Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1909-09-02
GOVERNING GOOD
BY COMMISSION
IDEA SPREADING FAST IN CITIES
OF The MIDDLE
WEST.
MORE IOWA TOWNS FOLLOWING
EXAMPLE OF DIES
MONIES.


die west for a more efficient govern
ment than has been found possible
under the old system of ward repre-
senta ion are gaining ground rapidly.
In no section of the country is the
science Of municipal government re-
ceiVing such close popular attention.
The middle west is taking to the com
mission form of government. More
than dozen cities are now operaL-
ing under it, and the success that
has attended its operations has in
spired an agitation for it's adoption i'll
many others.
Briefly, the commission form OF
government is designed to eliminate
craftsmanship in municipal affairs, and
to operate municipal government as
a business proposition. 1t substi,
tutes for an unWieldy legislative
body and numerous elective officials
with a divided responsibility, "a board
usually of five men, in whom is cen
tered the appointive power of all sub
ordinates, and the responsibility for
the proper conduct of the municipal
ity's GffaiTs. The recall is a feat
ure Of all charters. Politics is elimi-
mated by providing for candidacy by
petition for the primaries in which
the two highest candidates for each
office, regardless of party, become the
opponents at the final election. Thus,
it might be that all of the candidates
would be members of one political
party. The result so far has been
without exception in any city, a gov.
eminent on business lines in which
efficiency counts, and where every
dollar spent brings a return of 100
cents in service.
There isn't anything in that kind
of government for the politicians, and,
naturally, the professional politicians
are the chief opponents of the com
mission form. In one or two in
stances where commission govern
ment has been proposed, the poIitl-
clans have defeated it. Theirs has
been only a temporary advantage
however, for ultimately the protago
nists of the commission form have
won
Change in Kansas City, Kan.
A notable and recent instance Of
this was in Kansas City, Kan, a city
Of 10000 people, and now the lars
est city which has adopted the new
form. Following the passage Of the
law by the Kansas legislature pro-
viding for commission government
in cities, Kansas City, Kan, voted on
the question The politicians, who
had misruled the city for years and
saddled upon it a staggering debt,
fought the commission form from
every angle. They labelled it silk
stocking" 0gvernement, and declared
it un-American, non-representative
and extravagant, and asserted that ii
would permit the successful candi-
dates to build up a self-perpet uating
machine the people never could get
rid of. The people had not had Suffi-
cient time to become familiar with
the new form of government and
fall. And so well is the city gov
erned that it has attracted attention.
For years the city stood still. Now
it shows a gain in population of g.,
600 in two years, several new manu-
featuring plants have been started,
and so much public and private i'm
provement is under way that the city
has been fOred to advertise abroad
for labOrers. In the second election
under commission government, the
politicians put up a ticket, but didn't
get enough votes to count.
In Iowa the new idea is spreading
also. Des Moines, of course, was the
first city to adopt the new form. It's
first annual report, issued a few
weeks ago, showed a highly efficient
administration, which, in one year,
made saving over the old govern
ment of $225,000, and at the same
time gave better service. Keokuk
and Cedar Rapids have since adopted
the Des Moines plan, and several
other cities in the state probably will
within the next year.
In other States,
Colorado Springs has just held its
first election under a new charter, |
which provides for commission gov !
The plan there is, in many |
of its features, a distinc. advance |
over the older form of commission +.
in Houston Galveston. /
Dallas, and Fort Worth, Tex. St
Joseph, Mo-, a city of 125, 900 people. /
will vote in September on new char
ter which, while it does not exactly I
provide it, gets as near to commission
government as the laws Of Missouri /
will permit. The new charter will /
abolish the present council, made up
Of ward representatives, and viii sub
stitute for it a body Of five council
men elected at large. The number Of
elective offers is rduced and author
ity is centered in the mayor.
Oklahoma has provided for. commits
sion government in its cities, and in
several of them an agitation is now
under way for the adoption of the
plan
Commenting editorially on recent
article, which gave the record of the
first year in Des Moines under 'the
Des Moines Plan the Montreal Daily
Star printed the following: /
"A special correspondent sends a
oIo1vtp0 aopouUt of the results of tho !