The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-02-18

The committee representing the Civic
Improvement lea que of salt Lake CITY.
after only two afternoons work, Sc
cured tine names of most representa-
tive group of merchants. bankers and
business and professional men gener-
ally, to a petition urging the adoption
of the Des Moines plan of municipal
government for Salt Lake Among the
names OF those who appear on the PC
tition in advocacy of the proposed law
are many whose hostility to the Cal
weston bills two years ago was marked.
The two years educatiQnal work con-
Quoted by the league has placed the
matter before these former enemies in
such light that. they are now the
most ardent friends of the system of
government of cities by commission.
The committee representing the
league in the matter of securing these
signatures worked only in the business
district; the membership of the league,
quite 1000, could easily have swelled
the total, particularly i'm the districts
outside the business section.
Meet Committees Today.
The representatives Of the league will
meet with the committees on municipal
laws of both houses today. The mem
beTs of the league committee will meet
in Mayor BransfOrd's Office at las
o'clock and viii then make arrange
ments to present the petitions and to
outline the plan in a general way. In
this way the matter will be presented
to the committees, and through them
to the two houses.
The feeling outside Salt Lake City
with respect to the Des Moines plan of
government is said to be exceedingly
strong. delegation from Logan,
headed by ]. A. Hendricks of that city,
was in Salt Lake yesterday and met
Speaker Robinson. Mr. Hendricks is
an earnest advocate of the plan.
1t is SAID that Representative W. L.
Hayes of Pleasant Grove, Utah county,
is one of those who are anxious to have
the system extended so as to make II
state-wide-that is, to include the
smaller cities. There are many advO-
Gates of the plan in Ogden, whence
have come expressions of approval of
the method. With regard to the smaller
towns, it is said that the institution Of
the commission form of government
VIII go a long way toward eliminating
bitterness and factiOnal strife. In adj
dition, it is said for them that it would
materially reduce the expenses of ad-
hninistration and consequently reduce
the rate of taxation for that purpose
1t is likely that. should the plan be so
extended as to include the smaller
cities, a commission of three, instead Of
five. as provided for in the bill affect
ing Salt Lake. would suffice.
The petition and the letter which &C
companied it are given below:
To the Honorable Speaker and Members
of the House of Representatives
l. fIaF III
honorable body. a city municipal govern
ment bill. which, if made a law, will give
cities of the first class in Utah a commits
sion form of government on similar lines
to the Des Moines plan of city govern
ment.
The Civic Improvement league. during
the last two years. has carefully ana
thoroughly looked into this matter of mu-
nicipal government and sincerely believes
it will be beneficial to every taxpayer and
property owner of this city. Many meet
ings have been held in different sections
of the city and the matter has been thor
ougldy discussed In every way. At all Of
these meetings, practically every person
attending has been convinced that the
commission plan of government is an i'm
provement in every way over the one We
have at the present time. To make sure
that no mistake should be made. the Civic
Improvement league at their own expense
sent three representative citizens of this
CITY namely. Senator Carl A. Badger.
Frank B. Stephens and William r. Wal
lace to Des Moines- Ia These gentlemen.
after a careful and thorough investigation
of the matter. made a report to the Civic
league indorsing the COM
mission plan of government as q prac-
teal business measure.
At the present time nearly 30 cities of
the United States are actively agitating
for this change of government and many
have already followed the Des Moines and
Galveston plan of government. 1t has