Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1912-01-13
EXPERIENCE OF KANSAS CITY
Commission System Wipes Out City
DEBT In Nine Months

&oFnEni on system WIPES Gut SifJ
Debt In Nine Months
The close of 1910 saw Kansas City
Kan. established on d cash paying
basis. with surplus in every one d
its funds except the lighting fund. its
floating debt almost wiped ouf and
none of the revenue for 1911 used for
the expenses of 1910.
That was the condition financially
at the close of the first nine months
of government by commission as an
nounced by Charles ". Green. com
missioner of finance and revenue. Ii
was the result. he says. OF a strict ad
herenee to the provision Of the com
mission law that requires a municipal
corporation TO live within its means
1t Is pointed out that when the com
missioners took charge In April. 1910.
the funds for the entire year practi
cally had been used In advance. and
there was an Indebtedness against
nearly every fund.
The area Of the city under the new
rule was seventeen square miles. while
the area In 1909 under the. council
Jurisdiction was ten square miles. The
assessed valuation OF the enlarged
city made In 1910 on which to collect
taxes for 1911 expenses is sos, 800 COG
against an assessed valuation OF ST..
100000 made in 1909 for 1910 ex-
penses OF the city before the extern
sion OF it's limits. and the rate OF tax
alton in the larger city forF ALI pur
poses is the same under the 1910 levy
a. under that Of 1909
when commission government be
gan the acquisition of new territory
had seriously depleted the treasury
Mr.. Green said. There was an indebt,
edness against every fund. This has
been paid. except small amount in
the lighting fund. and the commits
sioners have managed TO get along
without drawing in advance on ante
ipated revenues as was the custom
Tor years under the old council ruler
Eliminates the Boss.
The phenomenon OF the commission
plan of government which gives the
| most satisfaction to many people is
the complete disappearance from in
auence OF the typical ward politician
The whbie ted of peanut politics
seems to have disappeared. In Gal
weston. for example the nominate ons
which are recognized as emanatine
from the POLITICIANS who formerly con
trolled the town get only 70 per ceut
OF the votes In all the cities it Is
claimed that the city service has been
put on nonpartisan basis. with q
great increase~in efficiency Certain il
IL that under the commission plan
| candidates. have repeatedly been elect
ed without the help OF political ma
chimes. while the voters are casting
their ballots, without ,relying upon the
guidance OF the machines either
Makes the City Beautiful.
Under the commission admipistra
tion In the city OF pes MolneS thi
work on n street grading job was com
pieted with saving ~ II To ~ cent,
a yard on the ola contract :. The pay
OF the day iahorers for 'fna tiiv mai
been raised from So To 81 ~ ana ina
Tor teams from x3 ~ to - and thef
TO - 50 an0 the elderly fess active
men, The ofd pensioners instead n
being scattered each y gang 'wner'
he .coul0, nYld !fmek the Younger men
have bpei, organized into hyn,
squadron fo grading work in n,
matter OF splbr Improvement new
city nail Is actually nndr, way Tn
business ""nter OF the NJ, mas beef
largei. r"tmsed anG ii:tre mas Deel
Improvement 9t tn. rs~s, front