Evening journal., 1911-06-06
lcontInued from FIrst Pagel

lOOuIlUueQ from flT5t IdBt.J
them TO get stirred up over minor
offices that would much better be ap |
pointive.
LimeIight On Ballot.
Again, he said, to get democracy, the |
limelight must play equally on all the
names on the ballot. With a con-
spicuous Mayor, and a comparatively
uninhuential Councilman. the speaker
said, incompetent or corrupt men
slide quietly into Council and play
havoc with the city. Publicity before
and after election, said Mr.. Childs, Is
the only safeguard a democracy can
expect; they can't have endless
watchers TO watch watchers.
Here is where Mr.. Childs thought
the commission form came in. He
said that with only FIVE or so men,
they are constantly under public in
spection. With full powers, they
cannot give the excuse that their
hands are tied, but are compelled to
take full responsibility. Moreover.
with equal powers, they cannot shift
the responsibility on each other Pub
lie control over them, he said, would
take the form of short terms and nom
recollection II unsatisfactory, or long
er terms with the recall.
Mr. Childs made three strong OBJ
jections to the commission form as
practiced in this country. In the first
place. he said, It favored log-rolling.
IL was customary IN such a form. for
the city TO be divided into depart
ments and each commissioner be the
chief executive officer OF one depart
ment. The other commissioners in
assembly did not like to interfere with
each others pet ideas. so long as they
were let alone with theirs Moreover,
If commissioner refused to carry
out the wishes of the majority of the
A.. commission i'm his department, they
had little redress, for he was their
equal, not subordinate, and he had
charge OF that department. In the
third place, such a commission, since
It demanded technical knowledge and
training of special character to do the
executive work of a city, could not
be widely representative. For in
stance, he said he knew Of a case
where one man who had been elected
to the commission. and when put in
charge Of a department he did not
have the technical knowledge or
executive ability TO run II and a better
educated man had to be elected in his
lplace. So that although his class OF
people ought to have had one of
themselves at City Hall to represent
their interests, Il was only practical
to have men of the employer class.
Prefers the German Farm.
Mr.. Childs thought the German idea
was a great improvement on the Amer
lean commission form. There the com
missioners have full power, but they
do not do the executive work A burgo-
meister. subordinate to them. receives
their orders and carries them out, be.
ing In full charge Of all the executive
work, only he cannot do anything bui
what they order. The commissioners
in Germany, he said, are not paid and
do not give all their time to the work
but their powers are so great that II
is a strong incentive TO be a commits
sioner and the best men are easil,
n found as candidates. The hurgomeiste
= is paid a good salary In Lockport. n
q Y, Mr.. Childs said. the plan resemble
the German one, a manager, chosei
from any part OF the country for hi
ability, having similar executive pow
a ers as the burgomeister With such