Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1912-12-05
origin.

the city Of Galveson Immediately fol
lowing the great tidal wave that swept
that city, destroying it's property and
/ drowning its people. 'Catastrophes oi
such magnitude usually have justified
/; !. declaration of martial law.
| Through theS instrum entality of an
Iowa capitalist, interested in one OF
I the public service corporations in the
southern CITY,, this form of government
Cor cities has been extended to Iowa
and other states.
Centralized Power.
| The distinguished feature of govern.
ment by commission, the combination
of legislative, executive and judicial
functions in a small body of men (from
three to seven) is the embodiment OF
all that our discredited ex4President is
pleased to call centralized government.
= A majority of the commission, either
through themselves or their ap.
pointees, such as attorney, police
Judge, assessor, auditor and treasurer,
have the absolute power to enact, in.
terpret and enforce the laws and ordin.
ances of the city.
They alone determine the suf1iciency
or insuf1ciency of petitions for a ref
erendum vote or for their own recall.
They appoint the civil service com
| mtssioners and prescribe the rules and
regulations of procedure. T.
They appoint all the judges and
clerks of election and thus control the
entire election machinery of the city.
Legal opinions are handed down to
suit the purposes and desires OF the
commissioners rather than the inter-
est of the community.
The executive clerks on employees
have no desire to jeopardize their jobs
by arresting vicious and dishonest
legislation.
To illustrate: Some years ago, IN
der the old form of government with
city council adopted an ordinance. to
loan" the water company a special
water works fund of $4,000 for the
purpose of extending the water mains
Ito a government army post. The audi
tor and treasurer, being elected by
and directly responsible to the people,
declined to execute the mandates of
the council. The water company laid
the mains as they were under contract
with the national government to do.
The city kept the money. 49,
Again: Under the commission form
of government one Of the city attor-
neys had the audacity to recommend
that, the city collect 100000 which the
street railway company under their
Lpresent franchise owes the city of Des
Moines. His services were dispensed
with. Under new franchise recently
drawn up the commissioners magnani-
mously agrees to cancel the obligation.
Commenting on this proposed fran
chise, Golfers Weekly, issue of Feb
rnary 26, 1910, has this to say: "The
forty-tWo year franchise asked for by
the street railway company of Kansas
City. Mo-, offered more favorable terms
to the public than that now pending
in Des Moines, and yet, after a stirring
campaign, Kansas City defeated the
franchise as rotten bargain"
Both national and state governments
have by their constitutions, decreed
that legislative, executive and Judicial
functions should be kept separate.
Every corporation, conducted for
private gain, retains in a board OF d.
rectors supervisory and legislative con-
troll over it's executive departments.
Every trades union or fraternal So
ciety. conducted for benevolent pur-
noses. while comforting administra
powers to a few of its members, re-
tains for the entire membership the
power to direct its policies.
Neither the capitalist class nor the
working class, conducting. their anars
under conditions where their interests
aer identical, have deemed 1t wise 10
lodge both legislative and executive
functions in the same body OK men.
Certainly, in selecting officials for a
city, where the interests OF these Gle
ments in society conflict, it is less vase
to do so, regardless of which faction
may secure the powers OF government.
@s
Individuals who have devoted their
lives to the study and practice OF land
scape architecture, civil engineering,
sanitary conditions for cities and ex-
merit accounting, ETC., usually are not
good LEGISLATORS. By training they are
practicularly fitted to- make sugges-
fions relative to their own line OF WORK
huf especially untitled to legislate for
anys department. beside their own.
As a matter of fact. however, the
axperts which it has been contended
the commission form would attract to
its departmental positions, have falleo
to either seek or secure the oflces.
These are held in the majority OF cases
by old political war horses.
Election at Large.
Another characteristic feature sof tne
I'eommission form Of government is the
sI;,,,s,o+;on Of ward representati all
of the commissioners being elected at
large. I'D
state governments are composed OF
representatives from all parts OF the
state and nation, giving to these bodies
! knowledge and insight into the con-
ditions and desires of the people every
where within their respective jurisdic-
lions is it desirable that a city's repre-.
sentation should also be composed OF
representatives from the various parts
| of the city.
INC remedy for existing evils-{tis-