The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-03-22
COMMISSION GOVERNMENT.


Governor Spry having signed the
bills providing commission form
cities in Utah, we are now confronting
a condition, not theory. with respect
To this change of our municipal con
troll. The county commission form Of
government has not been such as to
commend the commission idea very
forcibly TO the people OF this com
munity. 1t is quite possible, to be
sure, that the same idea as applied TO
the city may work better than il has
done in the county, But, at any rate,
we are to have that form. and it is
the part Of every good citizen to do
what he can TO make the municipal
government a success. This is true
under whatever form that government
may be conducted.
Ia other cities there are some marked
differences between the commission
form which they enjoy and that which
is forced upon us First of all, these
other cities do not have this commission
form forced upon them. If they wish
it they so vote, If they do not, they
decline it, but we must have it whether
we want it or not. This, on the gen
eral idea that people do not wish To
be forced in their civil affairs, makes
somewhat of feeling of antagonism
But this should be dropped, aud all
should cooperate in making the mu-
nicipal government a success, because
we are all more vitally interested III
that than we are in any other portion
of our civic administration.
Another difference between our
form of commission government and
that elsewhere is, that in obedience to
the demand OF Governor Spry, certain
attachmcnts-he calls them "frills -
were eliminated in order TO get the
| Governor 5 signature to the bill We
do not have the initiative, the refer
endum, or the recall. Perhaps the Gov
ernor was afraid to indorsc too VIC
lent a change at first. But the question
arises whether, with these distinct fea
lures of the commission form Of gov
ernment left out. that form will really
be of much advantage to the public
Time will tell.
In the meantime, il will he necessary
| for those interested in public affairs
to study up on this new law and find
out precisely what it provides In Il
general way il may be said that the
( elections are 10 be held in the city at
large, without reference TO ward bound.
aries. The Mayor Will be one Of the
commissioners, and all Will he elected
at large. In the distribution of ac-
! tivitics and powers, each commissioner
is TO have one specific portion of the
public administration under his charge,
as public works, police service, fire
service, water service, and the like.
As preliminary there will be pri-
maries held to select candidates, in
| which double the number of candidates
will be selected as there are commits
sioners to elect. This VIII give to the
electors a choice as between two
names for each position. There will be
but two tickets at the election
Just what form these nominations
will take and how the tickets will be
named will be matter for considera-
tion and development. One weak point
in the primaries, as 1t seems to us, is
in the uncertainty about their provid-
ing the majority candidates Anyone
can be candidate who can get given
number of names to ask him TO run
With dozen OF more candidates ut
the primary for each nomination, the
danger is that the vote will be so di-
vidcd that minority candidates will be
put upon the ticket by virtue of their