Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1909-02-20
COMMISSION Plan
FOR MINI. CITIES
BILL INTRODUCED IN MINNESOTA
LEGISLATURE TO GIVE MlNNEA
POLLS, ST. PAUL AND DULUTH
THIS SYSTEM WITH FAIR PROS
PEcT OF ITS PASSAGE.

+ PECT OF ITS PASSAGE.
! Next Tuesday the people of Bis
nrarck will be called upon to decide
whether or not they desire to change
the form of city government from the
ward system to the commission or
Galveston plan.
The matter has been variously dis
cussed, but of late has dropped con
siderably out of sight owing to the
session of the legislature and other
things Of interest.
In some quarters the statement
has been made that the commission
plan will entail added expense as
under the law the commissioners ian
vote themselves large salaries, and
things like that. At Mandan the COM
missioners voted themselves q salary
of 81 per year, and it is but fair to
presume that any commissioners who
might be elected under the plan in
this city would prove as public spir-
tied. II this should prove the case
there would he a saving In salaries
over the present plan Of $345 for a
starter.
Since the subject of the commits
sion plan was preached in this city
last fall Topeka, Kansas, has voted
favorably on the adoption of the plan
and q number of other cities in var
ious states have the change under
consideration and it is safe to predict
that in due course this new idea will
take as firm a hold on the people as
the Australian ballot system and the
primary election law.
In Minnesota the commission plan
has been given big boost in the
last day or two by the introduction In
the senate Of that state of a bill to
provide the commission Plan Of gov
eminent for st. Paul, Minneapolis
and Duluth, and according to the Min
neapolis Tribune the law will proba-
bly, pass the senate where 1t is in
trodnced. The Tribune says Of it,,
Commission form of government
and the abolition of the city conncil
for Minneapolis, st. Paul and Duluth
are provided for in a bill introduced
in the senate this morning by Senator
Edward E. Smith Of Hennepin3 county.
1T provides that the bill shall apply
to cities having population of over
$4,000.
1T is an application of what is
known as the Galveston plan which
was originally adopted at Galveston,
Texas, and was later inaugurated at
Des Moines, Iowa, and is said to be
working successfully in both cities.
Its aim is to give cities businesslike
and economical FORM of government
and eliminate ward politics from mu-
nicipal affairs. ..>
:. 1T provides for five commissioners
for each city nominated by primary
election, who shall hold Office for six
years, to be elected at, a non-partisan
election, the first election to provide
for a sliding scale of terms so that
there shall be a new commissioner
elected every two years.
"The author OF the measure claims ,
that It will practically eliminate ward
lines and give the cities form of
government in which it will be pos
sible to secure men Of tried business
ability. Those who are urging the
measure intimate that the present
waste in funds due to ward patronage
and other like causes is such that
eventually all cities will be forced to
come to the measure proposed.
The proposed bin sent chill down
the spine OF the adherents of the Dick
O'Connor and LAWYER crowds of st.
Paul. 1t is such that its application
would have tendency to make the
bossism in municipal. Affairs in which
O'Connor is prominent example, i'm
possible.
Senator E. E. Smith, who intro
duced the bill, il one of the leaders
Of the senate and it is thought that
the measure win have no difficulty
in passing that body" 4 ,.-@@