Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1910-10-22


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court decided in an able opirion that
the commission law was valid and
legal, and that the Legislature had
the right to delegate to the governor
the power to make the appointments.
The legal jurisdiction in Texas is
peculiar. The supreme court is SUI
preme in civil matters. and the court
of criminal appeals is supreme in
criminal matters There is nobody
to Judge between them. Consequent
ly, should the supreme court on a
civil case decide differently to the
criminal court of appeals in a Grim
inal case, there would be no way of
harmonizing the difference.
At the time the court declared the
commission charter unconstitutional
because of it's appointive feature, the
legislature then in session, was about
to adjourn Judge j. u. II. Scott,
then city attorney, lawyer of splen-
did ability, went to the state capital
and under great pressure, re-wrote
the entire charter, providing for the
election Of all five of the members
of the city commission, and had it
re-enacted The mayor-p president and
four commissioners were then
promptly and overwhelmingly elected
by the people.
Galveston Plan I'm Brief.
Mr.. Henry y. f. Macfarland. the
president of the board of commission
ers of the District OF Columbia. which
manages the affairs of the city of
Washington, IN an address before the
Canadian Club of Montreal, made the
following statement:
"The Galveston form of govern
ment forced on the Texas city by the
exigencles of the great flood most
nearly resembles that of the District
of Columbia, while the latest, that
of Des Moines, Iowa, differs in form
at least most of all, since II proposes
TO full operation of what are known
as the initiative. the referendum and
recall"
1t has been suggested that proper
term for the commission plan would
be Board of Municipal Directors"
instead of Board of City Commission
ers, as the term commissioners is
somewhat confusing.
The city commission is simply a
board of directors, elected at large
by the qualified voters of the entire
city every two years. This board is
composed of five practical business
mon, each fully recognizing the fact ,
that economy and business methods. |
not politics, should be employed in
ira nsacting the business affairs of
the city. A@~io.
The business that is being directed
by these five men. as agents for the
citizens of Galveston, can be briefly
summarized as follows Furnishing
the people with pure wholesome
water, adequate sewerage. efficient
police and fire protection, well light
ed. clean and well paved streets,
drainage, sanitation, public hospital
for the sick and a careful manage
ment OF the city finances.
This form of city government
recognizes the fact that the city must
be administered and looked after as
whole, and that 1t is not divided
into units or wards. II holds the
interest and the attnetino of the
citizens and encourages good men to
enter the city government
The strongest feature of the COM
plan of city government is
its perfect simplicity, its ddrectness
and in limiting the number of those
directly charged with the manage
ment Of the city's affairs and in fix
ing or in the Capitalization of re-
sponsibility.
In strong address delivered at
Harvard college, Hon. Elihu Root,
one of the greatest lawyers this
country has produced, made this
striking statement; III venture to
suggest that there are two things to
be done OF vital Importance, both of
which require the highest degree OF
One is that for the
solution OF the complicated ques-
tions that are now before us, govern
ment should be simplified in the
highest degree, And to simplify Is
the function of learning. The other
is that responsibility shall be fixed
so that the people may know whom
TO hold responsible for failures to
produce good government. The fix
ing of responsibility is a matter for
the highest intelligence and courage
Under the commission plan the
of department is
promptly laid at the door OF the neg
loctful commissioner, not only by the
general public. but by the mayor
president and the other members Of
the board. This knowledge of per