The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-04-14

ed by the city. Later, when the con-
stitutionality Of the charter was call
ed in question, the supreme court
held that certain functions of the
commissioners could only be exercised
by elective officers. So in March.
1903 the charter was amended, max
ing all commissioners elective and the
three men who had been appointed by
the governor were promptly endorsed
by the voters at the polls. The divi-
sion of their civic administration is
as follows: 1. Finance and revenue.
2. Water works and sewerage. 8.
Police and fire protection. 4. Streets
and public property. The mayorcom-
missioner has no special department
but works with ALL This plan. as can
be readily seen, gives the desirable
scheme of Capitalization of power and
/ authority and definite location of re-
! sponsibility. These are the two
i things most conspicuous for their abb
, sence in our usual city government.
7 The conditions in Galveston are
: said to be good now and constantly
e improving. They claim the following
Y results:
: The use of approved business meth
DDS in civic financing.
The entire elimination of all leak
age in eXenditures.
The making of all appointments on
: the basis of individual efficiency.
The strict accountability of each
commissioner for the ongoings of his
own department.
In five years they arose from
bankrupt city to par. The yreducet
the running expenses of the city one
third and in five years saved ovel
81 100000 to the tax payers.
The plan has worked so we'll il
Galveston that at least five other Tex
as cities have adopted it: viz. Houston
Fit. Worth, Austin, Dallas and Ell Paso
The scheme is now spreading
throughout the entire country and
least a dozen northern states have re
Gently granted to cities the rigit t
change or modify their form of gov
eminent.
Iowa granted this right to cities o
$4,000 or over more than year ag
and Des Moines, our capital city, wa
the first to take advantage of 1t. an
SO striking and entirely unique
their charter that it is now know
throughout the country as The DE
Moines Plan" Indeed writer in tn
Century Magazine says: The DE
Moines plan is the most extraordinar
system of city government ever know
in the o. S"
1t required a petition signed by
per cent of tle electors at the las
general election to order an electio
on the new plan. If the plan carrie
by majority vote it is adopted an
the election ordered under the ne
charter The election must be hel
within two months of the time TT
petition was filed. The nominate
for office is by primary and any ma
can have his name placed before II
primary by securing % names of VIC
ers to petition and filing said PEI
ton ten days before the primary
called with the city clerk. The pl
mary is called two weeks before IL
general election.
The names of candidates must a
pear in alphabetical order and the
shall be nothing printed on the b;
lot to show the candidates place
residence or political preferences.
There are five commissioners o.
: of whom shall be mayorcommissiont
There is no limit to the number
names that may appear. In ID
Moines there were forty names befo
t.ae primary for mayor but the two
ceiying the highest number of vot
are declared the nominees for the
flee. Likewise the eight receiving t
highest number of votes for comm
sioners shall be declared the nomine
for that office.
The business of the city is divid
Into five departments as follows.