Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-01-24
CITY COMMISSION GOVERNMENT
NII.-FItEDERIC ). uAskIy

since me establishment Of the com
mission. thirty-eight years ago az
p"lntments and promotions have been
made almost exclusively on mari, y.,,n
~" result that a highly efficient ~
s'fi"htcn Tor the conduct OF the Dis
'f'cts affairs has been built IN M.
= week has passed for the last ten
~ Hitech years but what some repre-
Srhiatr. Of some American CITY b,s
come To washington to find ON bn,,
"cs; TO render this or that municinal
service. 20
In It's paving, its public lighting. il.
sever system, It's water system. ia
health department. liz accoun,in,.
methods and in many other ways !,
mas Tor years been a model for o,her
h!eloAiticS III thirty eight year,
.s!' ~, "A mas never had but on.
case 81 pceu!ation on the part OF an
once. .. an employee.
Cannot Dodge R~sponsibIIit,.
S:dd"nts OF municipa. government
attrihd;. the efficiency anu integrity
oi IA" Distr,r; establishment, 70 IN.
i9rt u ~ Il commission or onl,. three
VINO cannot dodge Responsibilities. i.
given executive control. and 10 IN.
W tter FAC that the commission is
selected ty tn. President OF the United
states and is continually answcrah,.
to him and to Congress.
Two notable achievements h
marked the history Of commission GOV
"Fhin"nt IN Washington in recent
years one Is In" work Of the com
mission With regard 10 public With,
t'"s' when II started to regulate pub
nc utilities II found that nobody knew
anything about the value OF the prom
! criics OF III" companies Ia view or
N" .act TIA; III. Supreme Court OF
ih@ United states has decrced that g,
uiiiity is entitled TO fair return upon
'he Na1ue or The property used In the
/ conduct OF Its business the commits
s!oncrs saw that t"fore they could in
. tcil!scn'!y ana effectively regulate
rates aud service they would have To
Know TIA" real value OF those proper
/ ties They go, an appropriation OF
>li".oen and employed experts 10 make
= complete valuation Of the two street
! railways, the electric light company.
the gas company. the telephone com.
pan% and the ;aXic;.b companies This
Work Is nearing completion, and when
u is done there viii be on record for
the FIRST time In the history OF Wash
inTton actual and accurate information
rs 10 the exact amount upon which the
utility companies arc entitled to earn
dividends Rates VIII then be axed
on that basis
Workhous~ Actually Bcnefta.
Tn" other notable achievement is the
District Of Columbia workhouse sit
uatcd on 600 acres Of land on the
Virginia side Of The Potomac River.
Twenty-Five miles below Washington.
SIX hundred male and 90 female pris-
oncrs are cared for there under .open
treatment" They are housed Mt night
in onc-story dormitorics containing
from Toe to 2on persons each In rhc
daytime they arc employed at outdoor
ORR or NJ Industrial work in the one
81 81
which is open 70 all outdoors. There
are no bolts bars or locks on any OF
the buildings The 1000 acres arc not
even fenced. and the ZOO prisoners are
watched over by fifty unarmcd guards
The net result OF five years opera
tion OF tive institution is that whom
prisoners are discharged they are bet
to-. men and women. physically and
morally, than they We're when COM
mitted--n result just the opposite to
that attained by most penal institu-
tions.
The significance OF Washington's ex-
perience with municip1l government is
that ii has lasted n long time. Of
! course. since the commissioners are
appointed by the President. and not
elected by the people. rho conditions
arc different from those In any other
American city. Nevertheless. the cs-
s"n=ial principle OF commission gov
- i'ibf'' - anu IL EaS worker
we'll for n long time.
So uniform has the success OF COM
mission government been that an OK
tended analysis Of It's results Is scarce
~ necessary sumter has demonstrated
that high priced city manager is not
practicable in small towns and that a
small commission is highly 80 The
experience Of Dcs Moincs shows that
u commission government will not be
amy more efficient than its members
ana ais" tina, 1t will make their in
cihcicncv sifikinrly apparent. Salem
the ono city that went back, Is too
lonely TO be significant Of the other
SOD or more. the vast majority have
| enjoyed a striking success under the
| new cry management. In most Of
lh"m, u Is success that has vet to
| stand the test Of time. and promises
to stand IL we'll
one big thing commission govern
mcnt has accomplished cvcrywhern. II
mas created new muuicipaI shirt
gwen TIC American citizen n new sense
| % prid" and ownership in his home
town.