The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1908-11-14

COMMITTEE ASKS
FOR FURTHER TINE
Another Report Will Be Made
at Meeting to Be Held
Week Hence.

your committee on charter revision
met at the University club this day win
Messrs stephens, Walker. King, Cannon
snd Cox present. In a general and some-
what thorough discussion II was the sense
OF those present that our city would be
more efficiently governed ny means or tne
commission system now In vogue. and
that OF the commission systems that
OF Des Moiues, Ia, is the most compre-
hcnsIvc, but that this should have some
amendments and adaptations to make IL
most Scrvlceable,
Your committee would ask for an eX-
tension of time in which TO submit a uen-
mite outline foC your consideration
This was the report submitted TO the
directorate of the Civic league at
meeting held at the Y. NJ. C. a. Friday
night by the committee appointed at q
former meeting TO consider plan OF city
government by commission in lieu OF tne
present system OF government by tull
representative city council. Some sixteen
members oil the directorate were present
presided over by w Mont Ferry, 49,,
After the reading Of the report, Judge
w. II. King was asked for an explanation
OF the salient features OF the DeS MoineS
plan, and complied, after when there was
q general discussion OF the proposed
measure At the conclusion OF the dis
cussion the committee was given a week
additional time in which 10 complete and
perfect It's report and submit II 10 another
meeting.
Steering Committee Named.
4 suggestion made by the Rev. Z. I.
Goshen that q committee IN the nature
Of q steering body he named TO walt upon
the members OF the approaching legisla- :
turc and enlist their support for the Dill.
was adopted and the following commit
tee named by the president: henry w.
Lawrence. chairman, D. Il. Christensen
and Rev. Ell Goshen
Judge King. In enlightenipg the mem
bers on the various proposals contained IN
the mc3 sure, advertcd to the Gcsire 10
eliininate partisan politics entirely from
municipal government. The DeS Moines
plan provided for the election az large
OF three commissioners. he said; the iirst
election being under the primary law.
and the SIX receiving the highest vote
then being voted for at general election.
The three commissioners have !uIl legls-
lauve, executive and judicial power Win
10 the city, the same as the three com
mlssiouers have in the county. with the
exception OF the judicial power, which Is
not within the jurisdiction o. the COM
Inissioners. The primary idea was TO 10
<alize and oentralize power, In order more
easily TO hold the individual responsible
for the government OF the city. Judge
King said that lie favored the election OF
three instead oil five commissioners. as
had been suggested by some; and the
Judges opinion was that the trio should
be elected for four years, with one holding
for longer period. so that all three
s..oE.d not retire
Civil Service Commission.
Judge King explained that the three
commissioners named the heads OF all
departments, and also appointed civu
service commission TO hold examinations
Tor the position OF deputies in the various
offices, this including the; fire and police
cepartments Those receiving the high
est per cent in efficiency would be named
for the various places.
Replying to question, Judge tlne
deprecated the suggestion that the gov
erDor appoint q commission to take
charge of the fire and police departments
sdding that he believed such an act 10
te unconstitutional. In this opinion
others present copcurred.
Judge King further explained that un-
der the Des Noines plan the people had
the right TO vote upon franchises before
they were granted, and upon the request
OF IL or % per cent OF the people-tniis
number was not arbitrary-to have ordi-
nanccs submitted TO the people ;or theil
approval before they became effective
the people also reserved TO themselves
tie right to recall an official in the event
that he was not properly performing the
duties OF bis Office. AL those things were
To be accomplished ny special election
and this brought out questions as u
whether there would not be great man!
elections, and il was admitted this wa:
mooted question. and il might mean Z
large number OF elections
Submit Bill to People.
In conclusion, the judge said that the
opinion was that the hill should first hS
it became operative, II should be submit
ted 10 the people for their approval o.
rejection. The speaker did not fear tha
the politicians would defeat the measure
!, was another influence in the last legs
lsture that defeated the Galveston bi,
and he did not care TO allude TO IL. Late
ON. however. he Judge indicated that tn
influence which defeated the bill was th'
T0n- Ns1a- st,. vt al
control of the city ard thus the commits
sicneTs.
Goshen Against Submission.
Rev L. I. Goshen was against submit
Ting the measure to the people, ant
averred Il they did 50 they would deiea
.n this city. with conditions u.s. they are
they would nor be able 10 carry IT. h.
declared. He objected to the committee
system IN the city council. lie asscrte'
that the council knew nothing about-!"be
cause the committee sees to II that the
shall not know" fio declared that .tb
people would be asleep. playing bridg
urc would be lost,
Or T 2. Beatty said that the Ameri
can politicians We're against the bill b"
fore. the last lcglslatu land the Ameri
Can paper opposed IT,
Henry W. Lawrence favored the pIa
Of government by commission. but he ue
Tieved that II should be submitted TO III
people for approval.
Mr.. Goshen then suggested the appoint
mont OF the steering committee while
was named ss given above.
Orson ~. Hewlett suggested that ON
hundred petitions favorng the bill bc cir
culated among the voters. and he guar
antecd that over half Of them woul
sign s..
After somc further discussion, Tia
meeting adjourned for one week.
It's coming! It's coming!i