Evening journal., 1909-03-27
Saturday, March 81, 1909
CITY GOVERNMENT.

M ANY Illinois cities are dissatisfied with
= their present form of municipal govern
ment Ten cities of the state, including four Of
the largest six cities outside of Chicago have
appealed TO the General Assembly to pass an act
making possible the commission form of gov
ernment which, it is said, has proved success
ful in Galveston, Texas Des Mones Iowa; and
IN other cities. The petitioning cities do not
want the Legislature to impose the commission
government upon them, but want the law so
made that the voters of city may decide at a
referendum election whether they shall adopt
the commission plan. -Four or FIVE years ago the
commission scheme was first tried in some cit
les and it is said TO have worked we'll 1t is
maintained for the commission that citizens can
be in closer touch with the doings of their Of
hcials and keep them straight
The argument for the commission is that un-
der the ward system of electing Councilmen in
the large cities some wards always refuse to
send desirable men to Council. The commits
sion plan combines councilmanic and mayoralty
powers in one. -Four or five men from the city
at large are chosen commissioners and they
take over the full management of the affairs
A distinct department of public work is assigned
TO each commissioner, but all act as one body
Tor many purposes. such as passing ordinances
or granting franchises.
Some of these commission ideas were included
in the bill for changing the city government of
Wilmington prepared by City Solicitor Town
send.
Under the commission system it is held that
the group of city officials are kept constantly
before the public eye and are responsible to the
community, not merely to a section of the CITY
which each Councilman, for instance is sun
posed to represent 1t is argued on the other
hand that cques desiring franchises and other
legislation of a selfish character could as easily
control a commission as 1t can a City Council
which has the authority to grant franchises
All these questions of reform in municipal
government simply show the unrest existing in
many parts of the country over the present
method of city government In this city. for
example most people have long felt that we
should have an improved form of city govern
ment, but we have been unable to agree upon
the best method to bring this about
Another session of the Legislature is almost
ended with nothing done to improve our citv
government. Our tax rate is as high as II
should be. The protest of the Board of Trade
against the imposition of a special tax for street
Improvement purposes because it would mean
practically an increase in tax rate is an expres-
sion OF the belief among business men that faxes
are about as high in the city as VIC can well af-
lord without causing prospective industries 10
stop and consider.
So far as getting rid of undesirable" MEM
Ders OF Council is concerned this could be ac-
complshed IN a measure by electinp some Conn
cimen AT large, as was provided under one Of
the suggested charters for Wilmington The
Des Mones Commission plan, however. toes
not do away with representative government as
some suppose because the commissioners are
elected True they are not representatives OF
sections or wards, but il is probable that when
the commissioners arc nominated each section
OF city demands representation Under such a
system IN Wilmington the sides and sections
would certainly clamor for representation in the
commission. But even then the political parties
would have to make good nominations. for after
all the most significant development in munich
pal politics is the desire for strong nomination.
for good government--the conducting of munic
pal government on business principles Tn,
sentiment which gained the loudest applause a
the Board of Trade dinner was the reference O
Governor Pennewill to municipal politics
1t will be well for the people OF Wilmington
during the next two years to consider all thss,
different methods OF municipal government Sc
that we shall be able to suggest reforms tina
will make our own form Of municipal govern
ment wha. it should be-