Bryan daily eagle and pilot. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1909-1918, 1912-05-10

citizen of Bryan that the time has
come for some change In the plan OF
managing the business affairs OF this
city What plan shall be adopted is
the problem just now before the coun.
ell, and its consideration is joined In
by the Commercial Club through its
committee on municipal affairs, con.
sisting of Il. II. Edge, chairman; II.
A. Burger, Ed Hall, A. w. Wilkerson,
l.. l.. McInnis and M. II. James. In
selecting plan to be adoDted these
gentlemen will be guided in their de-
liberations by plans already in use in
other cities that have proven sue
cessful. AS 1t is probable that plan
along the lines adopted by the city of
Staunton, Va, five years ago will be
recommended, we wish to tell the
people of Bryan how that plan has
worked that they may be better able
to Judge OF its desirability for the
conditions existing in Bryan. We will
tell the story in the words of Henry
Oyen, citizen OF Staunton, after a
trial of four years. His record is as
| follows:
One Saturday afternoon in April,
1908, crew of workingmen employed
on the streets of Stanton, Va, push
ed their way up to the city paymas-
ter's window, drew their pay checks,
looked at them in surprise, then they
drew together and talked 1t over. At
last one OF them stepped back to the
window.
Say, boss" he said, "these checks
are all wrong"
What's the matter with them?"
why, they only give us three days
pay for the week"
well. that's right. You only work
ed three days. The other three days
it rained. Three days pay is all you
earned. That's simple enough, isn't
lit?"
But, boss" protested the man:
this is a city job! We never heard
of anything like this before. When II
rains We always 90 over in the school
house basement and sit and talk, and
our time goes on just the same"
"Well. Ii won't any more was the
sharp answer. There's been q
change. There is general manager
in this town now. and city job has
ceased to be a loafer's cinch. From
now on city money is going to buy
Just as much as private money. Dc
you understand
Mister" said the man, that's
something that just can't believe"
In this fashion the "Staunton plan
OF municipal management was inaugu
rated and received. BY 1t a step for
ward in the science OF city govern
ment has been taken. A regularly in
corporated American city with its bus
mess affairs managed on a strictly
business basis. as the affairs Of a
business corporation are managed
with economy and efficiency the
watchwords in place of politics and
spolls, has become a reality-an estab'
lished fact in history, by which other
cities may take their bearings In this
day OF strenuous casting about for the
much sought haven OF good city gov
! eminent.
| Staunton, Va, planted down 'mongst
! the blue-veiled hills OF the lower
Shenandoah Valley, population ap-
proximating 10000. has had for the
last three years, or since March, 1908,
business in the city hall" as no other
city has had It. During these years II
/ has been a municipal corporation
turned into a business corporation. 1t
has had a general manager, one man
carefully selected. hired. and paid, to
manage its business affairs as bust
ness affairs should be managed. And
| in these three years Staunton has
been made over. 1t has been lifted
from mud to asphalt. A fine old town,
which was sagging badly at its foun-
dalton, has been placed on sound
basis without any increase in city ex-
penditures; and the fact has been
established that under honest, capable
business management-under the
Staunton plan as it has been oper.
ated In Staunton-the value OF the
city's money to the city is increased
by at least 100 per cent.
To appreciate the history of this
-