The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-10-13
Cuts the Red Tape.

outs the ReO tape.
Everybody knows the red tape and
machinery through which everything
must pass. The commission form OF
government looks after Citizen Brown.
1t is the kind that makes it its business
to fix the sewers and the streets when
they need 1t.
Gentlemen, how many of you know
who is On the committee on streets and
alleys of your own council? Commits
sion government takes affairs out of
the hands of committees and then If a
thing is not done promptly we want to
know why.
For years the main issue in Kansas
has been the enforcement of prohibi-
ton laws. I want to say right now
that when you get commission govern
ment and you instruct your commits
sioner to obey the laws he will do so
as the public eye is upon him and you
can remove him if he doesn't do it. 1t
is applying business methods to your
biggest corporation and that is the city
itself The methods of governing cities
have not kept pace with the times. 1t
was not until Galveston in an emer-
gel cy found government which in
a motto, do them,' that change was
made. Galveston had to do this in or
der to get the city rebuilt. You know
1t is more trouble to get people to vote
on local affairs than to vote for
county or state official. In Kansas
City, Kansas, we had vote of so per
cent of the voters. In st. Joe we had
little less than so per cent. That is
why We have not had more changes in
city administration.
The Three Objections Explained.
There are three objections which are
usually brought up in regard to COM
mission government: Concentration of
power and nondemocratic, departure
from representative government, and
too expensive.
'fTTbA first &c that he o0r,o
can do anything they want to do.
IF this were true it would be dan
gerouS in the extreme, but each COM
missioner has one vote and If he does
not vote the way you want him to you
can make him come across as he is
elected by all the people.
There are certain districts in every
city where men are elected for the
council who do not stand for what is
best for the city. The people at large
have judgment. They know who they
want to represent them. In Des Moines
the five men have spent their entire
time in administering the affairs of the
city and have made city government
to be proud of.
Your present council has power to
DO anything under Gods Heaven they
want to do. Just wait minute. You
prepare your ordinance and we will
lake 90 days to decide whether or not
we want it. There is no ground for ar
5ument that this is a concentration of
power. 1t is the other thing
THE argument that it is not repre-
government is not so. 1t is
also the other thing. At present you
1ave taxation without representation
you have it good and plenty every time.
The Coal Miner Commissioner.
I'm Des Moines one of the commits
'ioners is John McVicar. former citi-
zen of Topeka, another one of the COM
nissioners is a coal miner, named Ash
some of the people at first wondered
What they would do with Ash. They
made him park commissioner, and the
people objected. The first day he was
elected, a representative of the electric
light company came to him and said,
Here, sign this contract; we want the
contract for lighting the park signed,
[ is just a matter of form, you know
1 will look it over replied Ash. The
lext day he said. I am not going to
'ign.' 'Why?' was asked. Because it
s the same as we have had for several
ears. You fellows are going to sign
ny contracts The result was that it
vas found that every year the city has
,een charged too much for lighting the
)arks, and this overcharge was collect |
ID and deposited in the city treasury.
wesley Ash who was dug out of a |
oal mine is making good as a COM |
missioner. He knows that the city |
must get the best out of him or he
will be replaced by some one else. Why
s he making good? He has to do it. |
Placing Responsibility.
I'm the old form of government you