The Citizens' Bulletin (Galveston, Texas), Vol. 1, No. 1, Ed. 1 Saturday, May 8, 1907 Page: 4 of 4
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THE CITIZENS' BULLETIN.
PETITIONED TO RUN,
MORE THAN 1200 CITIZENS PETITION
THE OLD BOARD TO STAND
FOR RE-ELECTION,
In addressing the members of the Board,
Mr. J. H. Langbehn said:
"This petition, signed by more than one
thousand qualified voters of the City of Gal-
veston, contains the request that you gentle-
men stand for re-election as a unit in May
next.N
"As stated in the petition, it would be ex-
tremely unfortunate for a change to be made
in the Board of City Commissioners at the
present time. The grade raising, street pav-
ing, drainage and sewerage works are still un-
finished, while the construction of a -
to connect our island with the mainland, and
of a duplicate water main across the bay, as
well as other public necessities, are requiring
attention
"When you took charge of the affairs of
our city, its credit was gone, treasury empty,
public buildings in ruins and streets mostly
not paved; it had defaulted in the payment of
interest, had about two hundred thousand dol-
lars floating indebtedness and a great deal of
real estate was practically without value, ow-
ing to lack of confidence in the future of
the city.
"What has been accomplished by you gen-
tlemen is known and recognized by every
thinking citizen of this community. During
the period of six years there have been pro-
vided more miles -of street improvements than
in the previous sixty years of the city's ex-
istence; a roadway has been made to the
Southern Pacific docks; some lights and police
have been provided on the wharf front; the
general appearance and health of our city has
been improved in a marked degree, confidence
has been restored, and real estate values have
have reached the figures that were current be-
fore the storm. Financially the city is infi-
nitely better off; you have retired many thou-
sands of dollars of outstanding bonded in-
debtedness, paid off all the floating debt and
conducted the administration on an econom-
ical cash basis, in a business-like manner.
"Not only is the municipal government pros-
perous, but the entire city has experienced
solid, substantial progress. Taxes are paid
more promptly and cheerfully than ever before,
because the tax payer realizes that his money
is in safe and honest hands and wisely ex-
pended; he sees that good value is received
for every dollar paid out.
"The future of our city and port is extreme-
ly bright, but even the best prospects can be
spoiled by dissensions and faulty management,
therefore the signers of this petition and the
vast majority of our citizens earnestly desire
that the same harmonious board shall continue
to control.
"The Galveston City Commission occupies
an important place in. the future of munici-
pal government in this country. Almost every
city, even as far away as Boston, is watching
with sympathy and hope the wearing qualities
of our administrative system. The Commission
idea is taking root in other communities, and
attention is being directed towards Galveston
by magazine writers in various cities.
"Gentlemen, through you Galveston has aed
will set an example to the cities of this coun-try that will help to elevate municipal gov-
ernment to its proper place.
"Your petitioners realize that in presenting
this request they are demanding a sacrifice
upon your time and energy, but your peti-
tioners feel that the good which you can
render to the city, and by its example to all
the cities of the country, is of such value and
public necessity, that you will be governed by
a high sense of duty in considering the prop-
osition.
"You have merited, and you enjoy, the confi-
dence and good will of the people of Galves-
ton; you can depend upon their hearty sup-
port at all times and you can count upon
their votes next May."
""
MAYOR LANDES,
Mayor Landes is one of Galvestois's oldest
a r , __ .- - - ,m has Gal-
vestonYswelfare and best interest at heart is
beyond dispute. He has been identified with
the business interests of this city for many
years, is a man of good judgment, and enjoys
a state-wide reputation for fair dealing and in-
tegrity. His firm subscribed and paid for
$50,000 sea wall bonds. He has never shirked
a public duty.
The Campaign Liar and His Scarecrow
"As the election approaches, the campaign
liar comes out of his hole, digs up the old
"Sunday law scare crow," and marches from
one corner grocery to another, spreading the
old lie about closing up the beach resorts dur-
ing the summer. These assassins of the truth
are unworthy of the notice of an honest man-
and men of sense will. ignore them. "-From the
Galveston Post.
9"
GALVESTON FREE, OF CRIME,
"It is remarkable how free Galveston is of
crime," said Sergeant James Calloway of the
Merchant Police in Kansas City, to a News
representative yesterday.
"I have been a peace officer for nearly
seventeen years, and\ have served in eight
cities in that capacity, and for a seaport,
this city is cleaner than any I have been in.
