the way it will be done.
 Economy the Slogan
 The commissioners will ascertain how much the city Is spending over its income. In view of the fact that few men make as much money as they spend 1t is possible that no severe strain to immediately get out of debt will be taken.
 But the special financial report will be carefully looked over and economy will be established.
 The commissioners believe in merg- ing. So, after an investigation, if any offices are found which may be oper- ated as well if merged merger will occur. Officials may be left off. but it Is stated there will not occur any radical changes and none which will in the slightest degree impair the eff cheney of the city government. It is stated that If the commissioners find an official employed who is of little value to the city he will be dropped. Wher- ever there may be found dead timber the pruning knife will be used to an effective degree.
 Woe to Fat Salaries
 Another method which will be pur- sued is in regard to salaries. It is stated that a number of the officials are dra wing a little more money from the city than mayhap they could earn if at other work. If this is found to he true there will be a severe trim ming of salaries. The present officials who are the most important will not be dropped and there will not be any changes upon personal grounds as some think will be the case.
 The council which will take the count Monday or which received the count last Wednesday will find in the commission the avengers of the people.
 About Political FavOrites
 There is strong talk that several off cials who were elected upon personal grounds alone will not receive much consideration at the hands of the com- mission. It is stated that the last election of the City Council whereat the