Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-01-06
commIttee Of salt Lakers Sent
To investigate Submits
It's Findings.
|New FORM OF GOVERNMENT
~ Are Named 10 Draft nm TO BE
Presented &c the Coming
Legislature.

tn. matter ~ getting rid Of political
-.-s i'm the city government OF Salt
IL. has now advanced from the point
u stpdvlng plans adopted BY other
rlsss to the point OF appointing a conn
mite, to draw 10 a bin 20 be present
IA 10 the Utah legislature
Al a meeting Of the Civic league in
,,s rooms OF the Y NJ. c. A. last night
49, reoort Of the committee sent 70
nes Mones on trip OF inspection
vas read. In a discussion of over an
honrs length following the reading OF
his report Il was decided 20 name a
committee 10 prepare a bill for The
legislature. on which the commission
system can be authorized for cities at
least Of the FIRST class.
This legal committee consists or
penner \. smith, James Ingebretsen,
carl A. Badger. NJ. II. Walker. Oscar
! COZ william r. Wallace. Frank b.
stephens, and W. II. King.
Tbe committee Of Salt Takers who
want 10 pes Molnes was composed Of
prank b. stephens, Carl A. Badger and
william u. Wallace ln It's report It
advocates a city government for salt
axe by commission. its governing
ho5y 10 be composed OF five commIs-
sioners with q salary OF $500 each, ali
franchises 20 be approved by the peo-
M the initiative. referendum and re-
. mi 10 De provided for and the city
Judges sim 10 be elected by the people
The report Of the committee IS az
follows.
TEXT OF REPORT.
Nr President and Members OF Civil
Improvement League OF Salt Lake
. rifv. Your committee reached Des
Nolnes on Friday, noon. Dee. Is, 1908,
and spent three and one-half days
there. We found a progressive city,
and the following statistics are here
given so that comparison can readily
he made between Des Moines and salt
Lake city as 20 population and other
Paiks city directory estimates the
population al lO4 10.
Assessed valuation, $l4,O0OWO.
Taxes about the same as Salt Lake
City o
Nineteen banks; deposits, $4,000 900.
Insurance payroll, $500 600 per month.
Coal mine paynoll, $4,000 per month.
| RAILROAD ItNNhlls HNNfNN' W. fNiFAAN-ts
Forty-hvc home Insurance companies,
Thirteen colleges and technical
. schools
Fifty-threo school buildings
The public service corporations, IN
| Guiding the water system, are an OWn-
. ed by private companies.
Nineteen steam railroads.
one hundred twenty-throe miles OF
paving
mains.
one hundred thirfy-four miles Of gas
mains.
FORMER CONDITIONS.
Your committee made careful inquiry
. concerning city government conditions
under the old regime. We were In
| ionled that 20 years ago Dies Moines
was IN debt 10 the legal limit. Since
| that time she has lived within her in
| come, reduced her bonded debt By $780,
| 900 and spent about S2,000,000 In per-
. manent improvements. The city hall is
very unudy building Of little value,
but Des Molnes has. on the other hand,
a splendid library building erected by
me city, well equipped, costing about
| $4,000
The city was formerly governed by a
mayor and nine councilmen, one from
each Of seven wards and two at large.
| Councilmen were paid $3.50 per year
each. The usual undesirable conditions
under the ward system prevailed, anu
| The city business was characterized by
considerable waste and extravaganza
| the streets were unclean and the side
| walks On a bad condition. As responsi-
bilIty was divided among SO many no
| one could be held 10 account IL Is
the testimony Of an with whom we
talked that city work was poorly done.
| We. however, learned OF no serious
scandal during this period OF the oitys
| history.
The city IS divided by The Des
| M0ines river, the state capitol and
some other public buildings are upon
the east side but about SO per cent Of
the business and wealth Is upon the
west side. There was. and hy some
81 Is claimed there sim is. a little rival
ny between the two sides OF the river
ana tendency on the part Of the east
sde to vote together
CAMPAIGN FOR ADOPTION OF
PLAN
a knowledge n the great benefit re-
sulting 90 the city OF Galveston by rea-
son of tho adoption OF the commission
system led some public spirited citi-
gems OF Dea Moines 10 visit Galveston
ana make a report upon the system
Mere. Upon their return meetings
were held and committees appointed
'nl a campaign inaugurated for the
Moinea
AZ n Utah, the first legislature 10
Nheh mo plan was presented refused
pass che bills. The Dies Moines com-
n',lee which drafted the ban that nnal-
Y passed took the best features from
"felil different plans OF municipal
so'finment The system ~ five COM
ll'aloners was taken from Galveston.
e INITIATIVE referendum and recall
luW Los Angeles, the civil service sys-
nl iloln Portland. a primary election
efol years
cluzens of dos Moinea had al
TOT TO years had an opportunity
NN1elfr commission system in the
~, tentnt of the public corrective
f7 illanlo Institutions of the state.
sululiona having been for that
49,, .I li'nt under board 0f control.
49,. 'inh OF thrrc commissioner. who
iHN ehafgc M these Institutions.
,SIf me Iowa law the lOoal voters
h' city determine by majority
~, ,lhef or not they viii nut me
Mission plan into operation.
YAelntes mems committee. Consirf-
oi 200 leading business and profes-
tN men, conducted "a canpalen ~
e'aupn for the adoption III me- Man
Ialred lY subscription 4 aiu IN
rl.t $4,000 FOR that purpose.
pan was supported BIZ fhreo ~
n.st gNlN papers the ministers