The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-12-31
a oNE-MAN CoMMISSIo ON,


to his native town of Staunton. in Viz
ginia, directs especial attention to the
form of municipal government employed
and 10 use there for several years. The
old methods of municipal government
had absolutely failed; il was
town where no public improvements
could be put in; where every
thing was at standstill, and
where the people s money was frittered
away in gratis, grabs. and personal per
qulsltes. All at once Stauuton woke up
aud determined TO have a business ad-
ministratiou. 1t continued, ae it had TO
do under the Virginia constitution and
! laws, the old form Of government, but
1T reduced that old form to a mere
form, and vested the real power in
what 1t called business manager. This
manager took over all the real powers
of the municipality. He bought, ordered,
and was responsible for everything; be
appointed all the active officers, made
all tho contracts; provided for every
thing that the city wanted, and paid
for it out of the city funds. The re-
suit was that whereas formerly the
streets had been quagmires, they are
now well paved. and whereas heavy
climbs had stopped traffic, the streets
are graded and made easily traversible
by loaded teams; sidewalks were put
in, parks provided, aud the city was
made over anew.
And now the city of Sumter, South
Carolina, taking pattern from Staunton,
the place where Woodrow Wilson, the
Democratic candidate for President,
was born. is also a candidate for bust
ness administration under the manage.
ment Of business agent, who will take
the responsibility OF municipal affairs
| upon his hands. and do it all. Sum
ter has been electing eminent citizens
| as mayors, and other eminent citizens
| to fill other municipal offices, only TO
ness of their OWN to attend TO that the
city's business was neglected, and that
nothing worth while was done. As in
the case of Staunton, Virginia, the old
rule of officialdom will have 10 be con.
tipued in Sumter, but the incumbents
are just to be figurehcads, and must
let the business agent run things.
We are convinced that the popularity
Of the commission form of government
must presently fade, and fully believe
that the idea Of having the city affairs
in strong. competent hands, that of one
person, Will be the eventual outcome Of
the effort to improve the municipal
government Of American cities. The
commission form of government is Z
step between the old form and the busi.
ness form as proposed. 1t is only by
| having the business of n municipality
placed in the competent hands Of one per.
son that we can have unified system
Of administrations; for With five com
missionors, it usually happens that three
combine and run the affairs of the city
government; il there arc three commits
siouers, two unite to manage things
and there is the constant disadvantage
OF divided forces and uncertain pro-
| cedure.
In Germany the mayor of q city is a
trained expert in city government. If
aging city affairs, he gets q rcpute as
an expert city administrator, and
though he may start in a small town,
he is gradually promoted until he gets
to be mayor Of large town, and the
presumption, usually carried out IN prac-
| A. g. l,t
tive expert in municipal management
in the while German empire, comes to
be the mayor OF the capital city, Berlin.
We are too much inclined in the
United States TO think that every lit
tie community is able within itself to
produce experts TO do every possible
form Of public administration. Nobody
thinks, however, considering matters OF
scientific accomplishment, and tho best
expert work, that any one commu-
nifty has sufficient talent to do it all
The great colleges aud universities of
the country. for instance, do not de.
maud that the head Of such college
or university shall be resident of the
city in which that college is.
In the management Of large mining
enterprises, the reduction OF ores, nc
one claims that any one mining camp
can supply the requisite expert knowl
edge for every emergency that may
arise, but when any difficulty comes
some great expert is called in ant
given charge OF the work.
This ia the lesson that ourrht to be an
piled TO municipal affairs. There is nc
reason why the city affairs OF Salt
} Lake, for instance, should not be con
Quoted by the best trained expert that
we can get, without regard TO rcsidcnc,
here at all Residence is good, and IL
We can produce the right kind OF man
tho great expert that may be needed
all the better; but If not. we should
have that expert, whether be belongs