Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-01-31
Describes Plan in Operation
Here as Advancement Over
Its Forerunner in City Gov
eminent.


force here, was the object of a paper
read by Charles +. Wade, chairman
of the commission, before the Ro-
tarians at their luncheon Thursday.
Mr.. Wade's paper follows;
American cities have made much
progress in the direction of clean
and efficient government within the
past ten years. Two notable features
have marked municipal development
during these years and another is al
sready well in sight. The first of these
is the radical simpiification of gov
erning machinery. The second is the
progress of the efficiency movement,
so-called, involving the use of i'm
proved business methods, and finally
the spread of more accurate popular
knowledge concerning the citys ar
fairs promises to assure the culmina-
ton of these reforms and the guaran-
ty of their permanence,
1t is now about fifteen years since
and by reason of the increased in
terest evidenced by citizens the al
most dramatic spread of a new type
of city government made itself man
ifest and was accomplished for the
most part as one writer expresses il,
through popular vote or re.eren-
dunn" and as far back as 1915, 23l
cities in forty states with popula-
ton of 100000 people were operat-
ed under this new type, known as
the Commission Plan" and the
story of .Galveston's successful eX-
pertinent is widely known through
newspaper or magazine articles Civ
en- us as texts for the preaching of
the new gospel of municipal reform,
and at same time many who opposed
III -. Ia, "A
as against a scheme for the over
throwing of the constitution and a
drifting toward autocracy
The question has been raised that
the commission manager form tends
toward socialism and no one can
speak with better author " than our
fellow citizen Mr. w, p Metcalf and
the following are his comments on
that subject.
During the campaign which result
ed in the adoption of the city char
ter, il was frequently urged that the
proposal was socialistic and involved
an acceptance of the ideas of socia l.
ism. But this was far from the
truth. The shibboleth of socialism is
the industrial commonwealth in
which those who do not labor in the
service of the community cannot
share in the wealth produced and
distributed by the community. A
glance at the charter shows that the
charter does not concern itself witt
such questions. Probably The idea
was put forward by those who con.
ceived that the initiative, referen'
dun and recall introduced into thu
charter were sociaiistic measures
But the least study will expose The
fact that many cities, not in the leas
chargeable with socbilistic tepdep
cics, have adopted these three mea
sures, which are merely extensions
of democracy and in no wise TO b'
COMPOUNDED with the principles upor
which the socialistic foundations are
reared. Socialists have approved
these measures as being in line will
their proposed administration Of at
fairs. and that is all there is to TIL
charge.
The charter represents new meth
DDS and new machinery for the ad
ministration of city affairs under; ex
listing laws and contains no suggcs
ton of socialism whatever"
The original commission form o
plan was and is still in force in man,
cities and as ordinarily used. require
n special charter under which a Civ
en- number of comm iSSionCrS ar
elected. Each commissioner so elect
ed has complete control Of certail
branch or department of the city
activities, as for Instance, commits
soner of public works, commissions
of streets, commissioner of finance
and under some charters a mayor
elected, he having certain defined dr
ties such as presiding officer and il
some cities he has the power to vot
missioners are elected at large an
in some they are elected by wards
and in all they are supposed to b
non-political but YOU can readily un
derstand that while this was ste
toward the handling Of city affair
on lines of big business. 1t was no
radical enough, nor does ii Away
accomplish that which is intended o
expected in centralizing authority 0
eliminating partisanship and assurin
the use of unbiased business judg
ment.
Upon first thought YOU would sa
that the commissioner elected as /
charge of certain department an
in absolute control of such depart
ment, would give better service tba
under the old plan but in that is tn
danger as he is responsible to no on
dIltI eitCltu ana II pdTllSdH, "
could and did in many cases build u
machine for personal or patty us
and at the expense of efficiency an
the people have no control by reca
tive. referendum. and recall are III
or right of removal And the initia
best and strongest features.
Commission form, however, place
each member of the commission c
council at the head of one of tn
departments and REQUIRES all or
large part of his time. This elm
mats from the comnliss' oners all cit
Zens who cannot afford to Surrendt
their private interests for public o
flee of limited and uncertain ter
ure. as also II eliminates many othe
wise who are unqualified by lack
technical knowledge and tends to d.
velop a three or five headed admir-
iStrative department with no centra
lied head responsible for results ;
a whole.
The principal reason for the crit
cism of the commission form and II
cause of its failure to satisfy. is tn;
it is not far enough removed fro
the old form or aldermanic type.
However, of late, and since 1908 ;
result of experience gained by Y
commission form some 100 odd citi
and towns. including Albuauerqu
have changed their charters an
adopted the commiss' on manage
1908, stanton. Va, wanted a bus
ness administration and was the fir
to adopt commercial corporate