The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1909-04-30
the COMMISSION PLAN.

r Vhlle there may be no crying neeg
of the adoption of 1.-THE commission
form of government in Duluth at pres
ent, now that the legislature has
made it possible to adopt that plan,
it might be worth while for those in
terested in the Improvement of the
business of looking after the interests
of the city to make thorough study
of the subject, says The News Trib-
une. If the commission plan is the
best form of municipal government for
Duluth, it ought to be adopted
The legislature has made it an easy
matter to submit the proposition of
commission government to the voters.
Five per cent of the electors may
by petition require the submission of
the proposition to vote of the peo-
pie But it would not be wise to take
such action without campaign of
education SO that the electors might
vote intelligently.
While the commission form of gov
eminent as adopted by various cities
over the country is comparatively
new, enough municipalities have tried
the plan to make possible fair test
of the merits of the system. Des
Moines is the largest city thus far
to adopt the commission plan, and
her government presents the most con
splcuous example of its merits.
1t has been stated that Des Moines
adopted the commission plan because
, of the corruptness of her former gov
eminent, which is partly true, but not
altogether SO. The commission plan
was adopted by a good majority, but
the politicians won out in the election
of commissioners, three out of five OF
the socalled gang candidates" being
chosen. Moreover, the politicians Sc
lected for chief of police a man to
whom they owed political debt, ii
spite of the protest of the head of the
department of public safety.
But that was as far as they dared
to 90 in that direction. Steps were al
once taken for recall of the com
missioner most interested in the ap
pointment of chief of police for pc
litical reasons. Before the movement
for the recall attained much Roadway
the chief of police was dismissed ant
another man appointed who was sat
isfactory to the public. The gang
discovered that the people were watcn
ing them; moreover, the form of gov
eminent was such that it was possibl,
to place the responsibility for govern
mental acts where it belonged. From
that time the commission government
of Des Moines kept close to the peopl
and that city began to have a rea
business government
There were other developments il
the Des Moines government that hav
recommended it to the people, some o
which were the campaign of the com
missioner of public safety against tn
gambling and depraved elements, an
the campaign of the commissioner o
public works for the proper carrying
out of contacts for Improvements.
The Des Moines government ougn
to be peculiarly interesting to Dulutl
students OF the commission plan be
cause that city has a population
slightly larger than Duluth, is tn
leading city of Iowa, is a railroa
center, its business men are more thai
ordinarily progressive and energeti
and its people, when stirred to en-
thusiasm, act with a positiveness tina
brings substantial results.
This form of government is concen
trative i'll it's administration, but a
the same time sufficiently RESPONSIVE,
to intelligent public sentiment to maxi
it truly representative and democratic
1t is not sectional in its operation
but is a government of the city as
whole. Now is the time to make
thorough local study of the commits
sion plan.