The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1909-03-11
WHAT WOULD
BE BENEFIT
OF ADOPTING GOVERNMENT BY
COMMISSION.
Niger IN THE WOODPlLG
AOHERENTS OF NEW PLAN MUST
HAVE AXE TO GRIND.

as 10 what will be the benefit to the
taxpayers from the change in admin.
istratiOn.
The Commission" plan under
which we would organize is Chapter sc
of the session laws of 1907, and while
it is modelled on the Galveston plan
10 some extent, it is neither that plan
nor the Des Moines idea. So in the
first place, when those favoring the
petition cite the success of these
named plans as a reason for our adopt
ing the Commission they are mis-
leading the voter and not telling the
truth. There are many good features
OF the law which would be of great
advantage to a badly governed or cor
ruptly managed municipality, and even
then if the city were larger than four
wards. Or it might be true that If
any of the wards were bad by large
majority and it was needed to use the
majorities in the decent wards to Off
set the majorities in the bad ones.
But no such condition exists in Brook
ings.
Then again the law divides the sup
ervision of the work into four parts,
one for each commissioner These
take the places of the council commit
tees and We would have the same
four committee chairmen at $75 per
year where we now have at eight at
$25 per year No saving there. Any
man who works as an alderman or COM
missioner at SO per year is not doing
il for the salary. And a man who will
work for So will work for $25 as he
is doing it either for the good he
we have never heard anyone lioller
eraft. unless they were real mad or had
an axe to grind, and then they never
proved it,
Again, the law says a commissioner
cannot hold any other city office and
as the law also provides for a full
Sfl vi tItN OlliN l'l7 JucI t'H :" - iio w iic'''
from city auditor down to street sprin-
kler we would simply have smaller
body of advisors at an increased cost
Of one-half the amount now paid for
salaries Of aldermen. If the commits
sioners could only under the law act
as city engineer, auditor, policemen
VII In n1Sn
then there might be a saving, as i'll
that case YOU would have the plan
ming and the doing part of the gov
erning power condensed into one. No
saving there.
Again the law places no limit on
the salaries that may be paid by the
commissioners to the city officials
whom they appoint. And while the
voters have a right to recall a COM
missioner whose acts displease them.
vet they could not repudiate or set
aside displeasing acts that he might
have committed So there don't seem
10 be any great advantage from that
standpoint. OF course. it must be ad-
mitted that there is more chance for
a bad man TO creep in among eight
than among four, but with the assist
ance of the sewing circles and the
advice of the loafers' brigade and the
sidewalk statesmen we can certainly
prevent more than one getting into
office at any one time.
Again the recent report of the city
treasurer disclOses a very pleasant
state of financial affairs. The tele-
phone plant has money out on inter
est earning the same rate as its bonds
draw. and keeping up only the same
earnings il ought to be able to pay
off its own bonds when they mature.
The light plant will be out of float
ing debt this spring. And when you
come to remember the amount the
city has in public utilities and they
cover as many needs as any city in
the country. bar none, since Cleveland
lost her street car system, then to
changes horses in the middle of the
stream looks like poor policy. For 1T
is foregone conclusion that the
friends of the commission plan would,
if they won. be sure to run for the
Offices men who are not connected with
the present administration in any way,
as their success would depend on how
rluch they could discredit the present
officers and their policies. Just the
case of new set of men coming into
office and trying a set of theories at
the expense of the taxpayers. Moth
ing gained there.
Again, all of the heavy contracting