Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-02-25
PLAN FOR COMMISSION FORM
R. E. Sunderland Tells What Has Been
!, Done by the Ad Club.
CLUB IS BACK OF THE-NEw BILL
All cities % over Five Thousand Pop
ulation VIII ne Affeeted ~ the
Omaha Plan is Made
state Lew.


The omahs Al Grub has worked up con-
siderable Interest IN the commission form
o government At It's recent meetings and
that the public may know just what has
been done In the matter Ralph f. sunder-
land chairman OF the publicity COMMITTEES.
has issued the following formal statement
regarding the Omaha Ad club bill for the
commissioner form OF government Wis:
The Omaha Ad club originally presented
the subject for public discussion and con-
sideration because It was thought that
Omaha might thereby secure the same sort
Of nationwide advertising that Des Moines
received while the commissioner form idea
vas being worked out for that city.
AS a result the club engaged speakers
fully competent 70 present arguments in
favor Of the plan and then tried. without
success. 20 find speakers who would under
take to publicly oppose It.
Two months consideration Of the sub
isct by the club members has resulted in
= growing sentiment favoring the plan and
an insistsnt demand that the club take the
Initiative In preparing a suitable bill for
presentation to the legislature now in sea-
sion.
AT the last meeting Of the club. by an
almost unanimous vote. the executive com
mittse was instructed to have such a bill
prepared, and this has been done.
The bin TO be introduced will. II passed
~ the Legislature enable any and all cities
Of 5000 or more inhabitants 70 adopt the
commissioner form Of government. The
bni provides q sliding scale OF salaries for
eounciimen according to the size OF the
city. The biii even provides a sliding scale
vita reference 70 the number Of councilmen
Zoe cities Of different siss. ranging from
thRoa 90 seven
~Tha bfii does not undertake TO change
aEiEtina laws aEospt with references to the
eeaouana ana business management Of
Otttsa.
R@ausos cs1neilmen &c seven.
SAs applisd 80 cities Of the metropolitan
casa In walsh Omaha IL alone. the bin
pEOvidss Cor seven oouncnmen. who, upon
election. Uha1 pFSossd 10 select from their
oWn nunnbag enc who shall be the mayor
ana president Of ths council but he shall
have No veAo power. The salaries provided
~ ths AZ stub bnl are pasoo a year for
eOunoilman ana eAooo cor thu mayor In
cities - ths metropolitan class.
The bin provides for the recall. but
m view % pending legislation. the initiative
and rsf~sndum has been omitted for the
present
Seven dspartmsnts are created by the
proposed bin. visa
Department Of public affairs.
Department Of accounting and finance.
Department Of police.
Department OF fire and water.
Department Of street cleaning and main
tenancs
Department OF public works.
Department OF public property. parks
and boulevards
To each councilman will be assigned a
single department the mayor having
charge OF the department. OF public af-
fairs with general oversight Of all de-
partments.
The Ad club bill provides for the aboli-
ton OF ward boundaries and ali elections
are to be at large. Candidates for office
seek election upon. a nOn-partisan basis.
az least. there Is no legal recognition OF
party. The ballots used in both primary
and final elections bear no party desiR-
nations. each candidate standing upon his
own personal merit
Under the Ad club bill no officer nor
smplOye OF the city is permitted to use
his influence or his money nor to render
any service whatsoever to favor any can
didats for office upon penalty OF ian
sentence.
'"rhia ls statewide bill. OF interest to
every city OF 5000 people or more
I IT, IN event of its passage, any city or
Neities should elect to adopt the Omaha
plan, as this bill viii undoubtedly be
called Il viii be found that very few Of
the existing laws will have been affected
except those with references to the man
aGement Of the affairs OF such cities, sub
shutting modern business-llke plan for
one fifty years outgrown and entirely in
Adequate for present purposes and require
ments-"