The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1911-09-01
GOVERNMENT BY
COMMISSION
Proposal to Change Form Of
City Governments.
SENATOR OVENS EXPLANATION
Plan Is To Abolish Councils ard Have
Small Commission Run Munich
paIities On Business Basis.

One of the big questions that will
bome before the Constitutional con-
rention will be that of changing the
present form of city government
The commission plan" is on trial
now in several localities. In a
speech in the United States Senate
Hon. Robert l.. Owens, senator from
Oklahoma made this explanation of
the plan:
The commission form of govern
ment, as usually understood, may be
illustrated with the system adopted
in Des Moines, Iowa, under the act
of the general assembly of that State
and the charter of the city
The general plan is that the citi-
zens by primary may nominate candi-
dates for mayor and four commission
ers, who shall have complete charge
of town business-legislative execu.
tive, and judicial. Any person can be
nominated by a. petition of IS citi-
zens. The 10 candidates having the
highest vote at the primary two
weeks later are submitted to the citi-
zens for an election and the five can
didates having the highest vote, COM
prise the city councils, with full pow
ers--legislative, executive and judi
cial. They manage the business as
completely as the board of directors
There are five departments, as fol-
lows: First, department of public af-
fairs; second, department of sCcounts
and finance; third. department of pub
lie safety; fourth, department of
streets and improvements; fifth, de-
partment of parks and public prop
erty.
The mayor. by virtue of his Office
has charge of the department of pub
lie affairs, with general supervision
over the other departments and re-
ceives salary Of S3,500. The council,
by majority vote. appoints all other Of
dcials of the town-city clerk. solicit
tor, tax assessor, police judge. treas
urer, auditor, civil engineer, city
physician, marshal, chief of fire de-
partment, street commissioner. Ii
brary trustees and all other necessary
officers and assistants. These Sc
lections are made under a beard OF
civil service commissioners, who con
duct examinations of a practical char
acter to determine the fitness of ap'
plicants. Each commissioned ap
points the subordinate employees in
his own department and each com
missioner is held responsible for the
successful management of his de
partment.
All franchises or right to use the
streets, highways, or public places oil
the city can be granted, renewed, OF
extended only by ordinance, and every
| franchise or grant for interurban oil
street railways, gas or water works
electric light or power plants. heat
| ing plants, telegraph or telephone
system, or public service utilities
must be authorized or approved by 6
majority of the electors voting there
on at a general or special election.
Nothing is permitted to be done In
secrecy or in the dark. The public
business is public.
Partisanship is eliminated. No par
ty emblems are permitted on the tick
| ct, but the candidates are listed il
serial order, without party designa
tion, and are nominated and elected al
AR as possible on the ground of per
sonal fitness. In this way partisan
ship is carefully and deliberately
eliminated, as far as practicable.
| Ward lines are abolished in thu
choice of city commissioners, so tha
each citizen. votes for every commits
sioner. both in nominating and II
elecing him.
The abolition of the ward system
! is essential to the successful estab
lishment OF the commission form o
government. The ward system il
the past has been peculiarly injur
lous to good government because 81
perverts the political education o
/ the electors and encourages a loca
seldshness destructive of the genera
and ultimately of the local interests
as we'll. The ward system Leads
| W LUt vi WdIt
boss. who. under color of intense
zeal for that ward and under color o
being a great advocate of politica
party and by petty ward politics, get'
himself elected and tries to keep him
self in power by getting things fol
that ward, more than it would be equi
tably entitled to and at the expense
OF the balance of the city. This poll
cy leads to INSCRIPTIONS men makinl
combinations in the council, trading
with each other. and taking advan
tage of the portions of the city who's,
representatives are more scrvpulous
Citizens at large nominate mer
who would not be nominated by tht
ward system, and thus narrow or un
scrupulous men are prevented from
so easily entering the council
The abolition of the ward system
eleyates the character of the official;