"I have been going over the records of ar-
rests in Galveston, and I find that there is
very little crime. In all other seaports where
all classes of men from all parts of the world
come into land, real crime is double that of
inland cities.
"I find that the main cause of arrests in
Galveston is due to intoxication, and that class
of men are for the most part sailors. That
feature is always to be expected in a seaport,
for when the sailors come in to land they get
out the first thing to have a little recreation,
and that means drink for 99 in 100 of them.
"But burglaries and robberies are seldom
heard of here. The greater forms of crime
are few and far between, and I know of no
other city that can show so clean a record.
Other cities in this state are contending with
the worst forms of crime daily, and yet there
is hardly enough to keep the bluecoats of this
city busy.
"This has been a remarkable year for Gal-
veston all around as a peaceful city, and while
the officers have a great deal to do with it,
the community at large gets the main bou-
quet."-Galveston News of March 11, 1907.DON'iFORGET.
In order to refresh the memory of some of
our citizens as to the condition the affairs of
the city was in at the time the City Com-
mission took charge, we print the following
from the proceedings of the City Council, pub-
lished in the Galveston News of September 25,
1900:
"Alderman Jones, chairman of the commit-
tee appointed to confer with the Central Re-
lief Committee, with reference to securing
funds to maintain the city government, re-
ported that the committee had asked Governor
Sayers to come here to a conference."
Alderman McMaster asked what was the ob-
ject in conferring with the Governor. Mayor
Jones replied that it was in regard to getting
money to run the city.
"It strikes me," said Alderman McMaster,
"and I believe we are all of one mind, that
we are up against one of the most momen-
tous propositions that any city ever had to
face." The resources of the city are nearly
exhausted, he said. The Mayor and the twelve
Aldermen have been elected from the diffrent
walks of life, without any idea that such a
calamity would visit Galveston, and without
any idea that such questions would arise.
Without casting the slightest reflection upon
any member of the Council more than upon
myself, and with the kindliest of feeling toward
each of them, he desired to say that he did
not think the thirteen men had the ability to
handle the problems which confronted them.
He didn't think the ability to bring order out
of chaos was among them. He didn't believe
a Boa-d of Aldermen elected by the people,
without reference to conditions such as now
exist, was in a position to cope with the
question. He heartily favored having the en-
tire Council resign, and then have the Gov-
ernor, or souse other legally constituted au-
thority, appoint a commission of three or five
men to take charge of affairs, and discharge
every man in the employ of the city, then
making a new deal and emrploying only such
men as were absolutely necessary to run the
establishment. If the Council attempted to
run the city itself, it would have to divide
the police andfire departments and other de-
partments by two, three, four and even five ;
it would be necessary to abolish every clerk-
ship, abolish the salaries of the Mayor and
Aldermen, and reduce the wages and numbers
of employes to the minimum. He didn't be-
lieve a board, elected as this Council had
been, and with the differences which had ex-
isted amongst the members, could cope with
the questions. If it could be done legally,
he very much desired that the city go into
the hands of a commission, and have' its
affairs administered by such commission for a
period of twelve or fourteen months. If this
course is not. pursued, it would be necessary
for the Council to stop paying revenues into
the sinking funds, unless help is gotten from
seme outside source. If more moneytthan is
now in sight is not secured, and if the city
failed to meet $4s fixed charges, a receiver-
ship would follow, a condition many people
had wished for during the past four or five
years. The crisis might lead to a merging
of the city and county governments, and he
did not think there was a member of the
Council who would stand in the way of this
end being accomplished.
If the members of the Council, by resign-
ing, could place the city on its feet quicker,
it was their duty to resign.
Alderman Jones opposed Mr. McMaster's
proposition as untimely, and the Board decided
to meet again at 3 o'clock this afternoon.
""
The ill-natured censors of the present city
administrationaresthose who delight to ex-
press their fondness for the infamies of the
past.
A man owes something to the town where
he earns his living and makes his home, and
there is no better way of paying that debt
than by cultivating local pride.
Impure milk slays the children like a sword.
Our City Health Physician is entitled to the
co-operation and support of the citizens in his
work of sanitation and for pure food.4
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The Citizens' Bulletin (Galveston, Texas), Vol. 1, No. 1, Ed. 1 Saturday, May 8, 1907, newspaper, May 8, 1907; Galveston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth884777/m1/4/?q=%22~1~1%22~1: accessed July 15, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Rosenberg Library.