The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-06-19
Fought to Prevent Election of First Commissioners by People and Made Them Appointive, He Says
POINTS OUT ANOTHER WAY OF ASCERTAINING
 PUBLIC SENTIMENT
Suggests That Judge Insert in Bill Clause Making It Imperative Until Indorsed by People of City
-WALkE FER PERCY

That Senator Judge. when the original commission form of government bill was before the legislature, was not so solici- declares himself at the present time to be. Is statement contained in a letter ad- dressed yesterday by Walker Percy, in reply to one received by him from Sem ator Judge.
 As Is known, Senator Judge has stated as reason for his five-commissioner bill, his desire to give the people a voice In their government. MT. Percy declares in his card that the original bill was held up by Senator Judge indefinitely be- cause of his desire that the commissioners be-not elected by the people-but ap- pointed by Governor O'Neal
 MT. Percy following the example of Senator Judge, deals to some extent in sarcasm. He frequently referred to his opponent in debate as My dear Senator" 1"
 Card From Percy
 Mir. Percys card follows
 My Dear MT. Judge: have read with keen interest your letter addressed to me. published in yesterdays Age Herald, on the subject of the proposed increase in the membership of the city commission. The subject IS one which affects this entire community and full and public dis cussion of the merits of the proposition seems worth while
 'The only two arguments which you proposed increase in the number of com missioners are: First, that none of the present commissioners come from the suburbs. and that. therefore. the commis- sion is not fairly representative of all of the interests of the community. and second, that the city governments which have elsewhere adopted a commission plan have commissions composed of fvt members, and that the commission form of government in these other cities, il reports are true. has been a great sue cess The balance of your letter is taker up with the discussion of the amount o compensation which the commissioned should receive, of the necessity of a change in the method of selecting the board of education, and in criticism oi the primary called by the board of com missioners for an expression of public sen tment upon the proposed increase in the membership of the commission.
 Personal fitness for the position seems to me to be the fundamental test to be applied in putting men on the city com mission. The city of Birmingham is one homogeneous community, the people of which are knit together by common in- terests, hopes and aspirations There is no more reason for perpetuating the boun- dary lines between old Birmingham and East Lake, or any other suburb, than there is for trying to remember the boun- dary lines of the former suburb of South Highlands A man should not be elected on the city commission simply because he is from any part of Greater Birmingham. But I am frank to say that in the in- terest of harmony I should be personally delighted to support a candidate for the commission from one of the suburbs, as- suming that he was in all other respects as good man as there was in the race.
 But is it necessary to increase the number of commissioners simply to secure on the commission a member from the suburbs?
 Under the law as 1t stands today the people of Birmingham will within three months have the opportunity of putting a new man upon the commits sion and if a man from the suburbs, fit in other respects for the place, of fers for a position on the commission in the coming election, there Is every reason to believe that he will be elect ed. In view of these facts, does the
 
 commission from the suburbs justify the proposed increase in the member ship of the commission?
 On Hearsay Evidence
 "The next and only other argument advanced by you Is the same as the one advanced by MT. Glass namely: That most of the cities in this country which have adopted the commission plan have five commissioners, and it is reported that commission govern ment in these other cities is highly satisfactory Permit me to point out that the statements made by MT. Glass and yourself as to the more satisfac- tory way in which commissio on govern ment works in other cites are support ed by hearsay evidence of very un- convincing character. I have pointed out that Montgomery, which originally adopted five commissioners. has changed to three. You reply that Mont gomery is so much smaller than Bir-
 (COntinued on Page Nine)