The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-05-07
EFFICIENCY AS A FACTOR.

n.
| The Quincy Journal in recent is.
sue had an editorial article to the fol,
lowing effect:
Reader, if you had job and you
had attended to it faithfully and we'll.
and no complaint of any kind had ever
neen made against you, wouldn't you
think that it was rather tough to be
suddenly bounced out of your lob
without word OF explanation of any
kind9 We believe that you would.
we have in mind Mr.. John Mas, po-
ilceman. He was certainly faithful,
offlcer and an efficient one. and John
IS pushed out without complaint
belng made against him and without
word of explanation These are
pretty hard lines for good officer.
When such thing as this happens,
It's rather discouraging to city EN-
proves. and it's demoralizing to the
service, too. Efficient. faithful SER
vice ought to mean something, even
Tor city employe. 1t does mean
something in every business walk of
life. We doubt if there was in Quin-
oy's police department more faith
ful man than John Mas"
Assuming. as it is safe to do. that
the Journals commentator of Mr..
Mas is fully warranted, his dismis-
sal from the force is greatly to be re-
GREETED both on his own account and
in the interest of the public service.
And yet 1t is no more than might
have been expected under the cir
cumstances. II The Gate City's sur
mise is correct. At the recent CITY
election in Quincy the mayor in Of
ice for number of years as the rep
resentative of one political party was
defeated for reelection and man
nominated by the opposing political
party was endorsed for the place. AS
is the rule in cities under political
government, the change in admins
tration involved changes in the police
force. These changes are based on
system of rewards for political SER
vices rendered or in prospect and
merit is a secondary consideration.
Under the arrangement by which the
executive officer of the city is chosen
in Quincy Mr.. Mas could not reason
ably expect to be retained on the
police force. however faithful and eff
ficient he has shown himself to be.
Nor could he reasonably expect that
the cause of his displacement would
be explained to him The reason is
too obvious to need pointing out He
simply belongs TO the wrong political
party.
The bouncing of man out of his
job without word of explanation Of
any kind in the face of record of
faithful and efficient service is COM
mon occurrence in cities governed by
the representatives of political par
ties. 1t ought not to be So Eff
ficient, faithful service ought to mean
something, even for city employee
as the Journal says. But the practice
of which the journal complains will
continue as long as cities are SO gov
erned. The remedy lies In adoption
of the commission plan of city gov
eminent, under which efficiency and
fidelity are the sole test of appoint
ment to and retention in Office This
is an ideal arrangement in the interest
of all concerned, and thus far it has
worked admirably in practice in keo-
kuk When the commission plan was
inaugurated in this city a year ago
member of the police force was ele-
waited to the Office of chief of police.
on the score of efficient. faithful ser.
vice, and better choice could not
have been made. The more exper
fence Keokuk has with the practical
working OF the commission plan hon
estly and capably administered the
more highly it values it. Quincy had
an opportunity to adopt the same plan
few months ago. but voted to con-
tinue the old order of things. Having
rejected the offer of salyation-the
only arrangement known among men
whereby it could be redeemed from
political thralldom,-it is now estopped
from sharing the blessings OF the
Elect Perhaps after season of
sackcloth and shes it will be able to
see matters in their true relation
more clearly than before. Meantime
both Mr.. Mas and Quincy have the
commiseration of this journal of civ
ilization and exponent Of sweetness
and light and of all its readers here
a bouts