Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-02-17
MANAGING THE CITY
By Frederic ]. Haskin
Continued from Editorial Page. ]

of additional laborers had to be en-
ployed. The force of every city de-
partment had to be instantly eX-
panded-and the money ran out.
When the smoke had cleared away
literally and figuratively-the city
commission sat down and faced the
future. Thousands of things had to
be done. Many things that had been
done had not yet been paid for Look
ing ahead only a year the commission
realized it would have to have about
one-third more money than it had
spent in the preceding year.
For reform administration that
had ridden into office on a pledge of
economy, this was unfortunate. One
of the principal arguments when the
reformers plead with the people to vote
for commission government was that
1t would be cheaper than the old sys-
tenn one of the principal criticisms
of the commission by the old faction
was that the new plan cost the city
more. Retrenchment and reform had
been promised, but now the commits
sion could not retrench. With a ma
licious grin and a vengeful eye, the
enemy was watching to see what
would happen in this crisis in the life
of the commission, ready at minutes
notice to take advantage of the slight
est slip.
The city commission could get the
money it needed in only one way
by taxation. So it proceeded to tax.
Nobody has yet invented any system
of government that will put smile
on the face of a man when he
walks into the city treasurer's Office
to pay his taxes. He just naturally
hates it. Whether the taxes are lit
lie or big, the man rich or poor makes
no difference. Add to this universal
truth the fact that in Salem the tax
payers house. or his factory or his
store had just been burned over his
head. and that the city was now tie
manding that he pay larger tax on
that identical property, and you get
some faint conception of the feeling
in Salem.
The taxpayers got mad, not wholly
of their own accord, however. The
men who had always opposed the COM
mission idea were charged with TO-
menting the dissa tisfaction. Here was
their opportunity to discredit the
commission. They blamed the form
of government and the commission,
instead OF the fire, for the increase in
taxes. In three years thousand vot-
ers signed a petition for a change
from the commission plan back to the
old system. Friends of the commits
sion were fighting, too, and trying to
explain that it was the peculiar situa-
ton of the town, and not the form
of government, that was to blame.
That criticism and opposition were
widespread is indicated by the petit
tion of 1000 voters. Such a petit
ton could not be obtained in such a
short time unless feeling was running
high and wide.
When the contest was at its height
the commission brought more condem-
nation down on its head by the asses
sors' untactful handling of complaints
of property owners about their assess
ments. The opponents of the commits
sion system succeeded in having a
referendum election called for last
November, for settlement of the con-
troversy at the polls, and they de-
feated commission government by the
scant majority of 450 in a total of
about 10000 votes.
Four forms of government were Of
fered at the referendum: The exist
ing, commission form; the commits
sion city manager form; a mayor with
council elected at Alrge, and a
mayor with part of the council elect
ed at large and part from the wards.
The last form was adopted. Under it,
Salem now has, instead of commits
sion of five, mayor elected at large,
five aldermen elected at large and
SIX 6ltCleu OIlt lTOIIl tdCll Ol
six wards Under the commission plan,
all heads were appointed by the COM
sion. Under the new plan. heads of
departments are appointed by the
mayor, but must be confirmed by the
council. Removals can only be made
by a majority of the council, on rec
ommendation of the mayor. The
theory of centralized authority and
responsibility is discarded. Instead,
the business of the town is conducted
by the mayor and five aldermen ans
werable to the whole city and six al
dermen answerable to their own
wards.
The old "city hall gang at Salem
is happy and the reformers are in the
dolldrums. a situation just opposite
that of three years ago. ION the 9TH
er hand, the reformers are now the
attacking party and the city hall
crowd are on the defensive. Criti-
cism of city government will come
from the camp that spent three years
defending city government. and from
them, also, at the earliest possible mo-