The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1911-05-18

VERY CAREFULLY
MADE DOCUMENT
UNLIKE HOUSTON PLAN, THE.
DALLAS SYSTEM Is ALMOST
COMPLETELY DEMocRATIc-tT
works WELL FOR FOUR YEARS.
Commission GOVERNMENT
THE INITIATIVE, REFERENDUM
AND RECALL PROVISIONS IN
DALLAS CHARTER.
lBy Frederic ]. Haskln.l J

(By Frederic J. Haskin.)
II Houston went a step further in
the development of popular MUNICIPAL
rule than Galveston had done, both
were outdone by the city Of Dallas.
GalVeston's system was called auto.
cratic" and Houston's was labelled
"one-man-government" by opponents
of the system. So Dallas went to the
other extreme and made its system so
completely democratic that its enemies
charged It with being "populistic." Dali
las incorporated into its charter the
three most radical ideas Of commits
sion. government extant-the initia-
tive, the referendum and the recall.
BY these instrumentalities the voters,
while giving the city officials the right
to conduct the affairs OF the city, re-
served the right to bring about things
which the officials might not be will
ing to pass, and at the same time to
veto or to accept any action the Of
ficials might take. In addition to
this they reserved the right to re-
move governing officials from office
whenever they should conclude that
the officials were not in harmony
with them. They were not willing to
submit the matter to the courts in
the form of judicial impeachment
proceedings but insisted that the
voters should constitute the i'm
peachment proceedings but Insisted
that the voters should constitute the
impeachment court.
That the new form OF government
has worked well in the four years II
has been in operation in Dallas is
shown by some of the results. A
floating debt or 100000 was inherit.
Fet fr6h tIfe oitif regifliel ,9'ifis has
been wiped out completely and the
sinking funds required by law estab-
lfshed. AT the end of the last fiscal
wear they contained SAT- 900. From
{hisl It will be seen that in less than
four years the savings of the city
have amounted to $654,O00. In 1908
the profits OF the city water works
system amounted to 100000, and
these profits are being swelled with
each succeeding year.
Forward Strides.
The forward strides OF the city
have been so rapid under the quick
ening influence of good government
conditions that Dallas and the coun-
ty in which It is located are prepar-
ing to build the largest concrete via
duct in the world at cost of several
milIi,n loliars A bond issue of ST.
3NnNO has been authorized by the
pccnle for public improvements and
well developed programme for physi.
cal development of the city has been
laid ont. A new sewerage system is
being undertaken, and Dallas citizens
are preparing for another doubling o.
nopulation in the decade ahead.
In advertising the greatness OF the
world Dallas modestly claims to be
tho hest governed city in America, and
noInte ont that in a single decade 1t
has more than doubled its population.
Onlv birmingham with its great in.
dusirlal development, and Oklahoma
CIty with It's sudden Jump from a rural
village TO n sizable city among all the
cities Of the south, have as remarka-
bia showing as Dallas. Every ele.
mont me of It's noulation is filled to the
tingor Tins with enthusiasm for It's fu.
tmre and the advocates OF the com.
',,Iss,on ruL" nIan attribute much Of this to
's .he mow mmnIcinaI system, The city
taI, III % S,r5s many nnportnnitles to make
s.a na" ,nI,nerca ,t for preoter things count
ITO u. ind,root intt' wovs nv II was deslrap;e
m. ~ 'i,u,1H royo rmnicinaI building he erect.
.la. ~ 81 d 'e" 'o do % t%is IT, was necessary to
gu 5S alu ~ ~ w tSo Old oiJ one so the mayor
u.sPose 1 " ooomissioncrs c%o s co.operating
anu anu tne ov oSannhor NJ commerce in.
WIN t,e oa.n cnai~Se e. on,s canitolIsfs In
teTesttd , .,e,,t,or soine ~, i oNJ landed a new
nolel pITpOs'siOn ,S,nI III, gu" Tbev soid tbe
uiilloh uoirar sosea' .,,o,o = now ono ms.
ola clty nan anu iao,a ,laI ,,e,i Az tIa same
slDle' all III slnsle ,,,n" G""'' - soomra Inc
time they were trsins 4o.Sodist ~ GstU ms,ver.
location OF a sreas Met% ~ ,bJs oiSo they
slty at DalIas, s,,, a"u :" '"'H w
Eive Other Cities