Lewiston evening teller. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1903-1911, 1907-02-05
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY s. 1907.
CITY GOVERNMENT ~ SELECT.
MEN

MEN.
The Galveston idea" in city govern
ment, after which the Lewiston and
Boise charters are modelled is CAL
ling for wide range Of comment and
commendation all over the country.
1t has even reached classic Boston.
ana discussed there in the economic
society 1t carried the favorable opin-
ION of President Eliot who sees in It
an adaptation Of the old New Eng
land idea of government by select
men. In discussing the matter the
Boston Transcript says:
The Galveston idea" in city gov.
eminent, which was Sc, forth before
the Economic society last evening.
is more than a new piece of municipai
machinery. 1t Ia a different theory
OF structural organization. Our con-
ventionad scheme Of municipal govern
ment Is an adaptation or geographical
representation. such as we have IN
congress with It's senate and house
10 the management of the affair OF
q city Advocates OF the Galveston
idea claim that we should elect a man
not to represent locality, nut to do
particular thing. They say that
the public already knows VINO "a Do
hce commissioner. who "a the head Of
the school board and who is MAYOR
because the reasonably well under
stood activities OF these officials come
under every day observation. hut that
II Is an unusual voter who can nare
majority OF the Boston board of alder
men and common council because
their relation to actual operations IA
30 inexact and ohscured
Galveston elects Ave men to do five
specific things. such as to nave charge
OF the finance the police. the public
works, etc. The chief OF these is the
mayor, but he has no veto power.
Each commissioner. so-caiIed. has
charge OF one great department, which
ne manages in coordination with his
associates who work together like a
board OF New England statesmen.
President Eliot. who is plainly an ad-
herent of the Galveston idea, thinks
These city fathers should be called |
self. ctmen and not commissioners. since
the n. plan, as he sees it, is an ad.
aptation of the New England town |
yovernmel It theory to the mo\.rn city. |
he thinks the word comissioner has
N unattract,. We sound. even though
ONE OF the be st governing work in
ton. " is done by state
several strong tena s''c'es IN the
'rec1'on Of the Ga,v> $40" 'dea'
"usn wholly apart from '" may De
"a. One is the change v. "eh mas
N goingy on in our sehoos oo'''S
m tie old fashioned Legislative
nbly o.. debating society to q sm, !"
, compAct group of executive on |
1 Boston realizes full well thel
pantages tpf the new system. An !.
rease. absolutely and relatively, in r.
power of thA \wayor has been one 9,
the tendencies Of the times as new
,ntcipal charters are. constructed.
New York tho mayor. the control
ana the borough president. who are a
; CONSPICUOUS o6icers on the popu- ;,
ballots, have determining share A
the management OF the Ncity. This a
net the Galveston idea. which would !,
more the geographical confederation n
n object to the pre-eminente Of the :,
avo but II does show that people =
= fnding relief from the evils of =
un,cipal government with wildly
fused authority by increafhg the Il
over of few men. y 4
Mr. Turner. who presen the Gal
eston plan. told Of Its sp,Zad in other
'exan cities, and Of steps in the same
Erection already taitn by Topeka.
)es MONIES and Seattle. It makes no .
Inference where an idea starts, wheth-
n in Australia or Norway; IL it hap
pens to meet a wide public need II is .
likely to spread, and the American
people are plainly looking for some v
better. machinery for municipal gov
eminent
II seems to us that the Galveston
idea fails to reach the one Influence c