Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-08-04
PITTSBURC REGIME
Leading Business Men Are Now
in Charge of Affairs of the
Smoky City.
FORMER COUNCIL IN JAIL
Party and Ward Politics Largely
Abolished - Community Going
Through Transformation.

Since the overturning that landed so
many Pittsburg officials behind the
bars the city is now under a council
of nine. The new government has
been installed only a little more than
one month, but already the effects of
its policies are felt. Here is a char
acteristic scene under the new re-
gime:
Around a long directors table on
nine deep seated Office chairs are nine
of the city's leading citizens. At one
end of the table is the city's mayor,
and at the other end are officers of
the city's commercial and civic bodies.
Forming a background and filing the
large, high ceilinged room are sub
stantial citizens and taxpayers of the
municipality. Near the mayor stands
one of the city's officers whose duty
it is to collect certain Of the public
funds. The question is directed to
him by one of the nine at the table:
"BAD BUSINESS"
You collect millions of the city's
moneys annually What interest on
daily balances do you get for the
cityT'
None" murmured the officer in an
undertone.
What? None?' snapped the man
at the table. IT don't call that good
business. It's bad business"
1t was bad business, and it had been
for thirty years or more. But the end
iS In, ioh+ &c nh tn
a stop to this and many other unbusf-
nesslike practices. The nine men at
the table are Pittsburg's new council
men, selected to inaugurate a new
system of government in the city.
This city, the hardest hit by the last
business depression and for thirty
years one of the worst governed in
America, has taken on new life. The
millions to be spent in public work IN
der progressive business direction will
attract other millions to private enter
prise. With a new spirit in public ad-
ministration there is to be a renewed
business movement Not in many
years have conditions in Pittsburg
been more hopeful. All is the result
of a few little amendments to the
CITY CHdIltI ny the last Sldlc lcSlSld-
ture.
The vital features of Pittsburgs
charter revision were the abolition Of
two large counciImanic bodies elected
by small ward divisions and the substi-
tuition of one small legislative body to
be elected by the city at large. Today
in place of sixty-seven little men
at one time 155-there are nine big
men. Instead of twenty-seven minor
subdivisions with their petty interests
there is one big city.
While the Pittsburg plan aims to
give the people representative govern
ment, it is by no means a commission
form. Those back of the charter
movement insist on this distinction.
believing that government by commits
sion would not he successful in a city
as large as Pittsburg. The plan leaves
the mayor. who is elected by the peo-
pie, practically undisturbed in his ex-
ecutive powers, which are large In
only two places does the authority OF
the council and the mayor overlap.
The mayor has the power Of veto. and
the council has supervision over tha
mayors appointments of department
heads. In other words, before any APP
pOintment to one of the four executive
departments can be made by the may
or 1t must be confirmed by a majority
of the council. This body, too, can re-
move the head of any department for
cause and also has under the law juris-
diction in an impeachment trial of the
mayor. Apart from these limitations.
however. as executive officer Of the
city the mayor is supreme.