The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-05-09
GOOD GOVERNMENT
IN GALVESTON
The Texas City Has Had
Most Remarkable and
Successful Experience
All About II

III Il s3s'
introduction of a commission plan Of
snNtrnment is perhaps the INST re-
of all the efforts in this di-
Icct'on that have been made in The
tE1ted States. When the question
arose of building a new city upon the
runs or the one which was destroyed
by the great lood of 1900, the peo-
PIE of h a community were confront
ed with a task the like of which few
cites ever have been called upon to
face. 1t was not only necessary to re-
Guild the city, but it was imperative
that confidence in a scrip-issuing gov
should be restored, and that
the fear Of a similar future catastrophe
should be removed.
Before the storm swept over the city
Galveston was almost as much Of a
financial wreck as it was a ph ysicaI
wreck after the flood had its
destructive work. For years its mu-
nicipal affairs had been governed by a
typical ring whose members are
said to have profited greatly by their
identification with the municipal gov
eminent. Although in 1899 il was the
fourth wealthiest city per capita in the
United States, for a number Of years
it had been running behind about
500, 600 per year in it's financial oper-
ations and bonds had been issued to
meet his deficit. The financial affairs
OF the city finally fell to such q low
ebb that it was impossible to obtain
further credit, and public improve
ments came to q standstil1. Public
buildings were allowed % deteriorate,
and public property of every kind was
going to ruin. The city finally was
forced upon a scrip basis, having no
money with which to meet it's ohliga-
items.
Even the teachers in the public
schools were paid in this way, and it
had to be discounted at an eXtraVagant
rate before it could be converted into
cash.
The good government forces Of the
city tried repeatedly to throw off the
yoke Of the ring" but always with
Indifferent success. Finally an appeal
was made to the Legislature for the
abolition of the ward system, with a
view to having all members Of the
governing BOARD elected by the people.
The movement was successful only to
q limited extent. Additional aldermen
we're provided, to be elected by the
city at large, and some excellent Off
Gals were chosen, but the representa-
tiNes OF the old order still dominated
the board. This was the condition in
which Galveston found itself on the
fateful eighth of September, 1900,
When the terrific storm swept over 1t,
w~recking hundreds of houses, drown
ing thousands of people, destroying
the streets of the city. demo1ishing
the public service plant, and leaving
the whole community in a state OF
~desolatiOn. -
When the people Of Galveston had
buried their dead and began to take
stock, they ound they had left little
more h a bankrupt treasury. a
ruined city n a fear of future calam-
tiles Of the same kind. But they still
possessed a determination which con-
%stitutes one Of the most heroic chap
ters in the history of our country. 1t
was in the midst of these appalling
conditions that they turned to the
commission plan of government and it
is to this plan that hey give credit
for the restoration and the bright fu-
ture prospects of their city. The first i
commission Of Galveston consisted OF
five members, two of them elected by
the people and three of them appoint
ed by the Governor. This provision
was made because the legislature was
unwilling to assist in the work of re-
facilitating the city unless the influ-
ence of the State should be para
mount.
The people of Galveston were
largely opposed to this sort of govern
ment. il which the governing body
a a majority which was not answer
able to them directly. Matters were
brought to a head by the arrest of a
drayman on the charge of violating
the sanitary regulations Of the city.
He was fined twenty-five dollars and
appealed his case upon the ground
that there was no constitutional war
rant for the Governor to appOint a
part Of the governing body of the city.
The case was carried into the Supreme
Court, where his contention was up
held. While this litigation was going
on. the friends of the commission plan
through another bill providing
for an elective commission, and clear
ing such defects in the original bill is
time had demonstrated to exist. Befo:e
the drayman's case was decided the
new charter was passed and Galveston
was ready to go forward in the solu-
ton of its problems. That these