Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-06-21
D[S MONIES Plan WINS
Proposition to Govern City By
Commission Carries By Major
of Over 1000
EAST SIDE 10 AGAINST IT
Opposition There, However, Less Than
Antioipated--victory for Supporters
Of Good Governn,ent-Endo Of Bit
ter contsst-What the New Plan Is
General News.
Special to Times Republican.

Special to Times Republican.
Des Molnes, June 21.--Des Molnes
took mighty stride forward yesterday
when by overwhelming vote its people
adopted the Galveston plan of munich
pal government. To celebrate the VIC
tory the people also voted to build q
s350,00O city hall to house the new city
government.
1t was not a victory for one section
OF the city over another; it was vic
tory for the whole Of the city. and, it
is believed, for good government. for
more than half the precincts in East
Des Moines were carried by the friends
OF the new system of municipal gov
eminent, and it's opponents approached
the river with less than 800 majority
against it. One precinct in West Des
Moines went against the Des Moines
plan and the 2,2SD majority for 1t. in a
total vote of 10,463, was well scattered
over the while OF the community. i:
was not a sectional victory.
But it was victory for the lovers
of good government. Needless now to
recall the blunder with respect to thu
registration lists by which names that
had no business there were included
innocently by the registrars and there
is little value in pointing to the oppo-
sition of the plan made up of elements
especially interested in lax RESPONSE
l>,l IL, MI 1,n S,,fft a
the election yesterday was altogether
the quietest and most peaceable ever
held in Des Moines-and the least ex-
pensive, too, of any in recent years.
The back Of the opposition to the
Des Moines plan was Jared with the
exposure Of the registration list mis-
takes, and the spirit largely escaped
the movement ir support of the city
hall politicians yesterday morning.
From noon on it was conceded by the
wiser men of the opposition that the
plan would be successful and the word
was passed on and on till by the time
the polls closed interest in the fight al
most had disappeared.
The vote was not as large as friends
of the plan had hoped, but was larger
than it's opponents expected. Last fall
11,s46 votes were cast in the general
election. Advocates of the plan had
hopes for as many, as an advantage.
The opposition had predicted but 5000
and based predictions of victory upon
it.
There was an absence Of excitement
and movement at the polls early in the
afternoon which plainly indicated that
the opponents Of the plan had given
up hope OF defeating it. During the
rest Of the day it was difficult to locate
a polling place by the crowds that
gathered about, and the gloom that
the circles of the opposition
was sure index to the outcome of the
contest.
What the Plan Is.
The election yesterday was held by
virtue of a law passed by the last gem
eral' assembly giving cities of more
than $4,000 people the right to change
their form of government upon pc
tition of rs per cent of the voters and
an election at which the change should
be indorsed by majority
These conditions have been met by
Des Moines and she now faces the re-.
sponsibility of putting into effect next
year the new form or system of man
aging her city business.
Instead of electing a mayor, city
council and other city officers next
spring, this city will elect five COM
who will be known one as a
mayor and four as councilmen who
will take charge of all of the business
Of every kind and, under the provisions
Of the law, discharge all of the duties
Of managing the affairs of the munici-
pal corporation.
The plan eliminated political parties
from the city election next spring. A
primary will be held at which the peo-
pie will vote for their choice for NOM
ell of five members. Any one can be
a candidate. The names go on the
ballot alphabetically. The names of
the first ten will go on the ballot to
be voted at the election. The five
who have the highest vote will be the
new council, serving but two years.
Ward lines will be- abolished and
every voter will vote for all of the
The mayor will receive
$4,000 and the councilmen $4,000 sal
ary. They will give all their time to
The city's business.
The law requires the council to elect
an auditor, treasurer, solicitor and
other city. officers the same as now
serve at the city hall, aid to put them
under bond Civil service will be ex-
tended to cover all city offices instead
If but two departments as now.
The business of the city will be run
exactly els the business Of any other
business institution.