The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1910-02-20
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TIE about the Des Moines plan.
but in most sections of the
country if you happened to
ask Brown or Jones or Black just
what the plan was you would probably
get this reply:
to get members for the meat boycott,
Of course. Why don't you read the
newspapers and keep posted?"
| This information, as matter of fact,
would come about as near to hitting
the mark as the missile thrown by a
woman usually does, but there are
pretty good indications that before
| long your question will be promptly
and correctly answered wherever
asked. For the Des Moines plan Of
| municipal governmental plan for
governing cities by a commissioners
spreading rapidly and has already
been adopted by about seventy-fve
communities. To better understand the
plan we must go back to the time
when Galveston was almost annihi-
| lated by the storm several years ago.
| At the first meeting of the council
after the disaster Alderman McMaster
in an address to the body said:
1T strikes me, and believe we are
all of one mind, that we are up against
one of the most momentous PROPOSE
tons that any city ever had to face"
and without casting the slightest re-
| faction 1IDOO aDv poapohar of tho oogID-
ell more than upon himself he went on
to say that he did not think the thir-
teen men bad the ability to handle the
problem which confronted them. He
didn't think the ability to bring order
out of chaos was among them, and if
the members by resigning could place
the city on its feet quicker it was their
duty to resign.
Recognizing the incapacity of the
city officials. the citizens through a
committee appointed at a public meet
ing prepared a new charter, which was
almost unanimously sustained by pub
lie sentiment, Endorsed by the govern
ment Of state and enacted into law by
the legislature. 1t provided for what
| is known as a commission form of
! government by five citizens, two of
whom were to be elected by popular
vote at large, and three, the mayor and
| two commissioners, to be appointed by
the governor Subsequently the court
of original appeals held the appoint
ments void The court of civil appeals
sustained the validity of the acts in
all details. To avoid legal complica-
tons the citizens committee secured a
modification of the law and provided
for the election of the mayor and four
commissioners by popular votey The
system was inaugurated, the credit of
the city restored, public Improvements
undertaken upon a business basis, the
credit of the city raised to very
high standard, individual confidence
in the future of the place returned,
and in every respect the new plan of
| government became successful.
Influenced by this experiment, Hous-
ton adopted the system with slight
notifications. Later on Dallas. Fort
Worth and Ell Paso secured similar
charters The movement for a simple
commission form of government at
tracted general attention throughout
the country, and. as stated, the plan
so far, with some changes, has been
adopted by about seventy-iye com
munities.
Des Moines adopted the plan, with
several changes, in June, 1907. The
first commission took the oath Of Of
fee April 6, 1908. The change from