The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1909-03-05

10 such men we ought to pay at
least $500 eacn. l believe we should
have commissioners whose terms would
De from four to six years, subject to
The referendum.
Opinion of Health Officer
DR.. A. o. Bjelland: Il am favorably
impressed as far as | have studied the
commission plan of municipal govern
ment. Any plan of government that
creates somewhere near reasonable
| compensation for city officials is bound
to prove more effective in municipal
affairs. ANY plan that will change the
Aipshod irregular methods of city gov
eminent into an organized system
attic form of government is to be vel
coined and commended. In fact any
new plan that will make the bust
ness of the city conducted as any
sane reasonable man would conduct
his own business is surely the right
think. In the old plan of government
responsibility was scattered and not
fixed. In the commission plan of gov
ernment responsibility is fixed and if
a city official does not do his duty he
is subject to the initiative and referen-
DUN and recall which as fundamental
principle would make any city Off
cial concerning a matter of business
honesty and character, do his duty to
the fullest extent. The department of
health is usually made sub depart
ment of the commission of public safe
ty and reorganized with business meth
DDS, fixed responsibility and a decent
reasonable salary for the commission of
health, say about $1,000 year, would
mean everything that stands for eff
cheney and would be protection for
the lives of our people in the city of
Mankato. Our past experience of the
last two years should show any sane,
reasonable citizen of Mankato who has
the good and the progress of Mankato
at heart, that something better and
more thorough should be done for our
city in the way of new charter.
am favorably impressed with the com
mission plan of government for Man
kato."
John Il. Richards of the firm of j
B. & d. Richards: Il understand that
the commission plan is the only safe
system against the 'big-mit system
and the city is better managed in the
hands of few than in the control
of many as it now is. In the new
plan, the running of the city would
be more systematized than in the
hands of alderman as it now is. w,
would get better results and | believe
that it would have tendency to de-
crease taxes rather than to increase
them; althogether better work would
be the result"
Mr.. w. T. Warwick heartily Ell
dorsed the commission plan, principally
because of the satisfactory results that
he knew had come from its adoption
in Des Moines where Mr. Warwick has
lived and where he has many persona
friends from whom he has heard di
rectly and in detail of its great popu
larity as municipal plan i'll thai
. city
w. ID. Willard, cashier of First Ma
tional bank, also spoke most favorabls
of the proposed commission plan. $
have been interested" Mr.. Willard said
lin following the new commission plan
ever since its Inauguration in Calves
ton, and it seems to have worked
Everywhere for the betterment of mum
cipal conditions. One o. the distinct
advantages is the definite placing oil
responsibility. This tends to the eff
fiency and economy of the admins
obtained for the same amount oil
money expended. In the cities where
the commission plan has been tried
there has been decided improvement
in their financial conditions, and an
/ heartily i'll favor of the plan fol
MankatO.
Views of Minister.
Rev. L. l.. Hcermance, pastor OF
First Congregational church, said: 81
am heartily in favor of the commission
plan. The government of the city
comes to be business rather than poll
tics. Politics have no place here, Oh
in any government for that matter
There is no reason why a city, under
this plan, may not be administered
with as much economy and efficiency
as the average business corporation
And the plan is democratic. 1t is il
line with our American principles. Out
side of the town meeting we have
been afraid of giving the people pow
err; we have been afraid of direc
democracy. The people on this plan
have power to remove as well as tt
elect their officers, they may initiate
legislation or veto it. / hope to SCI
the popular initiative and veto intro
duced into our state government also
Rev. Father Hughes said, he was
favorably inclined toward the De:
Moines, Galveston commission plan
and felt that all things considered
now is very acceptable time for the
introduction of the new form of gov.
eminent that has given SO much sat
isfaction elsewhere"
Former Health Officer Talks.
DR.. J. A. Hielscher, one of Mankato's