Omaha daily bee., 1908-06-28

property, after looking over the enticing
cities on the Pacific coast shows the at
Effectiveness Of Omaha city property as an
investment. The money was paid to the
Real Estat, Title Trust company OF Omaha
In English sterling money.
by far the most absorbing topic at the
present time with the real estate dealers is
the question Of charter changes. They
are the ones which have opened the sub
ject and from all indications expect the
keep up the fire. In discussing the pro-
posed changes, some are advocating the
commission form of city government and In
this connection c. +. Harrison has re-
ceived a letter from Laurence Minot OF
Boston, Mass. owner Of the Paxton block,
the Nebraska Clothing company building,
Paterson block at Seventeenth and Fatnam
streets and the block occupied by the
Burlington city offices at Fifteenth and
Farnam street. Mr.. Minot is a student of
city governments ana writing of the COM
mission plan says:
This form Of government is stll in the
experimental stage and | do not think we
yet have enough experience Of It to enable
us to form a definite conclusion. In Gal
weston II was inaugurated as the result
or a great public calamity, and the eN-
pericnce there is not a fair test OF the
working OF the commission under normal
conditions. The commission i'm Des Moines
has only just got to work. 1t is significant,
however, ! think, that the legislature Of
Massachusetts has within a few weeks put
the government of the city of Chelsea in
the hands of a commission for five years.
THIS occasion also is due to a great public
calamity, the city of Chelsea having
recently been d~evasted by a fire.
The only conclusion in regard TO this
question which l have arrived at and
which l feel to be not only sound but
fundamental is that the question of good
or bad government depends on the men
who administer II and that the form Of the
government Is OF no more importance than
the question whether a workman has good
or bad tools to work with. OF course he
can do his work better if he has good
tools, but, II he is a first class workman,
he will do a better job with poor tools
than a bad worltmen will do with the best
of tools.
In considering, therefore, the question of
what is the best form Of government for
our cities, II seems TO me the whole
OF what form OF government VIII attract
into the public service and keep in the
public service the best men. Certainly We
do not get these men today, or IL by chance
we get one we drive him out Of office
II ] were charged with the responsibility
of framing a charter. l should first max,
up my MIND what kind of man would D,
best fitted to govern the city, then
should go to all the men of this kind tina
| could find and ask them under wha'
conditions public office could be made at
tractive to them and what were tn,
reasons which now kept them from &C
cepting public office. Then l should frame
up a scheme Of government that woul,
be attractive to these men and would TT!
TO get my community to adopt 1t. No doub
/ you would find that a variety Of reason
deter men from accepting office. Anon
these reasons you will probably find tn
following.
/ Public office does not offer a perma
9. There is no adequate and certain rec
E %ognition Of good work.
2 Thor T. -. 4A.L,,a4. .lus,r 30 --1
b duCe good results.
a 4. The terms Of office are too short t
carry out any carefully studied policy an
political and public support and aPprecia
| ton are lacking whenever It is attempte
t 10 carry, such a policy into execution.
I o. Under present conditions a mans as
s~ociates in public office are not agreeabl
to anyone who has only the public interes
: 6. A man in public office is subjected I
an enormous amount Of unwarranted abus,
9 4 he IS subjected to political pressur
I and Is Obliged either to submit. to 1t I
+ the detriment OF his work or bring III
whole government to a deadlock.
o 8. The compensation is wholly inadequat
d as compared with private appointment.
| have no doubt you will find a goo
many other more or less similar reasons.
Furthermore, the government Of OF
cities involves so many technical question
T, that no man or body Of men are fitted
govern a city well without many years {
, practical experience and theoretical stud.
e any more than they would he fitted 20 ru
n a railroad or manufactory without specit
u training in that line. There is no Undue,
~ ment 10 q man 10 set this training becaus
there is no certainty Of employment aftC
he gets it.
lie II you can solve the problem Of how
2 get the right kind Of man into office ar
keep him there ! think you will solve Il
problem of how 10 govern American elite
put untli you solve that problem do n,
believe II makes much difference whetht
.1 YOU have a mayor ana aldermen or a may
ana council or a board Of public works
a commission, or any other form Of publ
l. government.