The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1911-04-25

continent If every man in that Mich
igan town having municipal authority
should go to the worlds fair on the
same particular day, there would not
be men enough left at home in that
town to milk the cows, provided they
have not reached that age of intelli-
gence where they let the women do
the work. This is cited as a sample
of the overgrown municipal system
prevailing in most cities. This distrlbu-
ton of authority is not the result OF
one year, but of century's growth.
II has resulted in inefficiency and, in
most cases, inaction. The same sys-
tenn has been provoking to the tax
payer. who has never been able to
find out or locate the blame when
anything has gone wrong.
"If any man in any modern city un-
dertook to find cut who was to blame
about any minor happening in his
local government, he would be old
enough to be a Revolutionary pension
er before he discovered and located
the blame.
In one western city it is related
that at the time of high water a man
whose home was on low ground had
his cellar flooded with water. He re-
sorted to the city government for re-
lief He called on the mayor, who was
polite, but could not help him. He
made the rounds of all the boards
and commissions and finally came
back to the board of public works
and complained that he could get no
relief. Having on former visit re-
lated that he could get no relief. Hav-
liB vi q lOi hhti NlSlt iSldlcu lhlt 'hS
high water had drowned his chickens,
a waggish member of the board of
public works told him to go back
home and go to raising ducks instead
Of chickens.
In many cities political machines
have been formed and have been so
strong that their destruction has
seemed impossible. The municipal ma.
chine has been the mother" in the
vinegar.
The American people have been
Eager to correct political ills far
AWAY, but have been neg, Getting the
lis Immediately around them.
In the year 1907 we adopted in the
,ity of Des Moines, where | live,
form of city government II
of five trustees, or commits
elected by the entire city at
one election, each for two.year term
and without any ward lines. This has
been called the Des Moines plan Of |
city government. The idea originated
at Galveston, Tex. The people of Gal. !
weston lin their distress after their |
great calamity, had to have simpli- |
fled form of city government. Their |,
affairs were to complicated for the
old form. 1t is strange fact that a ;
few men can do successfully what a /
large number OF men are unable to |
do. For Instance, we often discover |
that receiver appointed by the
courts can make business successful,
the very business that large num-
Der of stockholders had failed in The
Des Moines plan, while evolved from
Galveston, is greatly improved and
seems to us quite complete. The five
commissioners have power to elect
all the other city officers. They select
the auditor, clerk, treasurer, city So
licitor, police judge, and so forth The
people hold these five men responsible
for the city government. They do not
go to their subordinates when things
go wrong, they go to the commissions
ers direct, or the commissioner. The |
idea in the Des Moines plan has
been concentration of power and con-
centration of responsibility. We are
building a city building which shall
not have a legislative chamber in it.
We have abolished party politics. We