The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-06-29
Birminsham's City Commission


 To the Editor of The Age-Herald:
 The effort that is to be made to change the government of the city of Birmingham will not meet the approval of the majority of the voters of the city. The old days of gross incompetency under the aldermanic rule has not been forgotten. am for the com mission form of government but believe we should have seven in the place of five com missioners. My idea is that the city should be divided into six districts and a commis- sioner elected from each and have salary of three thousand per year each. The sev- enth man should be the president of the board and should be elected by the entire city His salary should be four thousand per year.
 As politics has more to do with bad gov ernment and division among the commission CTS than anything else, I advocate, that no man or woman could serve but one term as city commissioner. Henceforth he or she should be barred from holding any kind of municipal office. In this way the city would get perfect harmony in the actions of its commissioners. There should be an election for the entire board. The president and com missioners from districts one, two and three to hold office for four years. Commissioners of four, five and six to hold only two years.
 At the end of two years these districts would hold an election for four-year term. In this manner the city would have three ex- perienced men in office at all times. Each district would have a representative in of- flee. Something that cannot be possible un- der the present form of city government This is my idea of an ideal city government A government that would be void of politics and the city would not be afflicted with a fail ure the second time. He could not run for any city office.
 But some one will say that this would be hard on the fellow who had made good There is something said about it being bet ter to allow ninety-nine guilty fellows escape than one innocent man should suffer. Twist ing this saying around and making perti- nent application I am ready to hop up on my hind feet and let the cock-eyed world know that I had rather allow one good man to escape than to run the risk of being afflicted the second time with any one of those globe trotters we have placed in the city hall as commissioners.
 As the matter now stands a blacksmith would create about as much harmony in an orchestra with his anvil as the commission CTS have in the conducting of the city's busi- ness. The reason of this is the commission CTS all have the wrong assignment. Dickson, who spent his life in the school room, might have made a wonderful record in charge of IuS SCuOOlS. SlOC1 a BOEn of the first water, would have had a wonder full opportunity of reforming the travelling condition of our streets and alleys. Harrison, an organized labor man, who has had ex- perience in strikes, could have made a splen- did record in charge of public safety and sanitation. Mac could have found use for his talents in handling public utilities, while I am sure Mrs. Echols would have been sim ply lovely in handling parks and playgrounds, and she could have been a big asset to the city in an advertising way while she was making her visits out of the city,
 Some time ago I made the suggestion to use the municipal market-an acknowledged financial failure-for a library, It is cen trally located and could be made an ideal library. Of course it would not give the library board a chance to purchase some new property and spend more money, but the ul' innate. payer of those bonds would be bene- fitted. By all means let us save something from the stupendous blunder our commission CTS made in that municipal market venture Make it a library and do it at once.
 W. H. PARKER.
 Birmingham, Ala.