Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1911-04-17
The Commission Plan

Hoquiam is agitating for Commits
sion Plan for that city. Like every
thing new, the movement has its adj
vOcates. 1t is not necessary to 80 far
TO find out the workings of the Com
mission Plan as applied to cities of
this coast
Tacoma is even now in the throes
of general recall of its entire Com
mission after years trial. The pres
ent Commission has been expensive
to Tacoma and unsatsfa Glory gener-
ally. Those who had thought that
Commission would lessen taxes.
found the reverse to be true.
Des Moines, more frequently quot
ed than any other city as a Commits
sion governed city, is discovering an
increase of expense in its affairs
with the old-line politicians elected
as members of the present Commits
sion. That naturally follows.
The Commission Plan is a reversal
Of popular government. In other
words, the power of the entire
people is placed in a small BOARD of
control If this board is competent
and honest, good results will follow.
The board is selected by political
methods and experience has proven
that the peoples interests are best
safe-guarded by charging the repres-
entation. While the present plan of
representation is osmewhat cumber-
some and frequently faulty, yet it is
more difficult to get seven out of
twelve men to do wrong to their con-
stitutents than to get two out of three.
The law of averages holds good and
the Commission advocates should not
overlook these phases of human ma
ture
The tendency in modern times is
the extension of popular power rather
than the, Capitalization. The Com
mission form is centraization.-Gra
HarbOr Post.
In opposing the commission plan
OF city government, the Post should
become more familiar with the law
under which such cities as Aberdeen
and Hoquiam would operate, as well
as the general principle underlying
this entire system.
This principle uoes not signify the
Capitalization Of power, but the CEN
tralization of responsibility, and the
extension of popular power. The
commission form of government is
always accompanied by provisions
whereby the popular will may com
pei such laws and regulations as are
desired; may effectually stop such
AS are undesirable, and may dispense
with any elective official when his
actions become opposed to that will
Neither will the commissioners be
chosen by political methods, as the
Post appears to think The Allen
law eliminates politics entirely from
their selection. 1t provides that to
become a candidate at the primary
elections, one must have a petition
signed by 100 electors. asking that
his name be placed on the ticket; that
all names are printed on one ballot
at the primaries, and that the two
receiving the highest number of votes
for mayor, and the four receiving the
highest number for commissioners
shall be the candidates at the gen.
eral election.
i'i' raw may iOl We DGIleCl--IeW
are-but, as its workings will point
out the defects, it can be readily
amended by the legislature True. il
should not be regarded as a cure-all
for municipal ills, mistakes will be
made under it as under any form the
human brain may devise. The wrong
officials may be chosen as under the
present system, and that is a fault
OF the entire electorate, and ii is an
old saying that a whole people can.
not be indicted.
That the first attempt at this sys.
TEN in Tacoma has been disappointing
does not condemn the system. Per.
haps one of the causes may be found
IN the somewhat freakish charter
that was adopted by that city. or
the wrong men may have been select.
ed to govern. No form of popular
government will be better than the
average intelligence and civic patriot
ism of its citizenship. Senator Young.
Ct HeS Moines. Iowa. says the plar