The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1911-08-02
MEMPHIS FORGED
TO FIGHT TO SUE s. /
HER NEW CHARTER
BITTER OPPOSITION IN THE
COURTS BY OLD OFFICIALS TO
NEW SYSTEM
.iMllHY INTERESTING FEATURES
"a FULL DAYS WORK FORA FULL
DAYS PAY" SLOGAN AT CITY
HALL. ~
fBy Frederic ]. Haskinl .

I
"a full days work for full days
pay," was the slogan pasted up in
the city hall when the commissioners
of Memphis entered Office on January
ID, 1910. And thereupon the old habit
OF employees dropping into their Off
ces anywhere from $3.50 to 10 o'clock
became a thing Of the past. This was
satisfying to most people, but it was
not sufficient to end the war on the
commission system which had waged
since the idea Of making the change
had first been proposed, and the CON
test was carried into the courts. The
result was that six or seven months
passed before the'newly Installed com
missioners knew whether they were
going to be permitted to report for
duty at o'clock in tn morning as a
steady policy, or would have to go
out and hunt other jobs while the
ousted alderman returned to the man
agement of the affairs of the munich
pallty. Sd
However, any anxiety they may
have felt on the subject was removed
in August, 1910, when the supreme
court knocked out the last legal OBJ
stacle and the new regime was per-
mitted to feel secure in its posses
sion Of the city hall.
In the meantime, the commission
ers of Memphis had undertaken the
interesting task Of cleaning up the
city. Eight hundred arrests were
made the first month, with the re-
suit that there was a general exodus
of the criminal element from the COM
munlty and corresponding decrease
in the number Of burglaries, holdups,
and other offenses familiar to the city
in the old days The criminal ele'
ment was also given a severe blow
when system Of STRAW bonds" that
had long prevailed was knocked out
by the commissioners. Under this
straw bond" system, it had been
possible for criminals OF all types to
make their getaway" when the Of
Tense was not Of an exceedingly grave
character. A plan was in vogue un
der which prisoners with enough
money to turn the trick, were provid'
led With bond that was accepted by
the authorities, but upon which 1t was
impossible to realize anything In the
event Of the accused failing to report
for trlaI-as he usually did. This
practice was ended abruptly by the
commissioners and their action in this
matter also contributed to the exodus
Of the lawless element. The city does
not claim now to be a modern para
disc, but 1t is as orderly as the aver.
age American city,
Many Innovations.
Among other reforms brought
about was the establishment of a
juvenile court, the execution Of a
contract under which the city re
ceIved interest upon its deposits, the
appointment OF a purchasing agent
for the city, the establishment Of q
hospital for the treatment of tuber'
cul6sIs, the inauguration of sys'
tenn of school inspection, and also a
system Of boiler and electrical In
speCtlon. Street Improvements In
volvlng an expenditure Of some $4O0,'
900 we're carried through, the sanitary
system of the city was greatly extend.
ed, the gre department was provided
with much new equipment, and city
buildings and property of all kinds
was overhauled and put in first class
condition. All old and crippled live
stock used in the various departments
was replaced with active young ami
mails, thus increasing the efficiency OF
these departments, and budget sys'
TEN was introduced as to what dispo'
sition was made Of the money paid In
licenses and taxes,
The Memphis plan Is modelled aft
er the Des Molnes system, but It does
not carry the non.partisan election
features. In fact, there has been slight
disposition in the south to break away
from, the party primary. Birmingham
Alabama, which will be governed I'M
der d commission charter within a few
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