Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1910-10-15
COMMISSION RULE
in DES MONIES
Mayor Shows Good Effect
In That City.
ObIlteratiOn Of Party Politics, Admin
lStratlOn Of Public Affairs on a
Business Basis, Full Responsibility
to Public Opinion, Prove Its Prac-
tiCdbiIity

government obliteraItes ward lines, ig-
nores party policies and abolishes leg
islative, executive and judicial dis
tinctions, writes Mayor James r. Han
ma of Des Moines, Ia, in the current
issue of The Public.
1t substitutes a board consisting of
1.-The mayor and four commissioners,
who manage the affairs of the city as
a board of directors would manage the
business of a bank or of any other
large corporation. They are invested
with all the powers of city govern
ment, ami are elected by the people
of the whole city.
These five men divide TIE duties Of
the city government among them
selves into five departments: Public
affairs, accounts and finances, public
fsafety, streets and public improves
ments, and parks and public property
They then elect all the subordinate
officers necessary for the city bus
mess, such as chief of police, police
Judge, city clerk, city engineer, city
treasurer, city auditor, etc These sub
ordinate officers may be discharged at
any time. All other subordinates, ex-
cept common laborers, are selected
under civil service rules administered
by civil service commission, and are
removable only for misconduct or lack
of attention to duties, or activity in
political matters.
The four. commissioners and the
mayor act as the administrative heals
of their respective departments. They
also constitute the council and as such
/ legislate for the city.
1t will be seen tLat directness and
simplicity are the main characteristics
of the Des Moines plan of commission
government.
The great purposes are to make the
city officials feel responsive to public
opinion, and to enable them to make
! themselves efficient in administration
To carry out these two fundamental
ideas, two other great principles have
dictated nearly all tie details of the
charter-namely: To confer upon the
governing body great power, and to
hold it strictly responsible for right
uses Of its power. Publicity and effic-
iency are the watchwords of the Des
Moines pan.
Candidates must make a public
statement of their campaign expenses !;
there can be no secret meeting of the
city council; every ordinance appro-
prhating money must be on public file
for seven days before it become effec-
tive; all franchises must be submitted
to a vote of the people for approval
before they become operative; and
officers must be under no secret obli-
cations to public service companies in
the way of passes, special rates OF
free service.
These specific provisions for public
ity have created general spirit that
demands the bringing of everything
in connection with the city govern
ment out into the open. Campaigns
are conducted practically altogether
in open meetings, hundreds of which
, occur in every city election; and every
meeting of the city council is infinitely
: reported in the daily newspapers. The
result is that public opinion, we'll in
formed and intelligent, moulds the
action of the city council.
TIE power of this public opinion i:
rendered still more effective by pro.
; visions for an essential part of the
Des Moines plan-the initiative, tint
referendum and the recall.
Having thus provided for intelligent
: active and effective public opinions
making the city government respon-
si'ble to the people for it's every act
the next thing of Importance, indeed
t the great object, it to give it the means
of efficient administration. 1t is there
fore invested with every power INCL
dent to city Legislative
S1ASSVNAfS N1ihi yd0ICIobI-SO QfldL UlpIt
,, can be no excuse for inefficiency.
Prompt, efficient, business-like adj.
ministration of municipal affairs il
the natural result. When you have in
telligent public opinion stimulating O
business-like administration of COM
mon affairs, isn't that something like
the fullfllment of the prophecy OF
democracy?
Now, how does this novelty in mu-
nicipal government work out in prac-
tice?
1t has been tried in Des Moines only
a little more than two years, and cir
cumstances during that time hive
Ihampered the new form of government
more or less. Yet it has undoubtedly
been great improvement-indeed an
almost inealculable Improvement upo.l
the old form.
The administration has been prompt
err. and the city las been CLEANED up
physically and morally far beyond the
old order. Permanent improvement s
have been secured to an extent not
even approached in the past. And all
has been done upon tax levy ranging
from 8 mills to Az mills less tl-an dur
ing the eight proceeding years. To be
exact, the levy during the two years of
the Des Moines plan has averaged b.
mills less than it averaged under the
old plan during the eight years pre-
ceding.
Under tie new plan, the average