The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-08-07
.ENSLEY NDORSES
 'ALDERMANICR AT MASS MEETING
Wilkinson Filings Scorch. ing Broads;de At Com
 mission Government

"Birmingham citizens are sick and tired of paying five incompetent per s0nn 2B GOO a year 10 in the city hull and tch the Eli0rtage squad fsaas in review
 With this scorching broadsides Judge Horace c. Wilkinson touched off the fireworks Wednesday night in the cam paign to set up modified mayor-al- dermanic form of government. Hetad- dressed Q mass meeting of citizens in the Ensley city hall, which marked the formal opening of city-wide attack on the commission plan of control.
 After hearing Judge Wilkinson and other speakers, the audience indOrsed the proposed mayor-aldermanic 0rdi- nance by unanimous vote and author ized Chairman M. H. Mcdowell to ap- point an Ensley campaign committee to be composed of one representative from each of the suburbs election boxes. When the meeting adjourned, more than 150 citizens signed petitions favor ing q referendum some time in Sep tember.
 Lack of public interest," Judge Will kinson began, has been largely respon- sible for Iaxity in our city government. But the point now has been reached where the people are determined to take affairs in their hands and estab. fish a sound system. This movement is going to win by an unprecedented majority. It is legal in every detail, and the voters will be standing on solid ground when they cast their ballots for change" s
 WiIkinson OutspOken
 Wilkinson, wiiO recently was elected by the present commission to a seat on the civil service board, minced no words in his condemnation of the commissions record. He called Birmingham the most mismanaged city in the country" and charged the commission with hav- ing made the city n "laughing stock"
 Declaring that some of the commits sioners spent much of their time in taking jaunts around the world" Will kinson remarked that it might be well if "they all stayed away" Scoring the commission plan as impractical and wrong in principle, he asserted it would not function properly unless placed in charge of supermen.
 ''The test of any government" he charged, is its ability to function un- der adverse circumstances. The one we have now won't even function in fair weather. With the present machinery, five of the most competent commits sioners that could be named would be unable to get results. I disagree with newspaper editorials to the effect that the form of government is immaterial. Back in 1910 the press led the people to believe that commission government would be q panacea for all ills. What has been the resultl We first tried commission of three members--and that commission was co. posed of able men. They failed. Then q commission of five members was tried. Matters grew worse. Now, the plan Is to 20 back to three members in the hope of rescuing the city from the disgrace that seems imminent"
 ~ Would Debate Issue.
 Wilkinson said Birmingham's pres ent commission receives an annual revenue almost sufficient to nave the streets with gold, 1" but that it i. 'like pulling eyt-teeth to get cnythins accom- plished."
 At this point, Wilkinson asked: '.Is there person here who wants to de- bate the merits of the present form of gOyernmentIn There was no response, and Wilkinson continued:
 1t appears to be the unanimous opinion that there IS no argument on this point"
 Under the present system, Wilkinson said, the city government has mo head, no tail, no mission, no backbone, no brains.v He charged that the warm est advocates of commission govern ment concede it has failed utterly here.
 He asserted that enough money has been stolen or squandered during the present administration to build a num- Der of school buildings, employ many new school teachers, policemen and fire men and still have money in the treas ury."
 "If you don't believe this" he went
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