The Ocala evening star., 1914-11-10
COMMISSION GOVERNMENT

mission government. 1t has seemed
more bureaucratic, or autocratic,
than democratic. The Star does not
believe in anything that threatens to
sap or subyert popular government.
and that a commission would be the
rule of the few instead of the many
1T is impossible TO deny.
1t is, however. also impossible to
deny that the rapidly increasing
scope of city government. including
the complex problems Of municipal
ownership, requires men who can
give special attention to the subject
rather than those who can only treat
1T occasionally.
III is no more than justice to say
that Ocala has so far been fortunate
In the men who have represented
her citizens on the council. They
have all had their faults and all
have made mistakes. But when we
compare them with the counciImen
OF other cities, we must admit sthat
in both honesty and competence
they rank high
sf we never did any worse than we
have done, it would pay Ocala TO
continue on the present even tenor
men mostly of integrity and at least
passaible ability to look after her
civic affairs. There has been some
EawUEitism, a little graft and consid-
cradle bllndering. But when we re-
member that the aldermen have al
ways served for nothing but honor,
and very little of that, we must adj
nlH that the public is ahead of the
game.
#snt We can see right now what
we are coming to. An election is
ahead "A number of good men have
been asked to run for office. Some
have refused; some are consenting
reluctantly. The refusals have been
multiplying and the reluctance in
creasing of late years. The reason
isn't hard to find.
"A great deal of work attaches TO
the office OF alderman. There are
fwenty-four regular and a number
Of special meetings a year. Every
regular meeting takes from two to
four or FIVE hours, and there are
dozen or more special meetings in
the course of the year, each of an
hour or more Every year, there is
a long and arduous job of looking
over the tax books, taking every
EtxrnYs
councilman serves on several COM
mittees. the duties of which take
1nDre or less of his time every week.
The councilmen serve without pay.
Every man on the council is, and
generally has been, a competent bus
dnHas man, showing considerable
success in his own affairs, and his
dime is consequently valuable. 1t is
a sacrifice for him to take time from
his business affairs or his needed
rest to look after the city's interest
without any pay, and the certainty
,sSf being subjected to considerable
criticism.
Tt will never pay Ocala TO elect
any other sort of man as aldermen.
City government at its simplest
This city is now committed to muni-
czpaI ownership. 1t has an electric
plant and a water plant, and the
number of public utilities it will owr
Will increase in the future. The
success of municipal ownership de
Dends on the management of good
men. Bad ones would ruin it.
1t is becoming more and mor'
difficult to induce the right sort o
men to serve on the council. Sew
eraI of our leading citizens hav
fafly refused, in the last few days
sD stand for the Office. Those wh
accept will do so mostly from tn
feeling that the work has to he don
and it is their duty to serve. Ut
safe to say that every councilman
sorry half a dozen times a year tina
ne. is serving.
The first experiments in commi:
sion government were simply to p1
cities in charge of commissions al
pointed by the governors of state
They had arbitrary powers, an
while, as in the case of Galveston
f4hey did away with some evils, the
s5snarally replaced them with other
.as Bard to bear, and harder to g
rid 81
The later experiments have bee
more advanced. The best form
eonanission government now is
aoard elected by the people, whic