Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-11-21
DEs MONIES PLAN SLIPS A COG.

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tSioux City Journal.
The extraordinary manner in which
the Des Moines city council has dealt
with an ordinary situation will give
supporters of the commission plan
everywhere something to puzzle over.
For some time there has been criti-
cism Of the administration Of the Des
,Moines police department. Various
charges were made against it, all Of
them indicating inefficiency. Whether
the charges were based on merit or
politics is not apparent at this dis
lance. 1t always is easy to criticise
police department. However that may
have been, there was disposition to
hold Councilman Roe, superintendent
of the department Of public safety. re-
sponsible for the unfavorable condi-
tons alleged to exist in this depart
nent. The criticism bore unexpected
fruit when the council, at a meeting
lat which neither the mayor nor the
public safety superintendent was pres
ent, voted to take the police depart
ment away from Councilman Roe. and
give it to Councilman NacVicar. sup
erintendent OF the department of pub
lie works, the three councilmen present
all voting for the resolution. This sum-
mary action apparently leaves Coun-
Gilman Roe with nothing but the fire
department to look after, while Coua-
Gilman Macvicar. already CARRYING the
heavy burden Of public works Is given
the additional task of directing the
big end Of the department Of public
safety. If the procedure OF the Des
.Moines council is in accord with the
letter of the law it certainly Is not in
accord with its spirit.
The law contemplates that there
shall be a department Of public safety,
including both the police and fire de-
partments, and that 1t shall be directed
by one councilman who shall give
practically all his time to the work.
1t is true. of course, that the council
as a whole is responsible for the work
done by all departments, but there is
nothing in the law to warrant such
shifting OF department lines as the Des
Moines council has just made. Care
was taken in the commission plan law
to make each commissioner responsible
to the people for the work, good or bad,
done in his department. Should the
work be bad, provision was made for
the recall of the delinquent councilman
after waiting for the expiration OF his
term Of office. This recall feature was
everywhere advertised as the popular
safeguard Of the Des Moines plan. II
| Coun Gilman Roe's work in the direction
Of the police department was unsatis-
factory to the good old citizens Of Des
Moines. why was he not recalled? II
he had been, the Des Moines plan
would be working out according to ad-
vance notices. AS 1t is the plan will
be criticised for permitting undue ex-
pansion of power on the part Of GER
tain councHmen and undue contraction
OF power as to certain other council
men.
Regardless Of the merits. legal OF
moral, of the Des Moines method OF
dealing with such emergency, if it was
in fact an actual emergency, the meth
cd is open to criticism as indicating
the councils unwillingness to trust the
PEOPLE. Under the commission plan as
1t is generally understood Councilman
Roe had right to demand trial Of
his case before the jury Of the people
The voters had the right to retair
Councilman Roe at the head of the de-
partment of public safety or discharge
him, as they saw fit. The councils ac-
ton seems to disregard the rights q
| both an individual councilman and ev.
cry individual voter. Moreover, II the
commission plan now allows the coun-
Gil to concentrate all the power Of the
city government in the hands of one
councilman, leaving the others to be
mere figureheads, the plan needs fix.
ing.