The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-01-21
AS TO MUNICIPAL FORMS.

AS TO MUNICIPAL FORMS.
! There is something OF Il feeling (tc
what extent it may be pushed during
| the present legislative session VIC have
| no means of judging) in favor of some
change i'm the laws establishing munlci.
| pal government for the cities in this
State. Primarily, il is said that the de-
mand for the right Of the people OF
the different cities TO pass upon the
form Of government which they VIII
have. is an inherent right, Of which
they should never bc deprived. This
has been The Tribune S position all the
time: and in so far rs that is concerned,
VIC sec no reason TO change our views.
Bat if there are TO be alternative forms
Of government submitted for tho ap-
proval Of thc people. the choice should
not bo Iimitcd merely 10 the present
form Of commission government ms
against the old form of mayor and
city council but the choice should be
broader. The people should bavc an
opportunity TO provide themselves with
u GtSIbuNlbtt tll'-HI"H GNNflhbNhb i''
the city whereby its administrative af-
fairs would bc taken in hand IN a busi-
ness way by some compctcnt man able
to transact The puhlc business in snch
form as large private businesses are
managed and controlled. For instncc,
Col. Wcbber of the I. G. NJ L. in this
city. is at the head Of business larger
than that transacted by the city. He
is responsible 10 the directors and stock
holders Of that institution Tor the man
ner in which ne conducts it's business.
He has conducted it TO their satistac-
ton for great many years. There is
no disposition, so far as we have heard,
on the part of any Of them TO find
fault with Col Wcbber or his manage.
ment. And in like manner other large
businesses III the State are conducted
by single head.
Now, suppose the city Of Salt Lake
had a manager for its business con.
Germs that would have the same undis-
puted control over the public affairs OF
this city that Col. Webber has over the
affairs of the Z. c. NJ. |. Doesp I
every one believe that if we had a
competent. diligent, honest business
executive for this city that the city
business would be done better, more
economically, and TO the higher salts"
faction of the public than it has ever
been done before3 We assume that
every one will agree that this is so.
fhorafnra ~ ubu shnn1J mo
not try iti
With regard to the present commits
sion form of government, the trouble
with it is, as we have seen on several
occasions, the lack Of responsibility.
There has been at times an unsatisfac.
tory state of municipal affairs without
it being possible to bold any official re-
sponsible for the conditions complained
Of. But with business executive head,
responsible for everything, there would
be no difficulty in locating the blame
where any complaint arose. We do not
wish to be understood here as making
any complaint against the present city
commission. We arc simply now con.
sidering general propositions, without
regard to specific instances or persons
or personalities. We do not object TO
the commission as such, nor to the
members comprising it as such; we are
simply considering the matter from the
straightforward business standpoint;
and from that standpoint we believe
fully that there should be an undivided
responsibility in the administrative
processes of the city government,
And so, if there is to be any change,
if the people are TO be allowed to vote
upon the form of government that they
would prefer, We hope that the most
advanced form, the one which seems
to be the best approved from the busi
ness standpoint, will be Offered to the
people for their choice. 4 choice lin
tied simply as between the two propo-
sitions whether we would have q com
mission form of government as now or
the old mayor and city council form,
would by no means meet the case. Let
us have an opportunity for the adop
ton Of the best possible form OF govern.
ment: and that form we believe to be
the undivided responsible onc-maD man
auemept for the city business