Washington Night High School - Annual Yearbook (Cincinnati, OH)

Page 38 text:

COMMISSION FORM OF GOVERNMENTeConIinued for what is done, and knows that everybody else in the city, knows it too. Under the Commission Plan there is not much talk 01' heated debate. but statistics have shown there is niueh action. The Old system was awkward, cumbersome, and slow. A complaint sent into the Council of Houston about the unsanitary conditions Of a street. was referred by the Council to the stiltnetintendent of the street cleaning department: he in turn referred it to one of his assistants. The last man investigated as he found time, and reported to the superintendent, who in turn forwarded the report to the Council This took considerable time. and the investigation being accomplished by a number of men could not be so accurate as under the new system, where the Commissioner investigates all such complaints personally. Under the old system Houston paid an exorbitant price for paving bricks to a brielc trust. The Commission refused to pay this price, and finally brought shiploads of brick from New York at a much lower price. The old system was well characterized as one ill-suited to the task. inefficient, irresponsible. cumbersome, and careless, In 1907', the Commission Plan of Government was in opera- tion in Des Moines and Cedar Rapids. 1a.; Lewix'ton. Idaho, and had been adopted by the states of Kansas and North and South Dakota In 1911 it had Spread from gulf to lakes, and from ocean to ocean. On March 10, 1913. there were recorded by the National Short Ballot organizatisn in New York City, two hundred and thirty-hve cities. representing thirty-tive states, using the Commission Plan of Govermnent. Close observation has shown that these cities have better governments. more efficiency, and greater prosperity. than similar cities under the old system. Since the application of the Commission has succeeded where tried, the people of Cincinnati should grasp eagerly the oppore tunity of adopting it when offered. This opportunity will be presented this coming June, when a charter providing for such a government will he submitted to popular vote. The prof posed Charter would place Cincinnati on a business basis. The functions of various departments of city government are matters Of business. such as buying and selling commodities. In paving a street, or laying a SEWER the raw material i3: purchased by the City and sold to the citizens in the form of taxes, Since the city buys and sells commodities. makes contracts. and in every respect is an administrative unit, it should be administered as any other corporation Under this eharten the city would become. in fact as well as in name, an administrative unit. Because of the small number of Commissioners and the direct responsibility of each member for the department of which he would have control, work would he carried out with greater rapidity and efficiency The Plan proposed would induce good men to enter the city service because, unlike the present System. there would be no possibility of shifting the blame for municipal errors. There would be an assurance of rightly placed credit. The Commis- sioners would not have to stoop to ward deals. They would be free from any sense of responsibility to any particular ward. Power of accomplishment would be given the individual; this would attract the best men to municipal offices, Are you interested in the welfare of our city? Do the words. ltFor the Honor and Glory of Cincinnati? produce any thrill? Since these statistics I have presented are correct, civic success and Commission Government must be synonomous termsz, and inasmuch as. we have eivie pride, so let our votes speak, Waiter Eugene Moesta.

Page 37 text:

