The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1910-07-27
Tag COMMISSION PLAN.


THE COMMISSION PLAN.
In an article II the Juiy Forum
Julius Chambers refers 10 The suc-
cess OF the commission plan OF city
government in Des Mosnes. where. he
says:
The mayor snd commissioners rely
n7.oa the local press 10 keep eFery de-
parrmsl. active and clean. EFeTF
branch OF city administration Is an
opez book 10 tie reporters and tier
are encouraged 10 investigate con
sEantly The pres and citizens lean
N eaca o+hsr Mutually -hey as=is<
tie Eayor and his council Warfare
does 1o exist beswesH the press and
the pual5c Official Tney work to
geshsr
The Des Moz1eS Register and Lead
Il COPIES the s1resosng and says o. il.
IN the main tbs IS & trls state
-sEG &C TIE local situation The news
papers and the city administration are
#c-gfng togeEher IN ths only relation
safa perwzssahEe for the puhiC good,
rEar Of servics On the one hand and
absolute frank publicity IN ths othe-.
the Des Nofnss FEan Ike any Other
slaa OF direct popular government i
succeeding varv I4rzeIv IA Ese degree
thar publicity * fixing responsibility
m Ms inaugural address e the first
meeting OF the new cry council OF
EasysI,E under the commission plan
5lavnr Elder announced that that bosiE
would hold enc epen meeting eseh
month and AT 0E1sr proceedings Eoz1ltz
be secret. II was pointed ou- hE TIE
Care cry at the time that THIS policy
was a mistaken one. that the cl-arr-is-
sianers we're the EeorEe.s ss-vazts, en-
trusted win the performance 81 csr-
raSr public duties. and that the people
mad a rfgfr1 30 knew what they we're
doing at al times !. wss further II
tsr1Hrsd Il rscaEsetioz series Alright,
tss1ar onEY By taking TIE public into 3
confidence thruugn : roltcE O the
widest uuaIzc5+y essFlLd Ire Commission
eys assure themselves AMI the mex
svstarn OF city gpvsrume1s t-s moral
s,1uucr- they 6sssrTe1 By reason os
ne good character q both This go05
advice vas ovsrf1oEad o. disEegarded.
xSrK ne result that sae-s i vide
sDrsad feeling cf dhssrust II The CON-
y17g1-ssrv. whethe- the EaFor AID his as
sr7efa-es kzcE Of fts existence or not
Z RS evr teer proposed 70 attempt
10 ezsrsfze TIE right OF The recall
WIKI Z rev Of rezadTE1g conditions,
r TITS rscnarse has been advised
szaf-se- successfully 50 far. On the
gruu-s mat If allowed z little more
tf-se tte commissioners would recog-
rig their -istzEe and correct Il them
sslva That Il i mistake, the ex-
1e-=1ce q Burlington, as ~eH as OF
HecE1k- aaeszs There as here the
-rass TOOK the initiative Immediately
see~ tsa election. extending felicia.
inns 70 tie successful candidates and
rro@er cooperation TO make the
-sw form Ct government successful
E5sE these offers vere NET and with
wEaa4 result & thus stated IN the
EsswaEye:
Tbs response was anything bur en-
eos-agfng and The attitude Of the city
goTe-u- sut HIS been q disappoint-
r-e-- 50 far as securing mutual coop
erzeEor N officials. the press and
~ citizens generally Many OF the
gz--e- hzrs lad the same experience
a. he 1cczi press. Their enthusiasm
s<- 4he new movement has been
casaBed- their sincere proTers Of mu-
TAI Ec-g for the good Of the city have
ses- treated HgElflr. or with indife--
ezce IRE executive has publicly an
rre-e ed that if The voters do not like
fhe rar ae AID his associates are run
r5-2 eStr sFasrs they can put some
ore else & charge two years later At
rresez. tbsy are managing things
5zs. kow - 20 details. or what the
55zrs ars tgr the fuure. the voters
have ESou1e5ze 0uir By occasional
z5fur6es. Cousecgre tas vide field for
zY ard IN citizens. ennasse. have
VERY 7fssae IN Do wisb the municipal
gove-n-er TIE Dsblic spirit in that
resreee s. 55mrne5 and the citizens
here tBrre I'd Fbesr thoughts 10 Their in
dfTfduzG Interests and discharged
vshstAger Ge5s " Obligation they may
have r.. ln heir moment n a-o@se1
enthusiasm 70 contribute o. their best
thougE7 5u6gneu. s36 activities for
the welfare q t1s ctr,
Meanwhile. tsse s1ssfr conclusion
must rot - reaefe6 that the commits
sion plan r z failure 81 Burijngfoss. II
I Is too early ~ psgg : fair Judgment
upon results tfae Information Al hand
IS too meagre and The difficulty Of get
ting In touc1 zira me administration
rs TOO great 70 wsrrsat final concur
SONS. Here and there ewl6ence Is
creeping ONT tfst fbe affairs 81 the
lcl'y are honestly nsnsge6 ~ 10 con
4 tracts and finances ssS some com
nsehdabie economies hare been effect
Gu There. is Lacking taaat moral tone