The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1910-08-18
While in quincy the Other Day he
Gave out Interview to journal
Representative Regarding
City Government.
PROFESSIONAL REFORMS
says That Commissioners Got off on
Wrong Foot and That he
Would Rather be Governed
by Political Boss.

u, Wdlt0T DAFT was interviewer by q
representative Of the Journal, and ex-
pressed his views as to Keokuls's
present administration and the men
who are handling the city affairs.
The article published follows
DR.. G. Walter Barr of Keokuk not
ed author and magazine writer, secre-
tary of the board Of education, mem
Der of the library board and one Of
the three men in Keokuk who got his
name In Who's Who in America"
was in the city four hours yesterday
afternoon, and while here gave out
some interesting information about
the commission form of government,
as he sees it,
DR.. Barr says that he was at first
and still is in favor of the commits
sion form of government, which has
been in operation in Keokul1 since
last April. He believes that 1t is
good thing, If the right sort of COM
missioners are elected, although he
added that in his opinion, if petition
was started asking for the recall OF
the present commissioners there that
nine out of every ten persons would
sign it. So far, though, he says no
one has had the nerve to come out
with the petition, as the people know
that the new form Of government is
still In an experimental stage and
that the people want to give 1t fair
trial before they censure the commits
sioners.
He says that the commissioners got
off on the wrong foot, as the saying
goes, because they were inexperi-
enced in civic government and would
not listen to anyone who had thing
to do with the old administrations.
Il would rather live in city gov
erned By political bosses than in :
city ruled by professional reformers,
with big r at that. the doctor said.
The first thing that the commission
ers did was to order the union label
removed from all the city printing,
and this naturally antagonized all
union men, SO that the Trades and
Labor assembly is at loggerheads
with the city government.
Then they started out by holding
secret sessions, not allowing a soul
to hear what they were saying. Fin
ally public pressure became SO strong
that they decided to hold open meet
ings. But instead of holding these
meetings at a specified time they are
liable to hold them any old time be-
tween 8 a. m. and 4 p, M, SO no one
has yet been able to attend one of
these meetings unless he remained on
watch twenty-fonr hours at time
Then they are not doing one-tenth
of the work on the streets, nor are
they continuing the improvements
commenced by the last administra-
ton. In consequence, the kicks are
numerous. One piece of street work.
however, which is noticeable, was
done on the street on which the
mayor lives. They are making great
showing on the books, however.
Another thing the commissioners
did was to send to Arkansas for a
railway clerk and make him city
clerk; to Burlington for railroad en-
gineer and make him city engineer;
fired the best city attorney Keokul
ever had and hired a young lawyer
who had been instrumental in work.
Ing UP the commission plan. After
hiring these men, as well as the po-
lice force and fire department, the
commissioners proceeded to order
that the civil service system was go
Ing to apply IN future. This means
that unless charges which can be
proven are brought. that the en-
nloyes may hold the Offices until
death relieves them. The mayor is
retired railroad man of means and
started In to run the city as If 1t
were a big railroad, and that Is why
. he has made himself very unpopular.
Another thing. two of the candi-
dates for commissioner combined at
the election in order to defeat the
very man that the leaders In the
movement for the commission plan
wanted defeated. Too much like ward
politics for me, and I want you to