The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1909-04-10
Interesting Report of a Michigan
City Committee Who Studied
the Subject.
DES MONIES PLAN IS
GIVEN THE PRECEDENCE
Advantages Of Commission Plan
Over Present Methods Clear
ly Set Forth.

| AAAo N1eAH0Ao W 11peLd, MlCn1gan,
now nave under consideration the
adoption of. the Des Moines plan of
commission government. In order to
acquire definite knowledge of the
workings of this form Of government
| and to spread the information at the
| disposal of the people of Alpena, that
| they might move intelhgently in the
| matter, committee of the Alpena
! chamber Of commerce was appointed
to make a special study of the COM
mission administration. The report of
| this committee. which is signed by
w. B. Robertson, chairman, j. Charles
Wood and j. j. Potter, is a highly in
| terestlng document and presents such
complete and intelligent survey Of
commission government that we print
the report in full:
Your committee appointed to in
vestigate the commission form Of city
government beg to report as follows:
We have made a rather exhaustive
study of the subject in most Of the
| cities where this form of government
is in vogue. We, however, will con-
| fine our report mainly to the socalled
Galveston and Des Moines' plans,
| inasmuch as practically all of the
| cities in this country operating under
this form of municipal government
have adopted the plans in vogue in
| either one of the above mentioned
| cities
Basis of System.
Strictly speaking, the socalled COM
mission is not commission in any
sense Of the word, but is a city council
elected at latge, ward lines being
eliminated. The usual number of
councilmen under this system is five,
! one of whom is mayor. The term of
! office in each case is two years. i.
The effect of these provisions (and
others which the COMMITTEES enunle1-
ates( is to estahlislaa the first funda-
mental principle upon which the com
mission form of city government is
based viz: the concentration of res
possibility upon a small body of men
and the direct responsibility Of each
| Individual of the council to the people
| through department.
| AT this point the two kinds of COM
mission government-namely, Calves
ton and Des Moines-dlverge Under
the Galveston plan, as operated in
! LeavenWOrth, there are no express
provisions for safeguarding the inter-
ests of the taxpayer other than under
the usual form of city government;
! while under the Des Moines plan
there are five eminent safeguards pro-
vided which establish the second
fundamental principle namely, the
expression of the public will in fixing
! the responsibility. The five safe
guards referred to are: The recall, the
initiative, the referendum, all ap-
pointive officers and employees Of the
| city with certain specific exceptions
must pass a satisfactory examination
before they are entitled to enter city's
employ. ANY person running for a.
| city office at general election who
attempts to trade support with the
view of favoring certain people If
! elected, or who pays any man who
votes for him either in money or en-
! ployment, commits a penal offense
punishable by fine or Imprisonment or
BOTH
Workings Of Plan.
| "As to the practical operation of this
type Of municipal government we
made extensive personal inquiry. The
commission form of city government
was first introduced in Des Moines by
Mr.. J. G. Berryhill, who, during a
business trip to Galveston, became
interested in the success of the plan
! in that city. He reported on the sub
ject at the Des Moines commercial
club. A voluntary committee of bust
ness men was organized to give pub
licity to this subject similar to the
citizens committee already organized
in this city. In Des Moines, however,
they foresaw the weakness of the
Galveston plan and the result was
the working out Of the sO-called DeS
Moines plan with the safeguards sur
rounding the taxpayers and electors
referred to above. After a vigorous
fight the plan was adopted by the
people.
There were over forty candidates
in the primaries, among whom were
some of the ablest business men In
Des Moines, as we'll as several poll
ticians. Contrary to expectations the
business men were beaten by good
majonities and five of the old-time
politicians were elected to the council.
At Des Moines.
'One Of the first things one hears
in Des Moines, if he is looking TO,