Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1911-03-30

The mayor of Memphis explains in making his accounting for the year
 1910 that for fully eight months 5i
 the year there was going on COL tinual legal fight against the commits
 sion form that took a great part of
 the time and attention of the com
 missioners, necessarily interfering with the perfect working of the com- mission The showing made is as the mayor declares, remarkable, " the more so in view of the difficult ties placed in the way of the commits sion.
 Under the head of tangible accom- plishments the mayor tells of thirty miles of streets paved, fifty two miles of sidewalks laid, thirty-four miles of sanitary sewers, four miles of storm sewers, three miles of culverts built, and, at the same time, the tax rate was reduced to the lowest figures in sixteen years. The mayor follows this with the statement of long list of physical Improvements effected, new engine houses, new police sta- ton, the purchase of site for hos. pital the construction of subways to protect the people of Memphis from accidents at railway surface level crossings, and the increased equip- ments as we'll as the thorough repair of ali old equipment belonging to the city. Many useless electric poles were removed, the street lighting was improved, the police force increased, the fire department brought to a higher degree of excellence by adding equipment of engines, hose, etc., cost ing $30,000; and, moreover, the health conditions were materially changed for the better, more inspections were made, a better cleaning system being introduced and the result showing il a very satisfactory reduction in the number of deaths frem preventab'e diseases, such as scarlet fever, diph- theria, small pox and typhoid fever.
 How was thi accomplished? Simply ,by applying business methods to all the departments of the public service putting competent men in charge and insisting upon honest work for good money. A comparative statement shows that every chief of division brought in an increase of receipts ov- CT those of the year preceding. Great care was exercised also in collections of delinquent taxes and the astonish- ing fact is published that where as in former years there was never col lected what was budgeted as due and collectab1e, last year, under commits sion government, the budget called for $60.9O7 of delinquent taxes and the collections actually were $62,681! Every source of income was closely guarded. The city had been paying 5 per cent on overdrafts The com mission reduced this to per cent. and at the same time required the banks to pay 3 1-2 per cent on depos- it's, netting about $12,O00 on an ac- count that formerly showed always loss. Some $7,500 was collected from pole rentals, never before suc- eessfully collected. Ten thousand dollars was saved by taking over the collection of city taxes from the county trustee.
 Progress marked the whole year of administration. There was applied to the conduct of Memphis public affairs the same business sense and attention that men give to their pri- vate concerns; and with like results. If this can be done in Memphis, 1t can be done elsewhere and Mobile when this form of government is in stituted here, will doubtless have reason to rejoice in statements show ing the same sort of progress in city improvement At bottom it is but a simple matter, but although simple Sc,ro~&onoo Is jp,r,orco