The Detroit times., 1911-01-21
CITY GOVT BY COMMISSION
TO BE TRIED HERE
,ce.s,aasa from Pas. oasJ

etc. The other two commissioners
would take charge OF the police and
IRE departments. respectively.
In all probability the plan viii pro-
vide for the appointment OF police
Justices. Justices OF the peace and
constables. Thus. the only city Of
ficisls voted for would be the ave
commissioner and two Judges OF the
recorders court. and the present eu.
noyance OF a cumbersome ba.ot
would be eliminated. The plail'
naturally, would carry with II q
broad extension Of the civil service
system 80 as TO embrace all city EN-
ployes. =
Ample provision will be made to
protect the people against grafuhs
or incompetency on the part OF 'Ee
commissioners. Whenever the people
became suspicious, or any of the
commissioners showed a disposition
to override the peoples will, a new
election could be called on the peu.
ton OF not to exceed 20 per cent OF
the voters, the exact percentage tc
be determined later. No charges
would be preferred. The commits
sioner, or mayor, as the case misn'
be, would have the privilege OF en-
tering the race again IL he cav NJ
and the people would De pound py
! the result. This plan practically
amounts to a recall, but II 10 regard
ed as an Improvement over the lat
ter.
The proposed commission would
have two great advantages over .ne
present city government. IL would
l "A lrv
At present the aldermen and esuma.
tors of each ward are concerned
chiefly In getting all they can Tor
their own constituents nrst anu n.e
not greatly concerned as 10 TIE
needs of other wards. The commis'
sioners, in theory at least, would
work together for the benefit of the
city at large and there would DO no
occasion and no opportunity ior as
elimination.
The adoption of such q plan would
make Detroit famous the world over
II would be the first city of Its class
10 try the experiment and thus wouu
set the example for others
There are three great objections
To our present form OF government.
said Mr.. Gates. ITO begin with, II Is
4 u.
uation that has long since passed
away. Substantially the same iorn
was In vogue In some OF the European
cities more than Thousand year,
ago Another serious objection Is
the vast amount OF Incompetence.
manifested in the administration o
| city affairs. Take many or our alder
men, for instance. They are NO
men who would be employed by mer
camille establishments to take chargs
of their business.
"The third great objection Is this
AS q result of the exploitation OF thi'
city by a Republican Legislature, III
an effort to keep the control OF thu
city affairs in the hands OF the Repuo
| licans, the city government Is hydra
headed affair. We have a number o
departments, all working at cross
purposes with one another, with little
or no cooperation and much duplica
ton. Pavements are put down, onl!
to be ripped up few weeks later b!
some other department. We have ONT
set OF clerks collecting city taxes II
the city hall and another set collect
ing water rates over there on Jener
son-ave., when one set would do, W.
hear many rumors OF defalcation
among city employees. but they ar
4 hushed up by the department head
for fear the estimators will cut dow
their appropriations and suggest tina
they employ honest help.
''In our present plan there 10 yer.
little individual responsibility. Un
der the commission form Of govern
mept, every commissioner Is response
! BILE for his own department and !
accountable to the people for hi
acts" 81
Mr. Gates Is chairman of commit
tee appointed by the league to lool
into the question, but the actual drafi
ing OF the amendment will be largel,
I'm his hands. The other members
the committee are: WILDER Brother
ton, Isaac N. Payne and Anthem,
4 Pratt