Perth Amboy evening news., 1911-04-13
STRAIGHT TALK
BY VIEHMAhN
Tells of Advantages of Gem
mission Government.

Former Mayor George A. Vieh-
mann, of New Brunswick, president
OF the Board of Trade of that city,
gave some straight from the shout
der talk on the possibilities Of com
mission form of government at the
union meeting of trade board men
in this city Tuesday night and said
that II the bill providing for the new
form of government became a law
in New Jersey this year there would
be a strong movement in New Bruins
wick for the adoption of its proYl-
sio.s.
Tells of Its Origin In Galveston.
Mr.. Viehmann told how the COM
mission form of government had It's
origin in 1900 with the Galveston
tornado; how the destruction of that
city made the people forget party
lines and petty enmities; how all set
to work with q will to rebuild their
city and how the commission form
of was devised as the
best working basis to avoid party
s~ouabbles and their side issues
which would interfere with the pub
lic-minded scheme to bring Calves
ton back on the earth as one Of the
leading cities of the south. Calves
ton today, a city modern and beau
tiful, was pointed out by Mr.. Vieh-
mann as an example of what the
commission form of government can
enyolve.
Des Moines Perfects 1t.
Des Moines, he said, next took up
the idea and perfected it. Now it
has spread throughout many of the
larger western cities and has proved
a success wherever 1t has been tried.
In the west the people are realizing
that 1t pays to run a city on a bust
ness-like basis. Seattle elected a
mayor who was supposed to be with
the reform movement but in less
than a year the people found that
he was Just as bad as those who had
preceded him and a little worse, If
anything. So they held an election,
Mr.. Viehmann continued, and recall
ed him, placing another man in his
stead, just the same as though a big
factory had hired a superintendent
and after a years trial had found
that he did not do his work properly,
which resulted in his discharge.
Abolishes Ward Lines.
In describing the commission form
OF government, as it is used in the
NCSIy W. ACAtlllahb o"AN NHNt ~
abolished ward lines and provided a
popular government in that all the
members of the commission were
elected at large and not one from
this ward and one from that ward,
the party strength in each ward
naming the aldermen.
A political form of government
wastes the taxpayers money, Mr..
Viehmann said. He spoke about be-
ing mayor of New Brunswick and
stated that while in office this phase
OF the present common form of city
government was forcibly brought
home to him. He affirmed that he
had spoken to his predecessors and
his successors on the subject and
that they all had held up their hands
In 'horror" at he contemplation of
the useless expenditure. This. Mr..
Viehmann commended, was not
q ~ grHTrrug tenuenC1es out
was through the following out OF
time memorial customs and systems
connected with the present form Of
government.
On National Questions.
Mr.. Viehmann stated that he was
a Democrat and believed in party
lines on national questions but he
could not see why party lines should
influence elections where poor gov
ernment means high taxes and the
lack of the common benefits expect
ed In city life.
Under the presentform of govern
ment Mr.. Viehmann showed how a
man not qualified for municipal
Office might reach the position he
was striving for by running on a
party ticket with state or national
candidates, being swept into the
municipal office with the victory of
the state or national ticket. Voting
on a non partisan ticket in munich
pal affairs. Mr.. Viehmann declared
that this same nan would be de-
feated and a business man named
for the office in his place.
U~Bbusinesslike Government.
The speaker told how as a Demo-
crat he lived In a Republican ward
In New Brunswick. When the Dem
ocrats were in power, he said that
there were never any Improvements
In his district and that when the Re-
poblicans were in power. nothing
was too good for his ward. This,
Mr.. Viehmann declared, is an I'M
businesslike government. The tax
payers all pay proportionate shares
AOI tAS AuiAiL5 VI me NltJ ECL lc-
ceiYe unequal benefits just because
they are of an opposite faith from
the party in power. Mr.. Viehmann
said that he had known Of a street
to be paved through a ward friendly
to the party in power, and to stop
abruptly at the ward line holding a
majority of people not in favor with
the powers that be. Commission
form of government, he said, would
abolish all such practices.
Bill Not True Conception.
He spoke of the bill providing for
a commission form of government
which passed the assembly this week
as not being a true conception of the
Idea but said that if it became a law
1t would be an entering wedge and
that a strong effort would be made
In New Brunswick to have it put in
force.