The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1911-06-03
Ne ARBITRATION or GAL WESTON
lAFTER THE GREAT STORM
READS Llk EA ROMANCE.
ii 1 CITY WITHOUT CREDIT!
THE GALVESTON PLAN HAS
NONE OF THE MANY "FRlLLs"
ADDED ELSEWHERE.
(By Frederic ]. Hasklnst)

lQtfOduC1QU OF CuumleslVu pan VI
government is perhaps the most re
markable Of all the efforts in this di-
rection that have been made In the
United States. When the question
arose Of building a new city Upon the
ruins OF the one which was destroyed
by the great food Of 1900, the people
Of that community were confronted
with task the like Of which few cities
have been called upon to face. It was
not only necessary to rebuild the city,
but It was imperative that confidence
In a scrfp-issufng government should
be restored, and that the fear OF sim
liar future catastrophe should be re-
moved.
|. Before the storm swept over the
city, Galveston was almost as much
of a financial wreck as 1t was physi-
cal wreck after the flood had complete
ed its destructive work. For years It's
municipal affairs had been governed
by a typical "ring," whose members
are said to have profited greatly by
their Identification with the municipal
government. Although in 1899 1t was
the fourth wealthiest city per capita in
the United States, for a number Of
years 1t had been running behind
about 100000 per year in the financial
operations and bonds had been issued
to meet this deficit. The financial af-
fairs Of the city finally fell to such a
low ebb that 1t was impossible to OBJ
tain further credit, and public I'M
provements came to a standstill.
Public buildings were allowed to de-
teriorate, and public property Of every
kind was going to ruin. The city fin
ally was forced upon a scrip basis,
hayig no money with which to meet its
obligations. Even the teachers in the
public schools were paid in this way
and 1t had to be discounted at an ex-
travagant rate before 1t could be con-
verted into cash.
Couldn't Defeat "Ring.'
The good government forces OF the
city tried repeatedly to throw off the
yoke Of the ring" but always with IN.
different success. Finally an appeal
was made in the Legislature for the
abolition Of the ward system, with "a
view to- having all members Of the
governing board elected by the people.
The movement was successful only to
a limited extent. Additional alder
men were provided, to be elected by
the city at large and some excellent
officials were chosen, but the represent
tatfves OF the old order still dominated
the board. This was the condition in
which Galveston found itself on the
fateful night In September, 1900, when
the.terrific storm swept over It, wreck
ing( hundreds OF houses, drowning
thousands CT people, destroying the
streets Of the city, demolishing the
public service plant, and leaving the
whole community in a state Of desola-
ton.
When the people of Galveston had
buried their dead and began to take
stock, they found they had left little
more than an bankrupt treasury, a
ruined city and fear Of iutude calam-
tiles of the same kind. But they still
possessed a determination which con-
stitutes one Of the most heroic chap.
tiers in the history of our country. It
was in the midst of these appalling
conditions that they turned to the COM
mission plan OF government and 1t is
10 this plan that they give credit for
the restoration and the bright future
prospects of their city. The first
commission OF Galveston consisted OF
five members, two OF them elected by
the people and three OF them appoint
ed by the governor. This provision
was made because the legislature was
unwilling to assist in the work Of re-
facilitating the city unless the influ
ence of the State should be paramount,
Opposed at First,
The people OF Galveston wele large
ly opposed to this sort of government
In which the governing body had q
majority which was not answerable to
them directly, Matters were brought
to head by the arrest Of a drayman
on the charge OF violating the sanitary
regulations OF the city. He was fined
$25 and appealed his case upon the
ground that there was no constitu
tlonal warrant for the governor to ap
point part of the governing body Of
the city. The case was carried into
the Supreme Court, where his conten
ton was upheld. While this ltiga
ton was going on, the friends OF the
commission plan rushed through an
other bill-pfeVi fer an elective
commission, and clearing such defects
in the original bill Las time had demon
strated to exist. Before the dray
mans case was decided the new char
ter was passed and Galveston wal
ready to go forward in the solution Of
its problems, That these problems
were many and troublesome may be
inferred from the fact that a sea-wal
had to be built containing as mct
material as five pyramids OF the di
mansions OF Cheops. The grade o!
the entire city had to be raised to {
higher level, varying from one to eight
feet, people had to live in houses
lacked up on stills while seas Of mut
were being pumped under them, ant
millions had to be spent by indivld
uals in repairing the damage done BY
the storm.
Yet the people OF the city were Sc
filled with public spirit that when tht
bonds were issued for the rehabllita
tlun Of the community, in spite Of thu
grevious losses personally sustained
they bought more than million dol
lars OF the cItyis bonds. In many case:
even laborlng men and washerwomeI
Invested their mites In bonds OF small
denomination, buying them OF the com
/ r,nIrninn nk Ma. rrhhti ihnN miRhA hnYl