Los Angeles herald., 1907-07-28
RUN CITIES
LIKE FIRMS
CITY CLUB HEARS GALVESTON
SYSTEM EXPLAINED
DIES MONIES WILL TRY MORE
DEMOCRATIC WAY
Municipal League Secretary Willard
Addresses Civic Students on Moves
ment to Apply Business
Rules to Cities

City club members heard a brief but
thorough discussion of the Galveston and
Des Moines ideas of municipal govern
ment yesterday by the secretary of the
Los Angeles Municipal league, Charles
d. Willard.
The speaker remarked that as Los An
geles was about to discuss charter re-
vision through a commission the new
forms of administration in vogue in
Texas and Iowa would perhaps bear prof
table study.
Mr.. Willard said that the essential char
acteristics of the so-called Galveston
system and of other systems for city
government by commission that were now
under consideration or had been adopted
in various cities of the United States,
was the election of small body of men,
usually five in number, to whom was
granted all those powers of city govern
ment usually bestowed upon mayor, coun-
Gil and on the other elective or appoint
I've city officials.
On a Business Basis
It represented an effort on the part of
the people to put their city government
on as nearly an actual business basis as
was practical in the midst of institutions
d
Mr.. Willard told of the extraordinary
conditions under which the people of
Galveston came to adopt this system;
how the partial destruction of the city
by the flood of 1900 brought the people to
a state of mind where politics seemed of
very small moment to them and where
they understood that nothing but the
shrewdest and most honest administra-
tion of their affairs would save them
from utter ruin.
The first commissioners were appointed
bv the governor, but later commissioners
were elected.
Every form of evidence obtainable from
Galveston, the speaker said, demonstrat-
ed clearly enough that the system had
worked admirably there-at least that
city had now an economical, efficient and
honest city government, where formerly
there had been graft. extravaganza and
criminally wide open town.
1t was a question, however, whether all
this Improvement was the outcome or the
system itself, or whether much of 1t was
not due to the realizing sense on the part
of the people that they must pay close
attention to their city government, and
due also to the effect of the disaster in
calling patriotic men to the fore.
Texas Cities in Line
The city of Houston. Texas has adopt
ed the same system and such good re-
ports of its effects came from there that
Dallas and Fort Worth have recently
followed the same example.
Objection has been made to the Gal
weston system that it is undemocratic
and unamerican in it's granting of ex-
traordinary powers to a small coter1e or
men.
Even though it gives good results 1t is
urged that such system deprives the
people of the advantages of political ed
ucation that comes from close partict-
patton in their city's affairs.
This objection is fully answered by the
notifications of the system worked out
in the Des Moines plan. Here, again, there
Is a commission of five, possessing prac-
tically all the powers of city govern
ment, but they are subject to the recall
and their acts are subject to the initiative
and referendum.
Provision is also made for civil ser
vice system with .ong terms for the MEM
bers of the civil service board, so If
commission was elected that should un-
dertake to build up a political machine
some check might be interposed.
The Des Moines system also provides
for non-partisan nominations, allowing,
indeed. no recognition whatever of the
parties in the printing of names on the
official ballot
Des Moines System Simple
The Des Moines system is given general
recognition by civic experts all over the
nation as the simplest and best plan of
city government yet devised, and the re-
suits of it's use are looked forward to
with tremendous interest. 1t will begin
operation next spring.
Mr.. Willard sketched briefly the vari-
Gus forms of city government existing
In the United States and showed how the
commission system was in effect a re-
turn to the original form of city govern
ment inherited from the English system
end the New England town government.
He called attention to the fact that the
city of Los Angeles must soon formulate
q new charter, and that while under ex-
listing state laws it might be imprac-
ticable to adopt any measure as simple
and as radical as that of Des Moines,
yet the present plan of our charter could
be vastly improved by cutting down the
number of elective officers and changing
the character Of the council.
In conclusion Mr.. Willard spoke of the
effect 1t would have on the value of city
government to the people if all it's insti-
tutions were placed on a thorough busi-
ness basis,