The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-12-29
CIVIC GOVERNMENT
NOT MACHINE ISSUE
Unitarian Minister Analyses
Some Relations Between
States and Cities.

Emphasizing the thought that the sue
cess OF municipal administration depend
upon the citizen rather than upon
machine" the Rev John Malick, min
sier OF the First Unitsr riau church. de
iivcrcd an address last evening upo
The Machinery or City Government.
Tho speaker said In part:
For two and one half centuries we
have been trying to work out solne
city machinery that Will work. with
tho adoption OF the United States
constitution we started the idea of
checks and balances. This federal
analogy was adopted by the munici-
pality. The legislative. executive and
judicial must be eparated. Tho
Same group must not make and adj
minister the law. One group must
appropriate the money. another group
spend ~, In practice the check did
moi check and the balance did not
balance. The federal analogy is
thought today to have little appliCa-
ton to municipal government
The connection between the city
and the state has worried MS. The
state has control OF the city and has
set safeguard about it, In critical
situations the state has stepped in
and taken charge of the police OF
lifted the city out OF graft and mis-
rule. Tho fathcrly hand OF The state
has helped where home rule has made
a mess of municipal affairs But OF
the other hand the state control OF
the city argues incompetence ON the
purt of the city. City affairs take
too much Of the time of state legis-
latures. The man from the country
district is not up on city affairs.
Many cities are far behind because
they must walt for n state leglsls-
ture TO grant freedom to move. Home
rule gives freedom TO municipal ac-
tlon. The city. the ward Of the state
argues incompetent people in the city
and subordinates local affairs to state
politics.
The Identification of city and state
politics has demorali2ed city govern
ment. We have tried abolshlng the
primary and erasing party names
from the city ticket. We lose sight
OF the fact that the best organization
is going 10 win. The state machine
is organized. The best interests need
machine as closely organized as
Tammany The logic of the situation
offers two alternatives. municipal
party, devoted to city interests
must have a more effective machine
in the city or the state party must
be shown that the political party that
puts up the best municipal programme
Will get the city vote. We have
watched the city council rise TO
power. 1t reached its high tide OF
influence about 1850 The city
council is democratic and ought to
control a city best, but Ii did not.
Its power was reduced and handed
over TO the state TO special boards.
On the whole the council did not look
after the city's interests. We have
watched the mayor rise from a fig
ure head. without power or veto. to
little dominant factor in the city. The
council has but small part of the
power II had formerly. The mayor
has much more.
With the Galveston disaster began
a new. period In city administration.
1t is the same sort OF thing we have
long had for counties. In some re-
spects II is like the New England
town meeting, Its most radical depar-
ture Is placing the legislative and ad-
ministrative powers, the appropria ting
and spending powers In one body,
called commissioners, Its enemies say
It is not democratic; that five men
are more easily influenced than a
whole council; that it puts an end to
the one-man power in the mayor
which proved good system and
point to European cities. governed
by big councils. and governed well.
The argument on the other hand Is
that the commission form OF govern
ment has worked. Experience shows
that cities get good commissioners
IN the first enthusiasm, then go to
sleep. All II purports to be is simple
machinery, but big council or a city
commission has to be checked up
The watchful and informed citizen,
not city machinery: is the way TO er-
ficiency and freedom in city affairs.