Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-10-02
System of City Government
Adopted in Iowa Cities Taken
Up in Other States
SIOUX FALLS MoDIFles SYSTEM
H.verhilI, Mass, Goes Farther and
includes Schools Under Commission
Manasement-Effort Being Made to
Secure Taft for Another Visit to
lowa-oskaloosa to Repudiate Lacey.
Special to Times-Republican.

Special to Times Republican.
Des Moines, Oct 2.-Since Des
Moines and Cedar Rapids adopted the
commission form of government there
have been a score OF cities which have
considered it. Some have adopted 1t
and others are still discussing the
proposition. AS showing the evolution
of the idea, Sioux Fahs, S. D., has
adopted the plan but has modified IT..
That city believes that public office
should be attractive as an honor and
not for the emoluments and for that
reason instead of fixing a big salary
to attract good men has fixed the sal
ary at $3.50 Il year for the council
men and $500 for the mayor. and
provides that the members of the city
council can engage in other employ
course largely for the purpose of get
ting tine members of the city govern
ment to devote all their time and at
tention to the business that Iowa was
led to pass the law providing that the
salary should be enough to live on
and that they should devote all their
time to the work.
On the other hand Haverhill. Mass,
has gone farther. than the Iowa cities
in another direction by providing that
all lines of the city government, even
including the schools, shall he under
the commission form .yof government.
While ali forms and variations of the
commission plan seem likeiy to be
adopted before the plan is entirely
worked out Iowa legislators claim they
have no reason to regret that they
passed the bill in the form that 1t was
passed here. Furthermore the passage
of the bin here and its adoption by
Des Moines and Cedar Rapids seems to
have been the impetus tor its adoption
in, many other places in the country
The plan has been worked out in
Des Moines extensive enough to know
that it is to be permanent There is
not one -hundredth part of the COM
plants against the city government OF
old regime. There has not been a
breath of suspicion of scandal. On the
other hand abuses that were so open
and notorious that everybody saw
them are no longer recognized. For in
stance under the old government con-
tractors did about as they pleased
There was scarcely "a contract let but
there was suspicion that not all was
right and the newspapers We're engaged
in systematically pounding aldermen
whom they considered as corrupt Un :
der the. commission plan there has been
none of that. The work has pro-
gressed nicely and there has been more
street Improvement with less friction
and delay this year than perhaps any
year in the history of the city.
If possible to secure him Taft may
he returned to Iowa. There were a
great many of the cities of the state
thru which his train passed on his tour
where it was impossible for him to
he did a world of good for the ticket
from top to bottom and they are only
regretting that he cannot spend six
weeks speaking III .Cue west.
OF course it is highly improbable
that he will return to the state for an
other tour as the national committee
considers Iowa among the sure repub-
lican states and sTaft's time will be
used in the states considered in the
doubtful list. But there are great
many people i'll Iowa who will not cease
to regret their disappointment. At the
city of Northwood in the northern part
of the state the people assembled from
many miles around to see Taft They
gathered at the depot feeling sure that
his train would stop there and that he
would make them a speech. 1t rained
and the women in their white dresses
braved the elements and looked some-
what the worst for wear by the close
of the day for the depot would not hold
all and many stood in the rain.
When Taft's train pulled in it didn't
stop but did stop at the water tank a
quarter of mile up the track. Many
chased thru the rain to the water tank
and Mr. Taft addressed them briefly
but the women in their white dresses
feel that he should have stopped at the
depot. A great many other towns are
in the same boat.
A lawyer who has been over the
state and knows says that Oskaloosa
will go for Cummins for senator at the
primary on election day. He has been
there and felt the pulse Of the people.
Oskaloosa, as everybody knows. is the
home of Major John F. Lacey. There
is information from many quarters to
show that the normal sentiment of the
people is undoubtedly for Cummins
and will SO vote unless
some .underhanded work is done to
mislead the people. Over at Dubuque
and Clinton, men who worked for the
Allison nomination last June are openly
for Cummins at this time and from
every quarter of the state the word is
that Lacey will not get nearly the