The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-08-08
THE MAIN CONSIDERATION

Few persons will disagree with Judge Wilk1nson'S dictum that Birmingham | citizens are sick and tired of paying five incompetent persons twenty-six thousand dollars a year to sit in the city hall and watch the shortage squad pass in review" X Even the shortages might be regarded asgof minor importance if there were to { counterbalance them a record of eff eient administration in other directions. But one looks in vain for such redeeming factors.
 re Nevertheless, the fact remains that the fault lies not mainly with the commission form, but with it's personnel. The one thing that speakers on this subject have failed sufficiently to impress upon their hearers is that, no matter what form of government may be finally decreed by the people of this municipality, it is not going to be success unless it is admin istered by individuals of the requisite character and capacity. If the city com mission were composed of officials of ability there would be small basis of crit icisn. If the proposed mayor-aldermanic form were improperly administered by officials of inferior ability, it would like wise be failure. Indeed, there are in- stafices of gross failure and dissatisfac- tior under every form of city govern ment that has ever been tried anywhere. ssssQn the other hand, there are to be found examples of satisfaction and eff cheney in the administration of every form of city government that has ever been tried. This is evidence that the fundamental fault lies not with the form but with it's administrators. There must not only be capacity on the part of mu- nicipal officials, but they must also have an unalterable and eunconquerable pur- pose to promote the public welfare in g every department of public affairs. Un- fortunately, in many, many cases, the primary purpose is to serve political am- bition first, last and always. Couple this ambition with personal inability, and the result is a disastrous condition of public Raffairs, no matter what the form may be.
 There has been proposed, as a remedy for the present intolerable situation in the public affairs of Birmingham, what is known as the mayor-aldermanic form of government. The plan may have some of she merits claimed for 1t. It is doubt gful if it has all those merits. On the con- trary, it is extremely likely, if the munic- ipality is bent on change, that form with a greater record of success can be discovered. It is time that larger num- Der of citizens were taking an active part in studying this weighty question, and in formulating one or more additional plans, so that when the people come to vote they will not be confined to a meager choice between the commission form and only one other form. Such vote would be inconclusiye except to show the peo- ple's preference as regards the two.
 The inquiry of the Junior Chamber of Commerce as to the status of the law re- garding Birmingham's government and tbe/l legality of the proposed election is timely and in order. There needs, how ever, to be broader concern on the part of larger group of leading citizens as to the alternative forms to be submitted to the people. And in any event, it is imperative to a successful municipal gov ernment that way be found to entrust it to able officials, and not to incompe- tents. Unless this feature of the affair is safeguarded, all the rest amounts to little