The Washington herald., 1907-09-24

Since the original publication Of Com
missioner Macfarland's views on the
commission system Of municipal govern
meut, as exemplihed in the District Of
Columbia that system has been put into
operation in a number Of American cities
and the discussion Of II has been wide
and volumiuOus II is a system which
seems destined 20 spread though, it may
be remarked, without criticism Of the
District form Of il, not altogether on the
lines suggested IA the Commissioners ar
tiCle in EverybOdy's Magazine. Mr.. Mac
farland therein remarked the responsive
ness Of our local government 10 public
opinion, and seemed 10 think that q Ike
condition might be attained by appointive
commission government in other cities
This view is not held by municipal re-
formers generally, who are working for
a larger participation Of the people in
local government through such devices
as the initiative and referendum. The
most recent form Of commission govern
ment. that adopted by Des Moines, pro-
vldes for me use OF the initiative and
referendum 20 an extent hitherto IN
known 10 American municipalities. Not
only are the five councilmen who govern
the city elected by the people, but they
are subject 10 removal by the people
Any ordinance adopted by the council
may be rejected by popular vote, and,
contrariwise, any ordinance rejected by
the council may be voted by the people
The governing powers are thus directly
responsible to the people governed.
There is a vital difference between a
government thus circumscribed and the
government of the District. where the
Commissioners. however sensitive to
public opinion, are responsible to the
President and to Congress. No munich
pal overlordship OF that character
exercises sway over other American
cities. nor can 1t be set up Where gov
ernors, in exceptional circumstances.
have been empowered to appoint police
or other municipal boards. evils have
arisen as great as those growing out
of local appointment, and the resulting
division of responsibility has proved in
tolerable. Our American cities have real
" no alternative to the establishment
OF a thOr0ugh-gOing popular rule. MUnic-
ipal officers must owe responsibility 10
somebody. and the trend Of municipal
reform is 70 make them directly re-
sponsible to the people. That reform is
/ in consonance with the principle Of local
self-government and with the democratic
structure Of our Institutions. under which
the people are the source and repository
of all political power. The commission
system is believed 10 be especially adapt
ed to direct popular control and TO con-
Centrate responsibility for public admin
istratiOn. For these reasons, il is being
given a trial in various parts of the
country.
Whether the commission system will
prove as successful under popular con-
troll as 1t has in the District Of Column
bia under the annual scrutiny of Con
gress and the close observation Of our
citizens associations, time alone can de-
termine. In a paper read before the
American League OF Municipalities az
Norfolk the other day, William H. Allen,
secretary Of the New York Bureau Of
Municipal Research, showed that mis-
government by commission is very com
mon throughout the country: so that the
commission plan cannot be regarded in
itself as a panacea for municipal evils.
In the last analysis the government will