The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-05-09

iiuSH material as i've pyramids or
the dim tensions OF Cheops- The grade
Of the entire city had to be raised 10
a higher level. varying from one 10
eight feet. peonle had 10 live IN
houses lacked up on stills while seas
OF mud We're being pumped under
them. and millions had 10 be spen, b.
individuals in repairing the damage
done by the storm.
Yet the people OF the city were 80
filled with public spirit that when the
bonds were issued for the r~ehabilita-
ton OF the community. i'm spiIe of the
grevious losses personally sustained,
they bought more than a million doll
lars of the City's bonds. In many
cases even laboring men and washer
women invested their mites in bonds
OF small denomination, buying them
of the commission at par when they
might have bought them at So in the
open market With such public spirit
as this there is little Wonder that every
obstacle was laid low and every diff
Guilty pushed out OF the way by the
courageous people Of the city.
When the commission began its la
bors there a total debt OF three mill
lion dollars. $500, 600 of a floating
debt Within two years the latter was
wiped out. Since the flood s2,115.000
of bonds We're issued. and ~$i.0s3.00o
was spent IN permanent improvements
out Of current revenues. with $500. 900
additional for other growing
directly out of the flood. Today the
outstanding bonds OF Galveston
amount to s4,430, 900. 1t follows h
Galveston has been able to pay out a
total of nearly three million dollars
in nine years. over and above the ordi-
nary current expenses. Add to the
public Improvements the expenditures
OF the individual citizens, with the
amounts contributed by the county of
Galveston, n the total Is approx
mate1y 81, 600 per capita. With all its
splendid showing Galveston has been
able to make 1T on a tax rate of s1.69
on the S100 Of valuation.
The Galveston system has none OF
the innovations that have been added
by cities which have more recently
adopted the commission plan. 1t has
neither the initiative the referendum,
the recall. the civil service, nor the
n~on-partisan election plan. It simply
wipes out the old ward lines. makes
the city the unit Of representation, and
puts its affairs IN the hands OF five
commissioners, who are elected by the
people at large. One of these Is chair
man Of the board, with the title Of
mayor-president. The other four are
placed at the heads Of the four re-
naming departments, the mayoT-pres-
ident heading the fifth. 1t is geneT-
ally understood beforehand which de-
partment each commissioner will
head. The board possesses all the
authority Of the usual city council.
Galveston, unlike many other corn
mission-governed cities, dOeS not re-
quire it's commissioners TO give their
whole time to the work of the city.
They are required to have fixed hours
at the city hall, but otherwise are
f~no 70
This, say the people Of Galveston,
enables them to command for their
city government the abilities Of the
best and most successful business men.
Their commissioners Of finance and
revenue, for instance, is president OF
our large business concerns, inciui-
ing one of the leading banks of the
city. 1t would take tlouSaiS of dol
lars to command the exclusive sarv-
ices of such a man, yet Galveston sets
them for 1920.
The city has shown a remarkable
fidelity toward the men who have la
bored SO successfully in its rehabilita-
ton. Most Of the commissioners have
been reelected with each recurring
election. 1t is true that Mayor Lanes
was defeated at the last election, and
it is claimed that his opponent had all
the Wide-Open element behind him.
But the new mayor was Il Judge on
the bench. one Of the most widely
known secret order men in that M
try and a mixer of the most engaging
type. But that Galveston still is en-
jOying the same wise and beneficent
municipal rule that has characterized
the past decade is attested by everyone
knows conditions there.
1t was only a year or two after Gal
weston began its commission expert
ment that the whole world was consid-
the phenomenal success that
had characterized the efforts 10 re-
habi1itate its finances. rebuild its de-
StrOyed district. and restore conf
dence in its future. This led other
progressive cities to study the CAL
weston situation, and today the mil
lions Of urban residents h have
been introduced to good city govern
by reason of the expansion OF
the Galveston idea feel that the storm