Omaha daily bee., 1910-12-30
DISCUSSES COMMISSION PLAN
Judge Ben S, Baker Explains Faults
Of Government.
PRESENT FORM Is EXPENSIVE
Plan wouId ReneHt oraaha ~
Reduetna the Nuubsr Of
Employees.
PRESENT FORM IS EXPENSIVE


Judge Ben s Baker spoke 20 the south
west Improvement club wednesday night
LAT its hall Twenty-fourth and LeaNen-
worth streets on the commission plan OF
city government
Il believe that the commission plan OF
municipal government" he said. has
many advantages and important al
vantages over our present plan Of city
government In the first place the com
missioner plan would be a cheaper means
and a more effective one 81 running our
city. We would get more under that plan
for our money than We are now getting
believe that under our present system Il
am not criticisiuE anyone IN connection
with our present city government-its the
system you understand the city has too
many employees doing too little work.
Under the commissioner plan we could elect
five good business men 70 carry on our
city business FOR US and DO II more Ell
fectyely than any council we could pos
sibly elect headed by the best mayor we
could elect Each Of those five men would
be assigned to q department OF the city
government Each would be responsible
for his part OF the city's business. don
believe In state initiative and referendum.
don't believe In the people voting upon
every little thing But when IL gets down
to a city. I believe the people should have
the right TO say what they want and what
they want to pay for It. Under the present
plan Of government when the end OF the
year comes around. what has become Of
the money? Nobody knows; nobody asks
for an accounting. II We had the com-
mission plan when the end OF the year
comes round and we realize that more
money has been paid out for street light
Ing or for paving than We think was
necessary we can go TO the commissioner
who has made that his business and ask
FOR an explanation. II that explanation is
not satisfactory-we have the recall.
Now in that matter OF the reeau we
would have IL be little careful. We are
but human. We are liable to let ourselves
be prejudiced or some faction influence
Us through prejudice or political reasons
to recall a man purely for those reasons.
Therefore, I am in favor Of recall which
would take a number. possibly SSls per cent
Of the total number of voters. That may
be too much. Probably that per cent should
obtain only for the first year the commits
sioner Is In office in order to allow pohti-
cal or any other kind Of prejudice, time
10 die out Then ] believe, the per cent
should be lowered to. say 25 per cent, 90
that II a commissioner is not doing his duty
he could be recalled without effort on the
part Of the people being prohibitive.
] believe In the commission plan Of city
government not altogether because Il would
eliminate graft, but because 1 think Il
would put the government on a purely
business basis. Omaha could have five
good business men at $500 or S7Ooo a year,
and have better government and a
cheaper government than we are having
now, or ever have had.
There would be fewer employees Of the
city. You walk into the city han now
and you will see more men idle by 80 Der
cent than you will in the shops. Under
the commissioner plan there would be none
Of these political hangers on. The people
should get together and let the legislator,
know what We want"