Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1909-11-20
REFORMS IN MUNICIPAL GOV.
ERNMENT.

ERNMENT.
At the recent meeting of the Ma
tional Municipal League at Cincin-
natl Clinton Rogers Woodruff OF
Philadelphia, secretary of the league
in his address, said that charter re-
vision and nomination reform were
the two most conspicuous tendencies
in year of unparalleled municipal
activity. He pointed out that it was
matter of no small moment or i'm
pOrtance when 1873 cities within the
two years seriously considered the
question of charter-building and re-
building. The spread of the commits
sion form of government had been
rapid and widespread, in the period
covered, and shows how municipal
students, legislators, and admins
traitors are seeking some effective So
luton of the complicated difficulties
of the modern municipal problem.
"After years and years Of found
ering between scandalous subservien-
cy to corporations on the one hand,
and ignorant, or vicious, or dishon-
est attacks upon them on the other.
the progressive communities of the
country have recently been coming
to the inevitable conclusion that to
get this business Of the people attend
ed to promptly and satisfactorily, it
Is necessary to entrust it to small and
we1lpaid commissions, composed Of
competent men, charged with due
power and responsibility" said Mr.
Woodruff.
After pointing out that the amount
of grating that had been exposed
during the year was appalling, Mr..
Woodruff declared that these inves.
legations, grand jury inquiries, in
dictments, and convictions mean that
the American people are tired of the
old condition of affairs. and are in
sisting on new deal. 'tThey are"
said he, regulating the condition
of standards of the past generation
and establishing new and higher
ones"
There is one danger" Mr.. Wood
ruff declared, (which advocates Of
the commission form OF government
must guard themselves against
that is the feeling that it constitutes
panacea for all municipal ills. In
the words of one Of the principal
proponents of the commission form
of government in Galveston. The
commission form is all right, it is an
important, an unqualified success,
but no plan can be devised which is
self-operative, or which will relieve
the people from the responsibilities
of lf-goyernment.'
Mr.. Woodruff said that a conspic.
uous feature Of the movement for
the commission form is the impetus
which it has given to the agitation
for the short ballot, the elector be-
ing Called upon to choose but five
officials charged with the duty of car
rying on the whole government Of
the municipality.
The speaker said that the merit
system has been very conspicuous
feature of the later form of munich
pal charters. "In fact, all the char
tiers which are based on the Des
Moines modification and the plan
contain admirable civil service pro-
Visions" said he.
As to direct primaries, Mr.. Wood
ruff asserted that some advocates of
direct nominations had been dispos.
ed to consider the enactment Of the
law as the beginning and end Of their
work, overlooking the fact that the
direct primary Is an opportunity, not
a cure. The most that good laws can
do is to make 1t more difficult for the
reactionary elements to promote evils
and easier for the progressive ele-
ments not only to prevent and cure
them, but easily and effectively to
advance the general welfare of the
community.
In discussing franchise questions.
Mr. Woodruff said that one Of the
pressing needs Of the present is to
compel, BY whatever legitimate