Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1912-05-02
WE WILL NOW HAVE
a Feu Remarks

By WALTER B. HILTON

80 0VT VTTT&s
THE COMMISSION FORM OF GOVERNMENT
for cities is getting great deal attention than it
deserves There is nothing particularly holy about it, nor
can it be claimed that graft and ncompetecy will be i'm
possible under it. In the first place. there is as much
variance in systems of government grouped under the
general head of Commission as between two Ipoles
They from the olgarchc to the democratic There
is absolutely hope that the oigarchc from solve
municipal problems and insofar the democratic form
solve the problems it's merit lies not in the fact that
it is commission form, but because of it's democracy
Generally, the commission form of government for
cities aims to take the management of the city affairs out
ofhe hands OF ward councen and place the hands
of smaller compact and more responsible body
The theory is that with many officials to elect the
voter is unable to fix his attention properly upon the can
ddates and because the ward candidates are his neigh
bors he is apt to forget the city, good in the thought Of
sticking in vote for his friend and neighbor It is also
contended that municipal problems are not national prob
lens and that therefore city politics should be divorced
from national politics, thus non-partsan eIecons are
favored.
Certainly city politics could hardly be worse. It
would be rather difficult to devise plan that would
result in running city than Wheeling is run But
whether the commission form will bring about the de-
sired etcs depends upon what sort of effects are de-
sired The business interests usually back commission
government in the hope that it will reduce taxes and
purify the city, thus attracting residents and in
creasing business This is what they feel when they
announce that they filled up with civic pride But
this effect of little benefit to the workers The workers
OF any city interested in making life better worth
living. This means parks and fairgrounds plentiful
good WATER cheap Lighting fuel and rent sanitary work
shops and homes, heathful and decent surroundings
cheap and frequent transportation facilities clean anse
ments These things all be provided by city gov
ernment counclmanc commission but only at be sac
rifice OF private profit.
80 the problem of municipal government resolves
itself into problem of how best to wrest public necessi
ties fro mthe grasp Of private profit TO take for in
stance the street electricity and natural gas business
In Wheeling from private hands and operate these utii
ties By the public and apply their earnings to providing
the other things that the city SO badly needs It is the
only problem that any city has to face and it is the same
problem that faced by every state and by the nation
thus the municipal problem is not alone municipal
problem stripped of national issues as the usual com
missOnte asserts but it is national and international
probemhoW to take romprivate hands the control of
the public necessities.
AS the private control is vested in but few hands
whether the control is over city national utility
then the most OF the people interested in removing
that control Thus democracy the rule by most Of the
people, the only way out. Insofar as the commission
form OF government offers this opportunity for delo
cratic rule it help toward the goalthe goal which
its promoters do not usually family conceive-the
goal OF the abolition of private profit in public business
In other words, is not commission government that
VIII save us, but the initiative referendum recall and
education that its promoters apparently willing to
include with it. - . i
IT rs A PLEASANT PLAN the railroads north Of
the Ohio pursuing. In arbtratng the wage demands
thew hone show I fLo1y