COMMISSION FORM OF GOVERNMENTeContinued Like Galveston this city prospered and progressed. The achievement of the Commission were many. Among them, were the elimination of a large floating debt. improvements of schools. public buildings. parks. sewers and streets. the purchase of the water works from a private corporation, all at a cost of 551400.000. In spite of these vast improvements. the tax rate fell thirty cents per hundred dollars. Under the old system there had been a city treasurer at a salary of $1500 per yeari Nothing was said about the interest on the city deposits. so these also went to the treasurer. The city commission abolished the office Of treasurer. and designated one of the national hanks as city depository. Now the city handles its business through the bank, the same as any other corporation. The city pays the bank fifty dollars per month clerk hire, and the bank pays the city interest on all balances to its credit. In this way the city annually receives $6,000 to $10,000 which formerly went to the city treasurer. XYe can measure the success of Houston, under this form of government, by the worth. of Mayor Rice of that City, in his Mi: Rice said: hThc financial condie We not only enter the annual message of 1mm. tion of Houston is in splendid shape. new year without any floating indebtedness, but with a surplus on hand. and $100,000 worth of Harris. County bonds in our sinking fund drawing interest. By electing the iiiei'iihers at large, the ward 3.5 an elective unit, is abolished. Under the Commission Plan a candidate's character mutt meet the approval of the whole city, instead of one ward only. A man elected by a ward is elected for the favors he can bestow upon his constituents. and his connection with a certain Hi5 character and ability are matters of elected from political faction. secondary importance. Councilmen wards, as L: e1 Limler the old system. do not have at heart the interests of the whole city for they are responeihle to their wards only. It i: the aim of each to secure improvements for his particular ward regartllesa of the necessity of improvements in other sec- tions of the city. Ts it not tobe expected that men elected with the knowedgc that they have been Chosen by the voters of the whole City for their ability and integrity. will serve the people more faithfully than men elected merely for a selfish service they may render a particular ward? The Commission Plan holds the attention and interest of ail the people because its meetings are open to the public. Its Commissioners are know to the citizens of the entire City. The citizens can see what the commission is doing, The acts of the commission are not clouded by heated oratory. The citizens can know the qualifications of the commission candidates, for they are few in number. Since they know the department for which each Commissioner is respmisihle, the citizens can place immediate blame for mismanagement and neglect The Cour mission Plan succeeds. because it puts the power where the people can see it The ballot on election day is unique. it is so short that every citizen knowa what he is doing without relying on a party label or 011 the guidance of a politician. The ;'average mamu the man in the street. or the plain man. whatever you chooee The most marked phencmenon of Commission Government. has been to call him, is in complete control of the government. the increased interest of the people in their city government. The acts of the Commission are the topic of conversation for the street car and the business l'l'lCt'liS luncheon. The force of public opinion has been repeatedly illustrated in the CommiSSion governed city, Each Commissioner knows his responsibility

Page 39 text:

HOME EFFICIENCY HE home is an institution whase management must be carefully studied it there woulcl be efficiency. ll crop-raisihg and hog-raiging, machiue-building and houseebuiltling state- making and law making, medicine and theology 43$? must be formulated into sciences whcse laws must be caiefully obsewetl, how much mote must home-making be thus furiiiulated. As human character surpasses in importance every consideration of a mere material nature, so the home is pre-emincntly first as compared with all other institutions. Even the church whose function i9. avowedly epiritual primarily, must allow the interests of the home to determine largely its mode of procedure in Christiauizr ing society. Whatever is inimical to, 01' destructive of the home is anti-Christian, and therefore antirmoral anti ahti-Social. VVheh an institution faces the test of efficiency one of the first essentials to be considered is, what is the product desired? The shoe establishment exists for the purpose of producing shoes. 01- at least ought to. There may be some such 1113111? dollars while shce-making is a mere incident in the process. But for sake of illustration we will suppose the case of an ideal shoe plant, Its chief business is to produce shoes. ment wishes to attain the highest efficiency possible consistent with honesty, justice and the best moral and physical interests It, therefore. studies every branch of the factories existing for the purpose of producing the The manage of its employes. business as it relates to the ultimate product, shoes. durable shoes, handsome shoes, comfortable shoes; shoes that will create a demand for themselves. Moreover, it wishes to produce such shoes at a minimum cost in harmony with fair wages. It wants 39 The extent to which that management succeeds in attaining its desired end determines the degree of efficiency the plant attains. What should be the goal of the home? Should it be the constructing of a mere brick and mortar house the family can call its own? Or an accumulated bank account Of considerable Or social rank as determined by mere wealth, which of Or should it he the rearing ol' Rize? course involves the foregoing? men and women who shall he presented to society strong in large in Vision, determined in with 3 maximum ability for useful service? Numerous examples might be given of Iamil'es who started life with the primary character. purpose, and ultimate purpose of buying their own house and getting a large bank account. Every effert was bent toward the reach- All else was made secondary. The children Books and magazines were listed among things which it would he 21 waste The young people were deprived of a proper money expenditure: ing of that goal, were early taken out of school and put to work. of money to buy. social life because it involved a possible while the shortest of vacation trips were prohibited for the same reason. The struggle covered the very period in which the children should have gotten their best mental and moral development. The family did hnally realize the owner ship of their own house and the possession of a large bank account. but at what a cost! Here. indeed, there was efficiency as it related to the goal, but who would say that the goal was a worthy one? The chief object of the home should he to contribute to society the highest type of men and women; any consideration of home efficiency should x: vitally related to that object. Yes. there should be care and system in the expenditure of money: