Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1909-05-28
COMMISSION GOVERNMENT
The New Method Of Governing Cities
and What it Has Accomplished
Where Used

=
es plan" because ii was FIRST usod
in Des Moines, Iowa The plan is
being adopted in many cities anu
wherever used has been successful
Wichita, Kansas, adopted it in April
and elected its first commission soy
ernment Many other towns will try
it at their next election. The fol
lowing account Of the Dea Moincs
plan was given the Herald by Mr..
f. NJ. Slagle, who makes the follow
ing suggestions, which is deemed
well worthy of notice, Mir. Slagie
says;
"A little article from your pen
along the line of commission govern
ment for Pullman might be timely
A town in the hole financially as
badly as this is might perhaps well
afford to pay one or even two good
men, VINO know their business, 60
take the management Of It. Take
man, for instance, who would be
a good consulting engineer of good
executive ability and high integrity
to take the Initiative, but still be
subject to The city council 1t is onlJ
suggestion"
Mr.. Slagle handed the Herald the
following clipping from the Worlds
Work, in regard to the Des Mones
plan which is well worth reading.
A year ago the city of Des Moines
adopted what is now known as the
Des Moines plan of city government
by commission, a modification of tha
adopted by the city of Galveston
In brief. it put the whole government
of the city in the hands of five men
elected by the entire voting popula-
ton, giving them salaries which en-
able them to devote their whole
time to the work of governing the
city. The plan, while it insures in
dividual responsibility, reserves a
check upon the individual by the
entire council thus making the head
of the department responsible to the
council and the council to the city
There is a referendum and recall
which has wholesome influence up
ON the actions of the officials. and off
sets the pernicious influence Of per
sonal interests.
The system has been in operation
in Des Moines but one year.
Although some of the members of
the council were not in full SYM
pathy with the plan, nevertheless it
has so far workd we'll In the pre-
Yious years, the old city council had
exceeded its income by $4,000. The
new administration closed its first
year with 100000 in the treasury.
by strict watchfullness and close
checking of accounts. In short there
was saving of 100000 under the
new system. There has been a great
elimination Of small wastes. In feet.
this more than covered the salaries
of the commissioners. $15.500. I'm
der the old aldermanic system. no
interest was received on the city
funds. They now draw per cent
on time and per cent on daily bal
ances.
There has been a wonderful i'm
proyement in the STRENGTHENING ser
vice. With only $4,000 in the fund
the streets have been kept in good
condition and the alleys clean for
the first tiyna In -, li
city. Without litigation the city
lowered the rates for electric street
lamps in July from ninety to seventy
five dsilars, and a few months ago
from seventy-tive to sixty-dye dol
lars under an all-night schedule in
stead of moonlight schedule. The
system has reduced water rates from
thirty cents to twenty cents per
thousand gallons. Whether this de-
cision will be effective depends on
the result of litigation. Gas rates
which were arbitrarily raised by q
former city council from seventeen
to twenty-five dollars, have been
dropped back to the old rate. Stems
have been taken toward the estab-
lishment of the Chicago profit shar.
ing plan for the settlement of all
litigation between the city and the
street railway company. by which
the city will have an interest in tho
railway company's business. Tn,
disreputable district has been wiped
out While it could not truthfuny
be said that the reform in this re-
spect is complete, the evils have beer
greatly reduced. Coincident with the
suppression of disreputable houses
the bond-shark business has been
abolished. Bondsmen are no longer
allowed to operate in the police
court. An agreement between the
railroads and the city for the con-
struction of yiaduct over the rail
way tracks has now been reached