The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-02-13
PASS THE BILL.

PASS THE BILL.
Just as a business proposition. the
Galveston plan for city government
which has passed the state senate. an
peals TO the common sense and good
Judgment Of the people The only on
position so far has come from the poll
ticians who have a selfish object. not
from the politicians who are seeking 10
further good government. In the SEN
ate debate not a single member of the
salt Lake delegation was against the
measure; on the contrary its success
was due TO the Salt Lake men and par
ticularly 10 Senator Benner Y. Smith
who introduced the bill and has ham
died it admirably from the beginning
Now that the measure goes to the
house with the approval OF the senate.
there should be no unnecessary delay
I'm passing it. Committee considera-
ton. properly directed can only
strengthen the public conviction THAI
the proposed change in methods OF adj
ministering Salt Lakes business af-
fairs is altogether necessary and desir-
able. One critic has suggested that
such concentration of authority is not
democratic, and the suggestion shows
his ignorance of real democratic doc
tri1e. Democracy is based on the peo-
pies right TO govern themselves. In
der the present system they are gov
erned by petty political cliques: the
city offices are used to pay political
debts. not to secure the best public
service at the smallest cost. The av-
erage citizen who has tried to get ac-
ton from a public servant in this city
has found II next TO impossible to get
any satisfaction. Responsibilities are
so divided that no one, not even the
mayor himself. can locate the respon-
sibility promptly for any dereliction of
duty; and IL the guilty man is located.
he hides behind some councilman. or
some committee or some political work
he has done, and retains his place.
N the garbage collector fails to come
around on time and the street is deco
rated with unsightly ash cans. YOU
telephone the health department and
are told the collector is sick. or the
roads are bad. or the department is
tired of kicks from YOU But your ash
cans stay as part Of the landscape for
the delectation of visitors.
II the water service is bad. as IL fire.
quently has been during the summer.
you get much the same result. Peo-
pie in Popperton tried for years to get
water and failed. although their neigh
bors lower down had plenty. and il
took them weeks every summer to Sc
cure the satisfaction that a competent
business management would have
granted in ten minutes.
The city engineer approves a cues
tionable demand FOR extra cornpensa-
ton to 2 contractor. The council pre-
pares 10 pay the bill. The board of
works refuses 10 approve A wranele
ensucs. the bill is rejected. suit fol-
lows and the city has to pay eventu-
ally after standing the cost of law
suit. Who is to blame? Everyone con-
cerned says the other fellow is guilty..
the people foot the expense account.
A Republican council is elected at the
same time with Democratic mayor
or vice versa. Either the mayor trades
city offices for councilmanic votes or
he sees his administration wrecked bv
counciimanic interferences every time
ne wishes to make an appointment sub
jet to confirmation. No business
corporation on earth would undertake
TO operate under such conditions.
With three men as responsible heads
- the city, and an auditor to check
expenditures properly and certify to
their correctness. Salt Lake will be on
a straight business footing Knowing
the power these men will have. the
citizens will take care that only re-
sponsibie. capable. honest men are
elected. Knowing the salaries are ade-
quate. good men will be willing to ac-
cept the positions and devote their
whole time to the public service And
~ they fail. the public VIII know just
which one fails in any particular and
be able to discipline him for it.
No matter what party is ia power
now. the administration cannot he
what it should be; no matter what
party might be in power under The new