The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-12-29
CULPEPPER EXUM
ON BIRMINGHAM
Former Mayor Says Our Admin
strativc Board Plan Doesn't
Go Far Enough.
SALARY ALSO TOO SMALL
Tells How His City Has Saved
Money by Real Bust
ness Methods.
SALARY ALSO TOO SMALL

at the Jefferson Hotel last night
Culpcppcr Exum, president of the com
mission of three which administers the
city government OF Birmingham, Ala,
handed down q few pertinent opinions
on Richmond's newly created Admin
istrativc Board
you've caught tho idea all right"
he said, but you haven't gone far
enough. It's step in the right direc-
tion, but it falls short OF meeting tho
object for which it Is crcated---to CON
centrate responsibility, SO that you
can place your finger on the right man
when things go wrong"
Barring actual commission govern
ment. preferably in the manner In
which IL is known in Birmingham, Mr..
ENum was oil tho opinion that the re-
duced Council and Administrative
Board provided for by the recent re-
form movement Is the best form OF
government for municipalities the size
OF Richmond Under the constitu-
tional restriction touching the forms
of city government In Virginia, this
plan, he thought. is the best one avail
able.
One Ahead of tho other. :.
But that doesn't mean that Rich
mond wouldn't be better governed by
commission of three men," MIR.
lIxum FASTENED TO assure the reporter
Commission government Is as far
ahead OF your new plans as II itself is
ahead OF your old one. You can't got
around the fact that three men, or at
most fivo men, intrustcd with tho en-
tire government OF the city and held
accountable for 1t. are better than
three dozen men governing piccemcal
and responsible to nobody. You are
going to come to 1t. We in Birmlng-
ham have found out that managing q
city is no different from managing a
corporation; you will find 1t out later"
But how about the danger Of con.
centrating the legislative and admin
tstrative powers In single small
group of men. Isn't there danger OF
grave abuse" he was asked
That's the question that will lead
you straight into an argument about
the laws OF God Almighty and man."
was MIR. Exums ready reply. You
can't invent any system which men
can't beat. It's true of commission
government. Put sorry men on the
commission, and there isn't n moro mi
quitous plan of city government under
heaven. But there isn't any danger Of
that. our election scheme is so ar
ranged that an incompetent man hasn't
any moro chance of getting elected 10
the board than Bryan has to run again
in 1912"
Didn't Go Fnr Enough.
The Richmond City Council made a
mistake, MIR. Exum thought. when It
failed To place the Police, Fire and
Health Departments under the super
vision of the Administrative Board on
the same footing with the other de-
partments of the city govrnmcnt
Wouldn't that have deluged the
board with lot OF detail work which
can be Just as well performed inde-
pendently," he was asked. THAT was
the chief objection raised to the plan"
Pure bosh. That's all have 10
say" was the Alabama mans vigorous
comment. Don't you believe word
OF 1t. We have three men on our
| commission in Birmingham. and, be-
bides having to frame all the ordi-
Eances, we find plenty of time to con-
slider every matter. involving IN
amount over $40. that is connected
with the city government. Under the
direction OF the new commission
Birmingham has created the best fire
department In the Southern States. we
have population of $4,000. about the
same as you have here In Richmond.
partment of our government and still
have half of our time vacant, there is
no reason why your Administrative
Board can't do the same thing"
Saved DIE Money.
Is commission government a sue
cess in Birmingham? Well, l guess 1t
has been in operation since April. and
IL we keep on we will have saved the
city In clerical economies alone more
than 100000. But this Is small item
compared TO the hundreds OF thousands
OF dollars the new form of govern
inent will save the city in business
like and economical placing of con
tracts and dispatch in transacting mu-
nlcipal business"
The salary of $4,000, which is TO be
paid to the i've men who will COM
pose Richmond'S Administrative Board.
Is too small, thought Mr. Exum In
man won't work for that price. we
pay our commissioners $1,000 which Is
none 100 much, but which makes the
h fos ,,t attractive enough to secure
prohibition Failed There.
! we are solid for high license and
strict regulation" said Mr.. Exum when
the reported ventured n question as
70 the liqnor situation in Birmingham,
| we tried prohibition for four wears
and 1t did prohibit. There were as
many DRINKS as ever. and as much
whiskcy was sold as ever, with this
dinerence. the city received no reve.
nue. nue., from it's sale. Under the local
option act we now have city or
d,nance limiting saloons to one for
fec Of $4,000 per annun 1t has solved
INC problem. and there is no danger
| INA, ,i we will go back to prohibition any
! time soon" 80. V.
INFANCY LIKELY TO GET
| JOB HELD by ENRIGHT
1