The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1909-10-22
DIRECTS attention
TO WEAKNESS
MAYOR PRATT OF SPOKANE AD-
DRESSES OPEN LETTER ON
CITY GOVERNMENT.

i Spokane, Oct. 21-Cumbrous. ire
/ sponsible and extravagant at best,
and an assurance of theft inefficeney
! and waste If controlled by dishonest
/ and incapable men, are few of the
Pratt in an open letter to the people
| of Spokane. directing attention to the
] weakness of the present system of
municipal government and urging
them to adopt the commission plan.
I He also announces that he will APP
/ point a representative committee i'm a
| few days to investigate and report the
/ general outline of a new city charter.
/ primarily with a view to bringing the
! matter to an issue at special cleo
! ton early in 1910.
/ This is in line with Mayor Pratt's
! recent declaration that he is ready ~
| step out of office. to which he was
/ elected last May for term of two
| years. in the event of the adoption
/ of the commission plan. and is the
/ result of the bitter quarrel among
members of the city council and the
| board of public works. This opposi-
| ton has not only handicapped the
chief executive in carrying out his
| pledge to give the people of Spokane
| IA business administration. but has
| also delayed several million dollars
| worth of street. bridge and water sys-
| tenn improvements and other public
works in various parts of the city. !
| Ii. Text or Letter. = ]
| The fun text of Mayer Pratt's letter
| is appended: ys#
| My experience tsix years. In the
! two department of this city's govern
ment, in the council and as mayor,
| coupled with careful and intimate oh
| servation of it's workings in detail,
/ have persuaded me to the conclusion
that our system is a failure. As
| political organization there is no ex-
cuse for its existence. because all its
functions are of a business and admin
istrative rather than political ma
ture. As an administrative organiza-
ton. Its is cumbrous, irresponsible.
dilatory and extravaganza word.
1t is totally inefficient and inadequate.
Even when controlled by honest and
capable officials, such an organization
cannot he successful. while if con-
troiled by dishonest and incapable
men. it is doubtful If any device of
human contriying affords greater OPP
portunity and assurance of theft, inef-
ficiency and waste.
THE two functions of government.
political and administrative. the first
governing and the latter business-do-
ing. apply to municipal affairs In ]
widely different proportions. Probably /
II l. not too much to say that nine /
Observation-Disclosures of the things To be i
done by municipality belong To the !
latter class. The American politica. /
organization adapted to governing-to /
lesislating and to the laying down and 1
enforcing OF rules of conduct and 4
right as to persons and properts-is i
wholly unnecessary and inadequate |
when used for the transaction of /
municipal business.
Are hindranees.
THE checks and balances of the j
American system of political organiza-
ton. when applied to the administra-
tive affairs of the city government,
become checks and hindranees,. diyid- |
producing irresponsibility. The method
additionally deemed necessary in po-
litical government. when considering
matters of general policy. results I'm
an endless catalogue of municipal sins,
both of omission and eommission-un-
improved streets. broken pasements. i
defective sidewalks. inadequate sewer
systems. delayed yiaducts. insufficient
water supply. ruined laws. lack of
proper control over public service cor
porations. and. worst Of all. that most !
conspicuous blot m American govern
ment-municipal corruption. 1t places
no premium upon official alertnes.,
but instead is a direct incentive To Of
fetal slothfulness. petty chickering's,
cabals and intrigues.
In our city government we do vast
quantities OF business in the lesisia-
tive manner. which. to be successful /
or economical. must I've conceived and /
executed by the same man or group .
of men in the strictly administrative +
legislative formula of proceedings at /
tendant upon the preparation and pas
sage of u tariff measure a criminal /
code.
In recent years. the sproper solution j
of this impossible situation has appar-
emily been found by some American
cities The general scheme adopted !
mas been TO concentrate in one small /
body Of men. chosen by the entire
electorate. all the administrative and
governmental functions nj the city A. 1