The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1909-05-31
A BUSINESS PROPOSITION.

4
Hon. ]. F. Hinkle in The Roswell
Daily Record, makes the first real
criticism of the Roswell and the com
mission plans of governing that the
New Mexican has thus far noticed.
He admits in his communication, how
ever, that the Roswell plan is superior
to the commission plan and his criti-
cisms of the latter are better found
ed than his structures on the former.
The main, in fact, the only objection
he urges against the Roswell plan is
that 1t is conflicting n would lead
to divided authority n confusion.
He then goes on to say that the law
provides in respect to the mayor and
the two councilmen that leach shall
preside over a department and in the
next section turns all over to another
person to be called the 'superintend-
emit If they see fit but shall hav him.
The act also provides for an assis-
tant City Clerk and the city may also
have an auditor of public accounts II
deemed necessary, therefore again
making a conflict and division Of au-
thority. The act Is altogether too
cumbersome, conflicting and confusing
and does not accomplish what 1t is In
tended to do, but it is much better
plan of the two provided for In the
act" OF course Mr.. Hinkle's criticism
is based upon a confusion of the legis-
lative and executive powers The act
vests the legislative powers altogether
in the mayor and the W councilmen.
1t also gives the mayor and each
councilman certain executive powers,
we'll defined so as to avoid the con-
fict that the critic speaks OF. The
duties of the superintendent are mere
" administrative. He bear the same
relations to the city government chat
does the city marshal or the street
supervisor to the present form OF gov
eminent. He merely unftes these of
fees in his person, centralizes and I'M
ifies them so to speak. He is under
1000 bond for the faithful perfor-
nance of his duties but is absolutely
under the direction of the mayor and
the city council and has no legislative
powers of his own. Instead OF being
cumbersome, conflicting and confus-
ing, the act is brief, simplicity itself
and so clear that any person can I'M
derstand its provisions, wherein 1t diff
fers from most municipal legislation
In force at present.
However, 1t is not perfect. 1t mere
ly gives an opportunity to elect bet
ter men n achieve results by CEN
tralizing instead of scattering. 1t in
vites a getting together of business
and property interests on a ~non-part1-
san, business basis, a basis which is
the exception under present political
ward methods. AS a rule, for instance
the mayors of Santa Fe have been
superior, able men, but too often the
majority of the city council did not
measu up to this standard, illustrat-
ing the tendency that it is easier to
elect men of capacity in h city at
large than 1t is to elect men Of that
kind from the wards, just as the Pres.
ident elected by the United States at
large, towers in ability and conscien-
tiousness above the average Congress
man elected by the districts. This
same point is made by Ex-president
Eliot of Harvard University in discus
sing the commission form of govern
ment, whose advantage he says is that
1t has offered universal suffrage a
good chance to select the right kind OF
men to govern. These commissions
have given cities business like govern
ment. 1 believe there is no exception
to tina rule. They have all done that
and they nave been composed of A
merican citizens of the right sort, who
have shown themselves to be both cap
able and honest, and have, therefore,
provided efficient and honest govern
ment. Can we see a reason for this
intelligent selection Of governors now
made by eight Or nine American com
munfttes, this selection of competent
and honest servants? I think / see this
reason for the successful selection
universal suffrage has never before
had anything lige so good a chance TO
elect or select good administrators.