The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1920-07-23
PENsAcoLA,s PREpicAMEnT.

| pa Tribune calls attention to the
deficit for June in the water depart
ment of Pensacola. Pointing out that
! the city affairs of Pensacola are ad-
| ministered under commission form OF
| government, and owns its water
works, the Tribune says: Both these
things are being sought by Tampa
| and it, therefore, behooves us to look
| into the reports from that city. that
under commission management the
water plant has consistently lost
money"
The Tribune, however, is too we'll
| informed to lay the blame of the city
deficit on the form of government.
Says the Tribune:
According to the logic of some op-
posed to the commission form OF
government and municipal ownership,
we might close our eyes and reason
thus: Pensacola is commission gov
erned; Pensacola's government is a
failure; therefore, all commission
governments are a failure. Or. Pen
sacola has a municipality owned water
plant; Pensacola's municipality owned
water plant is a financial deficit pro-
Queer; therefore, all municipality
owned water plants are financial de-
ficit makers
But when we have done that we
open our eyes and behold hundreds
of commission government cities in
the United States, each a magnificent
success! and we turn around and see
the Jacksonville municipality owned
water plant, the greatest asset pro-
Queer the city has, except it's NUM-
cipally owned light and power plant!
So, the condition in Pensacola, both
as to it's government and it's water
plant, forces us to the conclusion
that there is something locally wrong
with one, or both, of them.
1.-THE Pensacola Journal, in it's story
telling of the deficit for June in the
water department, says it indicates
the need for investigation as to the
possible need of more economical
operation. or increased rates The
investigation will probably show
need for both; though the greater
likelihood is that when the operating
cost has been systematized and
placed on a scientific, modern basis,
Pensacola water users will not be
called on for an increase in rates.
For instance, we recall that when
Jacksonville went after real economy
plants, it found some score or more
of firemen, engineers, shovelers, and
the like, employed at big salaries for
the twenty-fo hours needed to run
the plants. 1t substituted oil for fuel
and placed day man and night
man to look after the automatic feed
ing of the fires, and saved the city
and the consumers thousands of dol
lars"
The Tribune has failed to mention,
or perhaps is not acquainted with one
very potent fact, and that while Pen
sacola is operated under commission
government, it is the most obsolete
form of such government. Most city
governments which are operated I'M
der city commissions have a city
manager, who holds the same position
to the city that the general manager
does to big corporation. Forward
looking cities where change of gov
eminent is sought, are putting a city
manager at the head of city affairs,
and are taking them out of politics,
placing them on a strictly business
basis
Tampa, now operated under the old
aldermanic form, is now about to be-
come operative under business
head. So is Miami, now under alder
manic government. Aldermanic gov
eminent failed Pensacola. 1t has
failed Tampn. 1t has failed Miami.
1t fails every time, just as any bust
ness must fail that is conducted as a
pastime instead of a business.
The fact was stressed few nights
ago in Miami, when the mayor of that
city spoke at a meeting held under
the auspices of the Central Labor
Union.
The Miami Metropolis said in its
report of the meeting: HE stressed
the need Of change of government,
favoring the city-manager or the COM
mission manager FORM" Among 9TH
er things, the mayor of Miami put
himself on record as opposed to the
city buying the defunct street car
system of Miami and favoring the es-
tablishment of a municipality owned
bus line.
Mayor Smith declared that under a
more modern system of government
twice the service could be secured for
the money expenditure under the old
mayor and council form under which
the city affairs of Miami are now
operated, and that better service
could be secured for less money.
Said Mayor Smith: Eight politi-
clans cannot run a business cheap
ly- You cannot expect mayor and
who must make their liv-
ing in private pursuits to give to the
city the time a municipality of this
size requires. We are spending close
to one million dollars a year as a |
city, and the expenditure of this vast
sum should be under the direction of |
men who have no other business
cares. With a city manager and
three commissioners devoting their
whole time to city affairs. instead Of |
4 mayor and seven councilmen giving |
TO the city their spare time we would |
get much better value for our money. |
You and 1 are each stockholders in !
this great corporation.
IF the city is not administered as |
It should be you are to blame; you !
are responsible in that you elected |
The officers of the city. want yourI