The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1911-09-12
| he Commission Plan of
Government For Cities
BY State Senator Carl A. eadoerl

mere is no denying that the gov
eminent of cities is the one conspicu.
Gus failure fthe United States 49,
James Bryce, American Common.
wealth.
When the flood of September. 1900
overwhelmed the city of Galveston,
Texas, the hopelessness af attempt.
ing the rebuilding of the city through
the cumbersome municipal machinery
then established impressed itself up.
on the leaders of the stricken city.
The council offered to resign. and
make way for small board or com.
mission composed of men especially
qualified by training and experience
for the great task before them. After
some delay, because of legal Difficult.
ties, permanent commission of five
members was created and placed in
charge of the work of constructing
the city anew, strengthening the sea
wall, and restoring orderly and pros.
porous municipal life This offspring
of Mother Necessity proved so sue.
cessful that the recent well-defined
and very general movement in the
United States for the adoption of the
commission plan of government for
cities may fairly be said to have orig.
mated with its trial by the city of
Galveston.
II ought to he said, however, that
perhaps the best governed large city
Of the United Washington.
ID. C.-has for many years been un-
der the control of commission with
extensive administrative authority.
The fact that the municipal expenses
OF Washington are partly contributed
by the national government, that it
is the center of official life in the ma
ton, that Congress has direct super.
vision of the affairs of the district,
and that the people have no voice in
the choice of district or local officials
has prevented the commission form of
government as established in Wash
ington from being complete test
of its adaptability and success under
ordinary conditions.
Next to Galveston, Des Moines,
Ia, deserves credit for the movement
fT,V. hn .Nf mo Ilngs
Moines has very progressive, pub.
lic-spirited group of citizens. These
leaders felt the reproach of the ex.
travagance and the inefficiency of the
old government, and learning of the
Galveston experiment investigated its
operation there, and finally devised a
somewhat changed and more exten.
sive scheme for adoption by their
home city.
The plan as tried both in Galveston
and Des Mones has proven remark
able success, and with modification
suited to local conditions has been
adopted and Is now in operation in
about one hundred and fifty cities in
the United States.
Utah Plan.
The Galveston plan provides for
the election of five commissioners at
large. They are not required to de
vote all their time to the city's inter
ests, are paid only small salary
and the double election, initiative
referendum and recall are not es,
tablished.
The Des Moines plan also provides
for the election of five commissioners
at large, who are required to devote
all their time to the city's interests
are paid fairly remuneratiye salary
are elected by the double election
plan (the first a primary or nomina
ating election and the last decisive
election of the familiar type) and has
the initiative, referendum, recall and
numerous other so-called progressive
features.
The Utah plan is combination Of
both the Galveston and Des Moines
plan.
Officers Elected.
Under the law enacted by the last
session of the legislature of the state
OF Utah, the cities of Salt Lake, Ogden
Murray, Logan and Provo Will, this
coming October and November
choose board of commissioners con
sisting of five commissioners in cit
les of the first class, and three com
missioners in cities of the seconc
class. The commissioners are chosei
at large, the ward system being abel
| shed.
One of the commissioners is called
mayor. He presides at meetings o.
the board and authenJicates ordtnan
ces by his signature. He draws a sal