The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1906-2016, 1911-06-08

ci-ta1-t e,5 znd iEoit d sally, they
IRE vel known to. and nave the con-
cence Of. their fellow citizens It is
he SYSTEM which has become IN
8ieldy, inefficient and obsolete, and
rSlst adopt some plan which win
command public support
Whatever defects, theoredc or
otherwise, are urged against commits
sion form, it is system which has
cen adopted, with apparent success
elsewhere, and which is not there
fore an untried experiment
Because thus known, the people
viii support it when they would not
support some untried and improved
system.
Therefore, if we are to get a
change, the known commission form
stands the best chance of adoption.
AS no form can be poorer than the
present one, I believe in concentrate
ing our efforts on the adoption of the
commission fern instead of dissipat-
ing the forces opposed to the present
system by proposing untried plans,
however excellent.
The commission plan recognizes
that the government of a city is pure
y a business proposition.
There should be no more rolitics
in the selection Of a board Of direc-
I RS to run a city than in Re seiec.
ton Of one for a railroad company.
7 would like someone TO tell where
In a mans views on any political
question which divides our national
or state politics would enter into his
fitness for the discharge of duties as
city commissioner
The commission form puts respon-
sihility for results upon, and gives
power to act, to individuals, under
system wsich prevents them from
either being thwarted Y divided pow
er, or from taking shelter from mac.
ION behind clsim of want IF power.
AS # now is, responsibility is so
eat up between council and the alder
manic board and the different depart
ment boards that each p1ralyzes the
ther, and each can lay all RESPONSE
bility for nonacti3n on the other
Safeguards Of the public interests and
tdnds a?e very good, but they are
only means 70 an end. and Wien they
defeat efficient government, then they
nave ceased to e means for protee.
ton and have become AGENCIES for
destroying that which they were in
tended TO preserve.
Tee commission system also nro-
II otes economy Each commissioner Is
resp nsile for the expenses of his de
partment He can neither hide nor
Shift this responsibility. He must.
therefore bear tie burden of the rec.
ord which his department makes.
The commission system gets rid
.f the growing evil of Misunderstanding
the city into conflicting sections. each
struggling to set d. advantage over
other, thus tire TING Atlanta as
politically divided. with representa-.
ives from each division. instead Of as
eng civic unit. where each Official
'"'fessntslall the city ard not a part
IF it,
H0w absurd is the spectacle of a
valuable member of city board. as
'or instance, the Carnegie library
oard, having to resign because al
onsh co~tinYing a citizen of Allan.
and vitality interested in her vel
ere, he has moved across the street
r m one ward int another and rem.
'e9entine a supposed ward interest. .
IS a thing apart from the common in
crest of the city. he ecomes no long,
'r eligihle-'s if a competent board
member would become less compe. I
ent ~ moving his residence a few
hundred yards.
The argument offered of an analo.
y between the relation of wards OF
city 70 the city, and the states in
heir relation to TIE union, or even
I counties to the state, is fallacious.
A county or a state is a homogen.
nus political body. constituting a DO,
itical unit.
A permanent difference of interest
between parts of territory would
ONT to the propriety of dividing it
hto different counties or states: but
Q treat portions IF the city as indie
pendent bodies with antagonistic in
erests. althoueh omd together in
me municipality, is to invite discord
$ q e95t tl2s J2i,s o. spirit and
teton, the Atlanta spirit. which has
made Atlanta what SIC is. 1t is 10
'aralyze our development s the me,
ropolis OF this entire section.
! believe the people OF t is entire
section recognize this sense of unity
md the greatness which can come
rom preserving this spirit of one
less.
The original charter. while Great
ne wards for convenience did not
1roFide for separate ward votes or re.
lure separate representation Of
beard members. 1t treated Atlanta as
lne and indivisible.