The Dickinson press. (Dickinson, Stark County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1927, 1910-03-05
COMMISSION SYSTEM
BY Il MINOT MAN
Has Earned Money Magic Cy-pracca and Effective In
Reality Gives Benefit of Recall. There Commission De-
votes Time Necessary to Get Good Results Work Done
When 1t Should Be- President Gets $50 Per Year

cnaree of the accounts and of the money
OF the city, and harder to. be dishonest,
which are things worth striving for in
any municipal law.
13. Yes, there is some opposition
ia the community to the commission
system. 1t is opposed by few of
what mimght be termed ''old line poll
tlcians,' whose prestige is on the wane
and practically eliminated. 1t is op-
posed by all of the gamblers, piggers
and prostitutes of the city; and. by
the way, they are not so numerous here
as they have been during late years. at
the present writing. The principal op-
positions to the commission system in
this community seems to be based upon
tue TACT that the OppOsers have ceased
to fatten at the public's expense with
out rendering Quid pro quo.
Will say further. in regard to the
commission form of governments, that,
tor the short time that we have used
i, 1t has apparently been successful
em city was in debt right up to the
debt limit at the time the commission
efs went into office, and has gone upon
g cash basis, and has money provided
1or the coming year and has furnished
better service to the city in the police
department, and in all other depart
ments than heretofore. 1t is now
operating within its means so as to stav
On cash basis.
/ The size of the board makes it more
mr1anaeeable than large city council.
ana therefore. more economical. The
combination of legislative and executive
powers makes more workable machine
than the city council When it is COM
bined in board of from three to five
members. it is workable. when combined
with councils Of twelve or more, while
workable to certain extent, it is not
nearly so effective as it is with smaller
body.
Ihere are some complaints against the
commission system. The complaints,
however, are coming from the pings,
gamblers and bawdy houses. and their
ret ainers and cavaliers. These COM
plants would be just as strenuous
under the council system as under the
commission system. They are laying
their trouble to the system. when it is
not that at all. The trouble with them
is that the writer believes in enforcing
the law and in living up to his beliefs
and convictions.
| The time required for the doing OF
the work of the commissioners is less
than it is under the council system, for
the very reason that you suggest the
work is often done in less time than it
would take to get a committee together.
Also. we have two commissioners who
are e-aldermen under the council sys-
tenn. and who were supposed 10 be
about the best on the board. and il
develops that when they take charge ol
department for which they are respon-
sible. they are not worth tinker 8
hurrah. The system has shown up their
quailhcatlons that they succeeded in
hiding under the council system.
Inc defects which find in the law
, are: That there is no proper or ade.
quate method provided for cities that
are in debt to 60 on a cash basis. and.
Continued on page s.