Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1913-09-26
THE COMMISSION
FORM ADVOCATED
Makes for Increased Efficien-
cy and Decreased Cost,
Says Correspondent
PLAN MEANS PROGRESS
System has Reduced Expenses
in Other Cities, and Will
Do Same in Aberdeen

Editor Herald:
The people of Aberdeen are. clam.
Oring for lower taxes, but seemingly
are opposed to what would make for
lower taxes. Mayor Seymour, of Ia.
coma, in a recent address to Seat.
tie audience, stated: Commission
form Of government in Tacoma has
increased efficiency and decreased the
cost of governing the CITY," Austin
E. Griffiths, Seattle councilman, who
is advocating the commission form
for that city, said Tuesday night, in
addressing the Mems club of the Uni
versity Congregational church: Meth
er wise men nor fools, angels nor
demons, could transact the city's af.
fairs with efficiency and economy un.
der the present complicated system
Nor do l believe it is necessary to
elect experts for each department
that requires a manager under com.
mission government. 1t is practical
to elect six or seven commissioners
and allow them to assign themselves
to the various divisions of the muni
cipal government. have great faith
in the genius of the people. Journal
lists and writer's are chosen to be-
come diplomats, and make good. The
chancellor of the English exchequer
Is generally not an accountant. II
the big men of the city are chosen
they can be depended upon to prop
erly manage their departments"
From every city that has tried the
commission form the report comes
of lower taxes. and greater efficiency
Yet because the system has not prov.
en- absolutely satisfactory to each and
every citizen, and because here and
there a private grudge has become
magnif1ed into public assault against
the commissioners, the self.constitut.
ed custodians of Aberdeen appear to
deem it unwise and unsafe to ven.
ture a change. Even drowning
man would grasp at straw to save
himself. but Aberdeen, travelling
headlong into the jaws of bankrupt
cy, piling up an annual deficit ol
over $4,000, shall do nothing to save
itself. Is it not time that the com
mon good shall take precedence ovel
private interests, and that our taA
rate shall be decreased instead o.
being constantly increased, fact
that keeps away new industries ant
causes old ones to pack up and 60
Who shall say but what this city
today should contain $4,000 people
instead of lingering along about the
$1,000 mark for the past three years
if the commission form had beer
adopted when first presented to the
people? What has become of ths
wise prophets who predicted 10000
population if the Allen law was de
feated? How many drawbacks tt
new industries have been created
since the Allen law was defeated?
If the people would keep track Of
the populations of these supposed
clairvoyants of Aberdeen's future ant
compare them with actual happenings
events and developments, it woult
soon appear that the basis of such
prophetic visions is not the result o1
clear insight of events, but simply
an audacious assumption to play up
on the ignorance of the people.
The whole discussion resolves it
self into this: If the commission
on the word of Mayor Seymour, has
increased efficiency and decreased
taxes in Tacoma, as it has done ir
ITS other American cities, for the
same reason, why is not the commits
sion form a good thing for Aberdeen
to try and hold onto, that the exist
ing industries may receive the RELIEF
they are entitled to. and new ones
may come this way because higt
tax rate no longer exists.
EX-MONTESANO.