Bismarck daily tribune., 1908-12-29
WELL PLEASED
UHt - H. ~ III "a - III .'s.r,'F. .
in DES MONIES
Commission Plan Of City Gov.
efnInent Satisfactory
Even to Opponents
What Mayor Mathis and
Leading Editors Say Of
Its Workings

A number more signatures to the
petitions asking the city council to
submit the question Of whether or
not the people desire the commission
plan Of government were added to
the list yesterday and it is now GER
tain the matter will go properly be-
fore the council for action. The stat
ute is mandatory and the council has
nothing else to do but set date and
call the special election. Many more
names than are required have been
secured, and yet great number who
have not had time to hunt up the pc.
titions have signified their hearty APP
proval of the plan.
On all sides an impression seems to
prevail that this is the best and most
business like method of managing
municipal affairs that has been de-
vised, and it is upon the business as
pect that the people urge the trial of
the plan.
. SONtC 1CS iUoiIICS sViSWosE
Letters and printed documents
from Des Moines, Iowa, were received
yesterday and with one accord they
praise the system. even those who
opposed it in the beginning, adding
their Endorsement now that they have
seen how it works out.
q -
: "Des Moines is not in the least !.
!. discouraged with its new gov I:
J: ernment," says Lafayette Young, :
= editor of the Capital, one of the !.
= papers which opposed the pres :.
: ent administration. Son the !.
: contrary, a resubmission of the :.
I. question would result in a much :.
: greater majority for it, now that !.
:: the people have had practical :.
!: experience of it's possibilities, !.
: than was given at the election. =
: The commissioners elected by /:
!: the people were not supported !:
= by the Capital, but they are !:
: making good" :.
***%*@*
Harvey Ingram, editor Of the Reg
lister and Leader, another of the pa
pers which opposed the plan, says:
1T is the best municipal government
in the world. We know now where to 4
place responsibility for poor govern
ment. Therefore we will have less
Of it. Everybody in Des Moines is
delighted with the plan. resubmis-
sion of the proposition would fail to
record as many as 500 votes In the
entire city against it,
1T is an excellent system Of gov
ernment,' = says. George F. Rinehart,
editor of the Des Moines Tribune.
'Des Moines could not ibe induced to
return to the old system
Mayor A. j. Mathis of Des Moines.
praises highly the efficiency with /
which all the departments are being
worked under the new system and |
says all the commissioners are on
their mettle to make a record for
themselves. He points out the fol-
lowing salient features of the plan.
= . = :. 8 . = q - 4. 4. - - 3
= "The Individual responsibility !.
!: of the commissioners. q
. "The removal Of appointments !.
: from the realm OF ward poIiti- .
= clans and the election Of the ap- Z.
!. pointive officers upon the basis Z.
: Of efficiency and adaptibiIity. !.
= "The referendum Of franchise j:
= grants to the people. We no !.
= longer fear the franchise grab q
q Der. q
!. "The opportunity Of the peo- I.
!" pie to get a speedy hearing di- 1.
= rectly with the man responsi- i. /
= Bile for the conduct Of the al 4.
= fairs Of the department they de- i.
=. sire tc appeal tor ..
q = I. 4. n q 80. . . i. 3
5s At Mandan.
AS TO the working out OF the plan I
at Mandan, W. H. stutsman, who was
over yesterday, said that the propo-.
sition would carry again in that cityI
with greater majority than was Civ
en- the plan before: that while this
year the taxes we're unusually high,
they were going to wipe out current |.
Indebtedness and for improvements