Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1911-05-07

this commissioner.
 Another commissi )ner is designated .commt tssioner of streets and public property" He has under his special charge the supervision of all matters relating to the streets, alleys and property belonging to the city, and is charged with the duty pf lighting the streets. looking after street-eleaning and sanitation, the supervision of street paving. construction f drains, and seeing that the conditions of the grant of public franchises are com piled with.
 The city engineer and his assis- tants. city health physician super irtqndent of drays, health inspectors, city sexton, sidewalk inspector and all employees in these departments are under the direction of the com missioner. Bids must be advertised for in every instance where the eX- penditure exceeds $500 and no d able vote of the taxpayers.
 The other, and forth commissioner, is designated police and fire com missioner" He has under his spec ial charge the enforcement of all police rSgulatACns ard the general supervision over the police and fire departments. The chief of police, police officer, chief of fire depart ment and firdmen and the judge and clerk of the corporation court are under the directions of this commits sioner.
 The city secretary and city attor- ney are officers with which the mayor r-presideht is closely psAocis- ted and are usually nominated by him. All officers and employees are nominated by the commissioners in enlarge Df the respective depart ments and are elected by 3 majority vote of the entire board
 The mayor or any commissioner can be removed from office for off, eial misconduct, drunkenness pr in competency upon approved charge made before a district judge.
 Meetings of Board.
 The city charter requires that the board shall meet in regular session at, leatst once every week. These meetings take place every Thursday afternoon a o'clock. These meet ings ale conducted in a degnified, businesslke m9nner, and are free from wrangling, disputes and con- fusion The commissioners sit around directors, table the mayor presiding. The city attorney and the heads of the various departments are required by the city charter to attend all meetings of the board. But little speech-making is indulged in. and the presence of idle spectat IFS is an ex- ception rather than the rule. Busi- ness is transacted promptly, but without any undue haste All i'm portant matters at z discussed and differences adjusted in conference Int ely attorney has great influence with the commissioners, and his ad vice is freely sought.
 > Too many cooks spail the broth, is an old s2ying, which can well bt applied to a board of twelve or six teen aldermen. In Galveston it has been clearly proved that four com missiOners and a mayor. or a presi- dent. can transact the business O sixteer aldermen and a mayor, ant with greater harmony.
 What Was Accomplished.
 What the present board has accom- adverse circumstances, has indeed been wonderful. The total floating debt of the city has been entirely paid They secured and paid for the i services iof a board of three eminent engineers which resulted in devisine plans for the great seawall anr rais- ing the grade of the city, which have been completed at a total cost to the city and county jointly of more than $4,0tO, ,000; they rebuilt the city hall rebuilt the water works pumping statim; extended the water system !; built three engine houses; repaired the different engine houses over the city damaged by the storm; repaved with brick the streets throughout the entire business section. at a cost to the city of $1S3,oz7, ,07; built Took and shell roads at a cost of $r81, ,064 ,04; provided large amount of drainage at a cost of t$245, ,664.47; extended the sewer system and adjusted the ques- tion of interest ,on the bonded debt