The Ellensburg dawn. [volume] (Ellensburg, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1908-12-31
The Working of the Des Moines Plan
OF Municipal Government
BY w. beckham Managing Editor
ImaDa NMs
Doing the city's business:

Doing the city's business:
On the day after the new government
was installed, the old city hall in Des
Moines saw the most obliging lot Of Of
scisls and clerks that ever smiled at.
tendance upon the wants of the people.
There was distinct :'Jes' fore Christ
mas' atmosphere about the place. Ev-
cry man displayed new man on the
Job" eagerpess to do exactly the right
thing.
Most people thought it was too good
TO last. Some people said so. But,
now, nine months after the Des Moines
plan was put into actual effect, the pub
lie still continues to receive prompt at
tention, and every business transaction
ID dealt with in strict business man
ner.
A property owuer l know was dele
gated by his neighbors to act for them
in securing action little more than
year ago upon urgent street improve
ment He pursued the usual course
and went to his ward alderman.
II can't do anything with it until the
council meets next week" he said.
Next week came, but the council be-
came involved in more or less of jan.
gle ever another matter with politics
in 1t, and it didn't reach this particular
piece of neighborhood business. 1t
went over to the next council meeting,
the following week. That week the
matter was referred to the committee
on streets, or some other committee.
There the whole matter remained until
the property owners became tired Of
asking about it and quit his effort to
secure seton, more or less disguised.
There was no relief, for there was no
responsible official from whom to get
relief. The ward alderman was not re-
sponsible-he had pursued the usual
course. In sense the committee was
responsible. but the responsibility was
not fixed-no committee responsibility
10.
QUICK ACTION.
More recently this same property
owner had occasion to take up similar
matter Of business. He called at the
city hall He was told that he ought
to take the matter up with the head OF
the departments of streets and public
improvements one of the five commits
sioners. He found this man on the Job
It bis desk. He made known his wants,
satisfied the commissioner that they
were reasonable, and was assured that
the next morning the matter would go
before the council. 1t did. 1t received
favorable action, and in two days after.
ward city employees were il the neigh
beshood to do the small bit of public
work requested.
The commissioner in charge of streets
and public improvements was respon-
slole man; he did business like a re-
sponsible man, without neglect and
without delay. The city pays him for
Oil his time and gets it.
Likewise the contrasts in the council
meetings Of the old and new govern
ments are very marked.
nTacoma has the ward system with
eight or ten or dozen aldermen, it un-
stands the cd system very we'll. The
od council in Des Moines was an imita.
ZION legislative body-not a business
institution. Its members met weekly.
!ney came to meetings from private
BUSINESS or work that had SO complete.
"taken their time since the preceding
"'on that they had not given much
sa0ughs or attention to public Offairs
lucy were consequently only party in
OFmed about urgent matters Of bust
meas and their committee reports were
.aprepared. Business was probably
imposed Of without full understand
-" VI VASO pOotpOEcu d NCCh'
II you dropped in on one of these
%.eungs yon would probably hear the
."erman from the 'steenth ward wa X
.us tne echoes OF the city hall with i'm.
r''sloned oratory on the rights of his
u.''''uents to as many electric arc
.sn" % any other ward His constitu-
Is' who set beyond the railing out in
ae audience chamber, applauded him;
.sielow aldermen appeared bored or
a''pered amoung themselvs about
.s .'r tnlngs, fully understanding that
s alderman from the 'steenth was
'sv playing the game. If you had
Important matter to present, you
uao 1t difficult to do so. because it
=. impossible to get down to brass
' ana talk business with these
uc'imen arrayed behind desks like
uIsn! United States senators Assem-.
A 70 make laws rather than pave
$3.50 repair them. build sidewalks
Ws sewers, and the like.