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Show ALBUQUERQUE TAKES IMSTIfl LETTER New Mexican Newspaper Quotes From Article on Commission Government. That Salt Lako is coming to be looked upon as being of the beat type of progressive pro-gressive American citina is reflated in an editorial that appoarpd rHff-ntly in the Evening Horald of Albuquerque, N. M. TntertHt in the commission form of government resulted in the sending out of the inquiries to sixty cities as to its advantages. Affording to the editorial, the letters received in answer were uniformly uni-formly onthiisifiKtir, "breathing public, spirit of rout'iiKTH'o in the local government, gov-ernment, of results obtained and of general gen-eral satis t action. ' ' Letter Quoted. The answer from Salt Lake was -written by City Recorder Gordon Enow. "With reference to it, and quoting extracts ex-tracts from it, tho editorial continues: We would like evr;ry citizen of Al-huciuer'tiio Al-huciuer'tiio to rend thene extracts from the letter of a Salt Lake City nfiwapaper man, written In rewponse to our request for first-hand information informa-tion on rojuilta of the commission form In hts home cltv. Tho full text of tho letter Is on file In this office and we'd he filad to show It to any nitlzen who Is tnl erected. Hut these Bfuitences Ptand nut as ones which we believe likely to interest Albuquerque citizens rlht now: "That tho present (the commission) form Is more efficient in every way cannot he disputed. The despatch and elimination of lost effort In more mechanics of government are alone Miifflrlont to Justify the adoption of the new plan. Politics Eliminated. "Under the old method in this city at least, and I believe it prevailed throughout American cities prior to the advent of the commission form wit h its numerous council men, all more or less detached nnd irresponsible irresponsi-ble as to the affairs of the city us a whole, and considering themselves answernble to tho wards or districts which they represented, matters of pressing civic need did not and could not receive the close and prompt attention at-tention they deserved. Council men voted for the Interests of their particular par-ticular districts and cared lit tie for what concerned the other districts or the city as a whole. District was played against district and the general gen-eral good of the city as a whole was frequently lost sight of or at least dimmed to a lesser Importance." "Since the commission form was adopted In Salt Luke this particular phase of political evil has been entirely entire-ly eliminated. The five men who compose the board of commissioners aro elected at larqe. Four members of the present hoard reside In one section of the city but at no time has there developed any sectionalism whatever and the town, for the purposes pur-poses of municipal government and administration, has become a unit. For political purposes the question of fectional representation has been made an Issue in recent campaigns, but without success. The people have sensed tho superiority of the new way and cannot be turned from it. Definite Responsibility. "Cnder the commission form, I have found, there Is definite responsibility for the performance of civic affairs. Each commissioner Is the responsible head of a department and is held to strict accountability to the commission commis-sion as a body. Matters pertaining to the several departments are promptly referred to the proper officials and are as promptly reported back to the commission with the necessary recommendation. recom-mendation. The grist is kept moving constantly. Each commissioner is in his office dally, In direct touch with affairs, even with minor details. Matters Mat-ters are handled and disposed of In much the same way as in a modern business house. Petitions and communications com-munications do not He In pigeonholes pigeon-holes month after month pendlntr the favorable whim of a desultory official, as was possible under the old Bystem. "In Salt Lake the benefits of the new form of civic government are . those which generally follow when business-like methods are installed into governing: bodies. There Is less dissension in "the administration itself, it-self, more unity of purpose and action, more rapid movement toward the execution exe-cution of plans and a higher degree of interest in the general welfare of the city as a whole. Superior Officers. "I might add that the commission form of government has brought to the fore In civic politics a class of men distinctly superior to those who flocked into office under the old regime. They are, for the most part, business men with solid Interests In the community men more prone to sense the higher civic values." Would Albuquerque welcome a. change like that outlined above? Just stop for a few minutes and think it over. |