Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-05-14
MAYORS INSPECT CITY.
Later, Listen to EnIightcning Talk by
Prof. G.. G. GrOat.

We
After the Merchants luncheon the
party consisting OF Mayor Burke, Mayor
Boutwell, Of Montpelier, Mayor Brisln
Of Rutland, Mayor Maun of St. Adams,
and a number of local and out -of-town
aldermen and prominent citizens, fol-
lowed Fire Chief Niles in his red
devil' on tour of inspection Of the
city. Automobiles had been provided by
various citizens for the occasion. The
party proceeded as far north as Lake
View cemetery and as far south as
Falrholt. Between the two extremes they
visited the municipal light plant and
the filtration works Everything was
found ship-shape and the city resembled
spotless town more than ever be-
fore.
After their tour Of inspection the
mayors and their party assembled at the
| city hall where Professor Groat, in an
extremely effective and authoritative
| talk. gave them valuable facts and figures
on the working OF the commission form
| OF city government. At the present time
he said 2'6 cities are operating under
| the commission plan of government. Of
these is have the city-n,annger variation
OF the plan, which means that IN those
lS cities the commission hire an expert
to come and run the city. Seven and a
half million people are living under conf
mission government That means one
| citizen out of ever" fifteen in tho coun-
| try. These people are the warniest
advocates OF tho plan and its best wit
| nesses
Professor Ciroat then touched upon the
| results of the plan and incidentally told
| the story Of its inception in Galveston
after the credit of the city was gone
and the whole town almost washed into
| the Gulf of Mexico by the great tidal
wave The plan evolved from a commits
sion majority of whom were appointed
| by the governor. to a commission elect
ed by the people and with public opinion
| as their only control. The combination
| of efficiency authority and responsibility
| thus gained achieved a tremendous sue
| cess. Galveston was completely re-
| surrected and its people still live under
| the commission form and testify to its
| success.
| Houston reduced its tax rate 20 cents
on the hundred dollars, wiped out big
| standing debt and pulled It's credit out
| of insolvency, besides spending con-
| Sidcrably over a million dollars on an
auditorium, the schools, and other i'm
| provements Austin, Texas. reduced its
| tax rate "a cents on a hundred dollars
| Kansas City reduced the cost of its pave
| ments almost onc-third and caused the
| telephone company to pay the city two
| per cent. on its gross receipts for its
franchise The figures of Emporia,
| Kansas. show how the centering of the
responsibility in really important offices
| increases the public interest in elections
| In 1903, a presidential election year, 1900
| votes were cast. In 1909, l,760 were cast
! mission plan, 2,470 votes were polled and
| in l9l the vote amounted to 200. In
| Huntington, West Virginia. the same
officials who had been prominent in "A
| supposedly corrupt and entirely I'M
satisfactory government were put in
under the commission plan and to the
surprise OF everyone these men, brought
| out into the open by the new plan, ad-
| miniStered the city government in a
| perfectly satisfactory manner Lynn.
Mass, had a somewhat similar ex-
periencc
Mayor Burke. at the close Of the meet
| ing, recommended the appointment of a
committee, of which Professor Groat
should be member, to further the
cause Of the commission plan in Yer
mont. The mayors present and Professor
| Groat We're elected such committee.