Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1909-07-01
WHAT COMMISSION
GOVERNMENT DID
FOR DIES MONIES .
TOPEKA ENTHUSES OVER
SPEECH OF MR.. YOUNG
F inanCeS improved and People
Would Not Go Back to Ward
Politics Says Iowa Man in
Strong Address.

Ioptka, hdn.i June 2J.-iopeka j
|enthused oyer the speech r1ade her
rs Lafayette Young, the DEG Moile
editor-st1tesman, who made a stron
and convincing address tellln wha
marVels the commission form Of gov
crnment has accomplished for tn
Iowa city. Petitions asking the ney
form for Topeka are being 5igncd b.
thousands, largely as a result of tn
convincing statements made BY Mr.
Young in the Commercial club. Hi
speech was in part as follows:
The city Of Des Molnes has had
the commission form of g%overnmenf
more than n year and we are wei
pleased with it. our city finances are
much improved. The commission has
in the main been harmonious. Occa-
s~ionally there has been friction, but
no serious results have followed
Whore there has been friction the
people have expressed their disgust
and such disgust has fastened the res
toration Of peace. The present COM
mission was not specially representa-
tive of those who favored the plan.
1t was rather otherwise. The mayor
opposed the commission plan on the
stump,
THE first result Of the new style of
government was noticeable in the inn
nrovement Of minor details of city
government. AS a rule, | think it Is
the little things in city government
that are important. We have better
sidewalks, ragged edges around the
walks in the business districts have.
disappeared, the paving contractors
perform their contracts better; in fact,
there rs a noticeable Improvement In
every direction. The city treasury has
more money IN 1t; | think Des Moinos
has the best city government that she
has ever had. There is less wrang-
ing at the city. The government
seems to be more IN harmony with the
general spirit Of the city. The COM
mission form Of government is simply
an effort to simplify things. ClaysI
ana Webstcrs are not needed in the
government of a city, We are in need
of statesmen in city councils. We
want men who can do the common
things and do them right. Every city
plenty Of statesmen who can talk
long ANA loud and get into print to
make themselves solid with their con-
stituents, btrt no city has too many
mon of the practical sort.
itI.tt!:Eas BUSINESS, NOT Or
ATORY.
"rhc building of sewers, pavement.
sidewalks, etc, is a practical thing
requlring statesmanship nor ora
iprH. Most city governmentsihavc too
nnch promise ana not enough Of per-
formauce. The ward system Of
choosing membership in councils is
Men VINO ought not to by cloet-
ri can be chosen from warGN when
hey could not lie chosen at large.
entire city government As ELECTED
II time. When they go wrong. or
we gct mad, we can maze a
'omplctc revolution at one clpEtiou.
fEis is a gocd feature, The people Of
many cities do not ATTEMPT to reFDrin
heir governments because the task
to be too large. They tx-
lain. on, what's the use and turn
from it, permitting unworthy
men to do as they please, rather than
@ make Il fight against them Men
vim say that any form of city gov
rnmcnt Is good enough provided you
good men. In n measur this is
rue, but under the old plan the job
" getting good men was too difficult
people never undertook 1t except S
n extreme eases " hen evils had be-
~unbearable.
The commission form of govern !
l uAa ,Fgr.t e. ...I
ense, plain business methods to the ;
Management of tho affairs of a COM !
Some people say that it is
wing men too much authority. Re
possibility goes along with it,. And
uhlicity docs the rest. our CONF J.
lissioncrs can all be removed by a
ctition of % per cent. OF tho voters |
f the city. This IS called the recall
leaves all the power in the hands,
the people No franchise can be il
Tahted by the commission without a n
OF the people. In fact. no new u
lthority is given to the city govern Il
cnt. old power held by an NUM- g,
paItios are simply concentrated a
m Hin, the great railroad manager. f
'uld not conduct his railway systems Il
\ months in the haphaZard way O
hich characterize the average city lC
'vCrnmcnt. He docs not allow sub Il
climates authority To contract liabil- II
except TN "a restricted sense. His a
bordinates an work under his dircc-
~.
All great business managers sue
only when they have unlimited
thority. The business world has
concentrating and eliminating
useless ana unnecessary thing.
lnuidcturtrs make a study OF say
3 materials and e,onomizlng in pro-
'tlon These same elements must
introduced into city governments.
possibility Is ouc of the great cle- u
'nts of the new Tlan. when things ~.
rtsht the public know who to ~,
tiso Il is necessary 60 know when ot
.us~ go righ bat We have only been r.
the habit 90 giving attention tol
which go wrong. when things y,
s' wrong We know exactly whcrc
locate the blame"
Ban and picnic. July Sd. 9Th and H.