Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1912-07-25
COMMISSION GOVERNMENT.

practically applying sound economic
principles to municipal government.
For exampe: A person is elected
mayor of Ashland who has made a
deep study of economic science as
applied to municipal government and
is qualified in every way to apply it.
At the same time six persons, none
of whom has ever given scientific
municipal government a thought, are
members of the council. Each coun-
Gilman has equal power with the
mayor, and the council as body has
power over every act of the mayor.
Before the mayor can apply these
principles he must have the consent
and concurrence of the council he
must educate his council in econom-
ics-make them to see the beneficent
effect of his proposals before they
are put into effect. That applies as
well to any individual member of the
council, and, at best, is hard task
and takes much time.
The reason private business is con-
Quoted more economically than that
of municipality is because every
business concern has a single mana
gerial head with power to act, cne
directors constituting merely an ad-
visory board which decides and Sdg-
gests certain general principles to
be carried out in the business. The
manager administers the details OIL
the business without let or him
drance.
Municipal failure comes from con-
glomerated power in administering
details. Conglomerated power means
scattered responsibility. When every
detailment is submitted to the arbi-
trament of six individuals, with diff
ferent judgment and ideas, the end
is usually the result of compromise
and is Intellectual and lax. When the
thing is accomplished not only no
individual of the body is responsible,
but each is in position to offer the
excuse for bad administration that
he was unable to bring his colleagues
to see the thing in his light and that
the matter was adopted against his
judgment and desire, even though
his vote was recorded in favor of it.,
hiding that act behind the excuse
that there was no use to cause fric-
tion in the body by fighting. He
could not have defeated the measure
if he had.
Under commission government
conglomerated power is done away
with, and responsibility is absolutely
fixed. One person is put at the head
of the city, in some cases, and at the
head of department of the city in
others, but always with absolute au-
thority to conduct all of the affairs
of the department under him. If he
fails he alone is responsible. If he
practices corruption the disgrace
falls alone on him. If he is incom-
petent his failure proves him so. The
responsibility for failure, from what
ever cause, cannot be lodged. 1t is
his and his alone.
The Tidings would suggest a COM
mission government for Ashland
with a single commissioners city
manager-welf paid and with power
to act. He should make his own ap-
pointments according to his own
Judgment, He should be allowed to
work out his own business system for
the conduct of city affairs, subject
only to the charter, the laws and the
city ordinances,
There might be a councilmanic
body-purely egislative-with pow
er only to pass ordinances, to be
called together from time to time as
occasion demanded, giving only such
time as such meetings required and
being paid a reasonable sum for each
meeting attended.
The commissioner should be elect
ed, not for term, but subject to
the recall. The recall should be so
conditioned as that he may be easily
recalled when public interest de-
manded it, but offering security to
him against unfounded Glamour.
The city should be protected by an
ample bond.
commissioner should be the only
elective officer of the city all sub
ordinates being appointed by the
commissioner and relieved by him at
will, thus putting all of the responsi.
bility on the commissioner. He
should be protected from the public
in the matter of these appointments
by a provision not permitting per.
sons OF societies to petition for ap-
pointments. He should be elected
installed, and let alone, to work out
/ hic .hu,n ri mi n ctratiOn Than ~ he