Evening journal., 1910-05-04
CITY GOVERNMENT.

HEN movement for commission form OF
n government which has gained such head
way in the West, has extended to Canada AT
the next election proposition will be submitted
to the voters OF Toronto to adopt commission
government few months ago officials of the
Canadian city visited Des Moines, Ia, and spent
several days there investigating the workings OF
the new system They were convinced that the
Des Moines plan is efficient, and the Des MONIES
charter will be submitted to the voters of Toronto
for ratification. Conditions are said toabe similar
in both cities.
Should Toronto adopt the new plan, it would
be a tribute to the Western states and would
show that they the leaders in solving muni-
cipal problems. Toronto is considered in adj
vance OF other cities in municipal progress, and
the confession by the residents of Toronto that
the Des AIoines plan is better than their own
we'll conducted municipal government would be
a confirmation of what the friends of the COM
mission method have been claiming for It.
An effort has been made to introduce the COM
mission system into Buffalo, N. y. but the New
York state political leaders have opposed the
change and surrounded the election TO decide
the question in Buffalo with so many restrictions
that it is doubtful whether the new method will
be adopted by the vote of the people.
Underlying all efforts Tor the commission
system IS the widespread desire for more eff
cent municipal government. There has been
and is much unrest concerning municipal meth
ods. In cities where one party is largely i'll the
majority, it is very difficult under the ordinary
plan to secure good city government. The party
with the large majority go to almost any
length to do as it pleases, always hoping that
the great bulk of the voters will refuse to split
their tickets or to rebel against party organi-
ization In such instances as this the only
relief seems to be in the commission system.
Once in awhile the voters of such hampered
city may run an independent tcket,but thas been
shown by long experience that such reform
movements are spasmodic. We have only to
turn to Philadelphia to see the futity of per-
manent reform through independent efforts.
In cities in which the political parties are
more evenly divided, as in Wilmington, There is
not so great a danger OF bad government as in
places where there is but feeble minority party.
Most cities are discussing these questions OF
municipal government. They are forced to do
so because the legitimate demands for civic I'M
provement are becoming so great that more
money must be provided either by increasing
the resources of municipality raising the tax
rate adjusting assessments, or finding some new
means of getting revenue
The first step that should be taken by Will
mington is to consider seriously a new city
charter We may.not set be ready to jump into
the commission system, but we ought TO be
ready to change our present city charter Tor a
new one. and we shall then see how it will work.
One thing certain is that Wilmington's city gov
ernment should be improved. Change in control
! OF the city from one party to another does not
remedy the defects They are far deeper than
thai,