The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1908-12-12
THE DIES MONIES PLAN.

THE DIES MONIES PLAN.
The idea Of city government by COM
mission Is making tremendous head
way all over the United States. From
Frespo, CAL, to Haverill, Mass, the
ideas that the capital city Of Iowa is
working out with SO much success are
being adopted either wholly or In part.
Kansas cities from the largest to the
smallest are discussing the adoption
OF commission form Of government.
Governor.elect Stubs announces that
ne will urge the next legislature to
amend the enabling law for cities OF
the first and second class so that they
can, II they choose, adopt either the
Des Moines or Galveston plan OF com.
mission rule.
What Is going on In Kansas we
should like to see equally agitated in
Utah. The agitation started in the
last legislature when a bill was intro.
duced TO ALLOW cities Of the ilrst.class
To adopt the Galveston form OF city
government. Az that time Logan
citizen tried TO have cities of the sec
ond.class included In the bill, but was
unsuccessful. At q recent meeting OF
the Civic improvement League of Salt
Lake City the idea OF government by
commission for Salt Lake along lines
similar to the plan now in vogue In
Des Moines was enthusiastically en-.
dorsed
Tie central feature of what Is known
as the Galveston or Des Moines plan
Is the placing Of the direction OF city
affairs In the hands OF few commits.
sioners chosen at large throughout the
city, each of whom assumes entire re.
sponsibilitv for a certain department
OF the city administration. In both
Galveston and Des Moines there are
five such commissioners, but for many
reasons II seems advisable to reduce
this number to three, as has already
been done 10 the city OF Washington.
One county system at present lie we'll
conducted by a similar number. For
q city Of the size OF Logan to have
twelve councilmen Is unnecessary and
detrimental to the best interests OF
the city. Sc large a governing board
gives rise to the formation o! numer.
GUS factions and cliques and does not
allow the responsibility Of any act 10
be placed anywhere. II we had only
three commissioners, we'll paid and
elected at large, and each one respon.
sible for certain departments OF the
city administration, we should have
three capable public servants. the best
IN the city, and should know exactly
how we'll they are doing their work
and what reforms and acts each is re.
sponsible for Az present Logan has
a 100000 electric light plant. 1t Is
too much to expect that all our coun-
cilmen are equally responsible for its
success or failure, but we would like
to know which ones have the most to
do with its operation Under the Des
Moines organization OF city business
we should know Immediately where to
place responsibility. Besides the ad-
vantages OF a restricted number Of
com ssioners and the choosing them
at large, the Des Moines plan has
many other excellent features. Such
are the right OF recall Of any city
officer by petition OF % per cent OF
the voters who elected him; the pub.
licity OF proceedings; protest AMI ref.
erendum, by which no ordinance can
10 into effect within ten days,
during which voters have a right to
DptitiOn for its recnnsiderat ion