Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1911-05-07

Des Mones, Iowa, differs in form at least most of all, since ii proposes the full operation Of what ate known as the initiative, the referendum and recall.
 It has been suggested that pro- per term for the commission plan would be "Board If Municipal Di- rector instead of Board of City Com- missioners, a the term commission CTS is somewhat confusing
 The city commission is simply a board of directors, elected at large by the qualified voters of the entire city every two years. This board is composed of five practical business men each fully recongizing the fact that econlomy and business methods, not politics, should be employed in trasacting the business affairs of the city.
 The business that is being direct ed by these five men, as agents for the citizens of Galevston, can be briefly summarized as follows: :: Furnishing the people with pure wholesale water, adequate sewerage, efficient police and fire protection, we'll lighted, clean and we'll paved streets, drainage, sanitation, public hospital for the sick and a careful management of the city finances.
 This form pf city government re- cognizes the fact that the city must be administered and looked after as whole, and that it is not divided into units or wards It holds the interest ynd the attention of the citizens and encourages go,od men to enter the city government.
 The strongest feature of the com mission plan of city government is it's perfect simplicity, it's directness and in limiting the number of those directly charged with the manage ment of the city's affairs and in flXin g or in the centr3lizati)n of responsi- bility.
 In a strong address delivered &t Harvard c.cllege, Hon. Eiihu Rect, one of tae greatest lawyers this country have ev5r pIcei ser. made hi striking has produced, made thic striking statement: T venture to suggest that there are two things to be doni of vital impc rtance, both of which re- quire he highest degre: q intelligence One is tat for the solution t5f te,.e complicated questions that aae now before us, government s!- uld be to simplify is the function of learnins simp,ified in the highest degree, anf The other is that responsibility shai 1 be fixed so that the people may know whom to hold responsible fo1 1 failures to produce good government l The fixing of responsibility is a mat 1 ter for the highest intelligence ant courage"
 Under the commission plan the mis 1 management of a department
 promptly laid at the door of the neg
 lectful commissioner, not only by tn
 general public, but by the mayor
 president and the other members C
 the board This knowledge Of person , Ial responsibility and watchfulnes causes each commissioners to take personal interest and toi feel a specia pride in the preper management 0 . his department, realizing ,2s he mus that the merit as we'll as defects ar easily recognized by his associate. as well as by the public generally.
 The mayor and commissioners ar
 directors ill the full meaning of tn
 term. The detail work is done by tn superintendents, heads of depart
 ments and clerks.
 l Four City Departments.
 The business of the city is divided into four departments, each depart ment being under the charge and di rection of commissioner. Thes' four commissioners and the mayor collectively, constitute what is termed the "Roard of Commissioners of th' city of Galveston The mayor i! the president of the board and ths executive head of the city govern ment. He has all of the rights powers Jand duties !cohferred ..upor the office of mayor by the constitu. tion and laws of the state, has the right to vote upon all questions bu has no veto power. Majority rule all ways prevails. The commissioners at the first meeting after their election Or as soon thereafter as possible, by ma jority vote, designate from among their members one commissione1 who shall be known as f'commission- | CT of finance and reVenue, and