Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1911-10-20

could be secured. 1t appears then
that the only place where the com
mission would have chance to save
money would be in the item of $4,000
Tor repairs and improvements on
streets, bridges and sewers and Incl.
uentals. Is it reasonable to figure
that the three ablest business men
in Pullman could save $500 or even
$1,000 in the expenditure of S3SOO?
If the commission could not save
money for the city, then the only
argument in favor of making the
change would be that the govern
ment would be enough more efficient
to justify the additional expense,
and this leads up to the third objec-
ton of the Herald, that There
is very grave doubt if as good men
could be induced to serve as COM
missioners for the paltry salaries al
lowed, as could be secured to serve
on the council without pay" 1t does
not solve this doubt to ask why
as good men would not serve for pay
as without pay? Many a good man
will do something as a favor for a
friend or community who would
absolutely refuse to do it for hire.
Many a busy man will give part of
his time to the public service because
of his sense of civic duty, who would
scott at the idea of giving more of
his time for $3.50 a year. A man
who is serving the city out of
patriotism and whose only reward is
the knowledge that he has done his
duty faithfully, cares little for
criticism and to a certain extent is
immune from it, but let him receive
a few dollars from the public treas
ury and every taxpayer claims the
privilege of roasting him. The small
salaries allowed would be no induce
ment to able and busy men, but they
would appeal to the kind of men
whom the city does not want to
govern it, Business men who might
be willing to give one-seventh of
their time to the service of the city
would balk at selling one-third of
their time for $3.50 or $500 a year.
The efficiency of the government un-
der the commission plan would de-
pend entirely upon the ability of the
commissioners and the time they
would devote to their duties, just as
the efficiency of the government un-
der the present plan depends upon
the ability of the mayor and council
men and the time they give to their
duties The change in number cuts
this city and state have been run by
boards of three directors, but they
have, as a rule, been no better man
aged than the towns. The present
financial condition of Pullman and
other cities in the west is due to
boom conditions in years gone by
rather than to the system of gov
eminent. The city officials made too
many improvements and contracted
too many debts, but they did it in
compliance with the wishes of their
constituents. The system of govern
ment by county commissioners has
been cited and the question asked:
Would the people of Whitman
county do away with the three COM
missioners and elect seven men to
handle the reins of county govern
ment?"
The people of Whitman county
and several other counties in this
state proved at the last election that
they were not satisfied with the
present form of county governm ent
by voting overwhelmingly for town
ship organization, under the best
developed form of which each town
ship elects it's own board of select
men, and the county is governed by
a board made up of the chairmen of
these township boards. 1t is also a
fact that there is a very strong senti
ment in this county in favor of elect
ing the commissioners by districts
instead of at large
If majority of the people of Pull
man want to adopt the commission
form of government, the Herald
will cheerfully acquiesce and do all
in it's power to make the experiment
a success. But they should not ad-
vocate the change blindly and sup
port it simply because 1t is some
thing new and has proved a success
in large cities where conditions are
entirely different from those obtain
ing here They should act with the
same caution as would a manufac-
turer or a farmer who is in the same
financial condition. Would a manu-
facturer or a farmer who is as badly