The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-07-13
HOW IT WORKS.
Des MOines' Report Under the
Commission Form.
Reduced Expenses in a Year of
$24O,OOO.
s NO PULLING BACK.
Public Improvements Increased
in the Meantime.
People Greatly Pleased Over the
New System.

Eeopl0 Greatly FIeaSed over the
New System.
Des Moines. Ia. July 13-The report
of the city auditor which is now being
printed for distribution shows that for
the first year of the Des Moines plan
the city taxpayers were saved in money
the sum of $224.o5510 as compared to
the last year of the old ward plan. tt Il
means saving of more than 81 each
for every man. woman and child in this
city in the cost of maintaining their
city government.
The Figures for Two Years.
Here are the figures taken from the
balance sheets of the city treasurer's
books showing the condition of the cur
rent expense funds for the two years:
On April 1, 1908. the old administration
left a balance of $72.79O.I1 in the treas
ury, when it retired to give place to
the commission plan. Against that bal
ance there was an outstanding indebt-
edness of $191, ,9S9. 90. On April 1 of this
year the balance on hand in that fund
was $164, ,352.0 .05. a difference of $91, ,651. "a.
The outstanding Indebtedness against
that balance was only S59, ,496.77 a diff
ferent of $132,493.1 16. or a total differ
ence of S224,055.1o. in favor of the new
rule.
The only question then as to the ef-
ficiency of the Des Moines plan is that
of whether or not it is possible to give
the people better government at this
tremendous decrease In the cost of gov
ernment. Des Moines, answer is practical |
ly unanimous on that point. Recently
e. committee of business men from Salt
Lake City visited Des Moines to in
vestigate the new rule. The members
made a canvass of the downtown dis |
trict- They went into the business
houses, stopped people on the street, |
went among the laboring men in the |
packing houses and factories and in
terviewed with printed questions more
than 1000 citizens.
The Four Who Objected.
When the printed lists were
four men in all that number ex-
pressed an adverse opinion. One of
the four was a Socialist, who objected /
to the plan on general principles. but
old ward system; another was a
wealthy property owner who OBJ
jected because the new form of gov
ernment was too aggressive in max
ing public improvements; the third
was a saloon keeper, who denounced
the commission plan as Sunday
school movement" and the fourth
was a politician, who had lost the Of
flee which he held under the old
ward system.
1t can be truthfully stated that this
canvass just about represents the {
sentiments of the people regarding
the new rule. And a remarkable {
thing about the sentiment is that the {
Iaboring men and the small property
holders are even more enthusiastic
in their praise of the new rule than 1
the business men and the big prop Is
erty holders.
But how was this great reduction /
in the operating expenses made with
out sacrificing the public lnterestsE IS
the first question asked by the visitors
who investigate the new rule.
Greater Efficiency at Less Cost.
Are salaries and the wages of labor !
ing men reduced? Not by any means.
A few months ago the commissioners
increased the wages of day
from 50 per day to S2.25 and
the wages of teamsters from $3.50 to
$3.50 day, because of the increased
cost of living The contractors in Des
Moines pay $1.75 a day for day labor
ers and 81 for teamsters for a nine t
hour day, while the city pays It's IN l
creased price for an eight hour day. /
Has it reduced the street force or I
abandoned any Improvements Not
at all. The commissioners are under
taking more public improvements than Il
ever before. More men are employed I
in the street gangs than ever before: Y
more policemen are in the service and
more firemen than ever before Every {
department has been made more eff I
cient and has been strengthened in
stead of weakened. The streets are I
cleaner; the health department is f
more efficient: the laws are better en- f
forced and the fire protection more q
adequate than in the history of Des f
Moines-
at a saving of over 100000 and the
tax levy for this year has been de- !
creased by almost three mills on the !
dollar. /
In addition, the water rates and the =
light rates have been reduced more
than 90 per cent :
How the Saving Was Made.
Here are some - the ways by which f
the reduction was made: 7
Useless office holders were dismissed Z
and the offices abolished. The large {
number of such salary grabs that had i
been created under the old system for :
ward heelers, is illustrated by | +
the fact that while the salaries paid G
the commissioners amount to a total OF I
S15. 800, yet the total salary list of the
city is now but $1,000 more than under
ceived no salaries No less than So
BOO in useless salaries were paid for po-
liticaI favOrs under the old plan
In the matter of street lights alone :
city has added seventy-one lights, and
in addition to that SOB lamps that
burned on the moonlight
now burn all night, a gain T
Of 1873 hours a year for each lamp.
These are merely Illustrations. IN Z
every department and in every detail u
Of the city's business the commissions Q
ers found waste, extravaganza and l
neglect Des Moines now has a gov y y
srnment that conducts the city's bust T
ness as the citizens conduct their own {
business And Des Moines is more
than satisfied with the results
Weather Indications. q
Chicago, July 13.=Forecast for Il
Kansas Fair tonight and Wednes- a
lay; not much change in temperature. F