The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-08-29
CAMP AIGN FOR
CIVIC REFORM
IS LAUNCHED
Municipal League Starts Cru
SADIE to Place City Govern
ment on Business Basis.
UNANIMOUS APPROVAL
EXPRESSED AT MEETING
COMMITTEE NAMED TO DRAW
UP PLAN FOR MUNICIPAL
GOVERNMENT.

All candidates for the legislature
from Salt Lake county will be asked
to state their position on the question
of giving TO Salt Lake the Des Moines
system of city government by the Civic
Improvement league and only candi-
dates pledging their support TO this
plan will be supported by the league.
This was decided at a meeting held
last evening at the Y. NJ. c. A. build
ing, and 1t was the sense of the gath
ering that each of the political parties
be requested To incorporate a recon-
mendation of the reform in its plat
form
Upon the suggestion of Oscar l.. Cox.
Vice President Hewlett, in the absence
of President Ferry. will name COM
mittee of five TO draw up form of q
bill to be presented to the next legis-
lature. This bill. besides adopting the
salient features of the Dies MoineS sys-
TEN. will also contain ideas and pro-
visions peculiarly adapted to local
needs and will create a salt Lake sys-
tenn instead of copying in detail the
reform propagandas in vogue in other
cities. This committee will be appoint
ed today and is expected to report
progress within three weeks.
Will Increase Membership.
In order to educate the people as to
the advisability in a change in the
local government a committee of three
on publicity will be named and a MEM
bership committee of the same num-
Der will canvass those interested in the
objects sought to be accomplished by
the league 1t is expected that at least
500 members will be secured and the
committee will have the power TO in
crease the dues from % cents TO 81.
The discussion was opened by Orson
II. Hewlett. who presided. He stated
the object OF the meeting and briefly
described the Des Moines plan of city
government, which consists OF five COM
missioners one being styled mayor
These commissioners appoint all the
city officials and transact all the city :
business. They are elected at large
and are nominated at a primary cleo
ton held ten days before the general
election. No party designations are
used.
Frank B. stephens was the next
speaker and he gave a short talk on
the way in which the Des Moines plan
has worked. He cited several inter-
views with Des Moines citizens, who
attested as to the merits of the scheme.
Three Needed Elements.
j. p. Condit declared that the Des
Moines system contained the three nee
essary elements i'm the bringing about
of good local self-government;- direct
primaries. initiative and referendum
and civil service. He declared that the
system existing i'm Salt Lake and a ma
jority of American cities ~ bad and in
many cases absolutely corrupt.
DR.. T b. Beatty emphasized the ne
cessity of impressing on the people the
need of a change and urged that only
candidates for the legislature in SYM
pathy with the local movement be vOt-
ed for. irrespective of party affiliations.
THE present system is corrupt" said
II. w. Lawrence. 'and the Jacksonian
motto of to the victor belongs the
spoils has more TO do with ii than any
other one thing. In this state we have
had a constitutional amendment allow
ing the initiative and referendum for
ten years, but the legislature has failed
to pass a law giving the people the
advantage of this provision. What We
want is a fair and impartial enforce
ment of the laws ana We cnn secure
this through a Capitalization of au-
thority better than under the present
corrupt scheme of government. Most
of us pay attention to reforming the
nation. but to reform the nation We
must reform the city first
Distinctive Salt Lake Type.
Oscar l. Cox thought that il would
oe better 10 name a committee of eX-
perienced men to evolve a Salt Lake
type of municipal government, a type
which should be distinctively a local
product and which should contain the
hest clements in the other reform SVS-
TENS, such as Galveston. Houston Des
Continued on Page 2.