The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1913-03-26

should be changed, with the result
of their agreeing, that with the sew
eral amendments offered by myself to
the existing laws, they could find no
reason for any further changes or
amendments.
There are a number of people in
Fargo, some of them Ostensibly ia
Vorlng the commission plan, who at
the present time are sadly bewailing
the fact that the commissioners have
equal power with the president Of
the commission, claiming that this Is
mistake, that the chairman should
have practically all of the power and
receive adequate salary. that the
other commissioners should be mere
figureheads, at best to be called in
by the president mayor only when he
wished their advice Such a system
OF city government might possibly
work out all right, but 1t Is not the
commission system as we have 1t in
this state nor as Il Is in operation IN
hundreds Of cities in other states
where it has proved highly satisfac-
tory.
ut may be We'll for an advocate Of
the commission system when he
meets one of these men who claim
that the present law Is an inadequate
| patched up measure, or that It Is 9TH
er than a well considered, Comprehen-
siVe law, to seriously consider wheth-
er the man is merely ignorant of what
he speaks, or whether he Is not one
| OF those who at this time, for reasons
| best known to themselves. are against
this progress in civic government.
Features of the Law.
"The principal features of the com
mission form of city government as
distinguished from our present gov
| ernment, are these: there Is substl-
| tuted for the mayor and cOunoilmen
| a board Of FIVE city commissioners
| one of whom Is the president Of the
commission, and four other commits
| sioners, all of them being elected at
| large and not by wards. The presi-
| dent runs as a candidate for presi-
dent at the election. Each OF these
| five officers is elected for a period
of four years. except that Of the first
board elected the two commissioners
elected by the lowest number Of votes
shall hold office for only two years.
The chief distinction between the
president and the other commission
ers is that he is the executive officer
of the city: 1t is his duty to see that
all laws are enforced, and he presides
at all meetings OF the commission
voting with the other commissioners,
but has no veto power.
Under the law 1t is the duty of
the commission by a majority vote to
designate from their members one
commissioner, who shall be known as
police and fire commissioner" and
who has under his special charge the
enforcement of all police regulations
of the city, and general supervision
over the fire department; one COM
missioner to be known as commits
Sioner Of streets and improvements,
who has under his special charge the
| supervision of streets and alleys of
| the city and is charged with the duty
| of lighting the streets and keeping
| all streets and alleys in clean and
| sanitary condition, and with the en-
| forCement Of all rules and regulations
| necessary to that end, for the preser
| Vation and health Of the inhabitants
| Of said city, and who has also un-
| der his special charge the supervision
| Of all public improvements, and whose
| duty it is to see that all Of the con-
| tracts therefore are faithfully com
piled with, and that the conditions OF
any grant or any franchise or privilege
are faithfully complied with, and per
| formed; one commissioner to be
| known as water works and sewerage
| commissioner who has under his
| special charge the water works and
sewer department Of the city, and who
| attends to the enforcement of all
regulations with respect to such de-
partments, and with respect to all
revenues pertaining thereto; and one
commissioner who shall be known as
| commissioner of finances and rev
enues' who has under his special
charge the enforcement of all laws for
the assessment and collection of taxes
of every kind, and the collection of all
revenues belonging to the city from
whatever source the same may be
derived, and who shall also examine
into and keep informed as to the
finances Of the city. These duties
may, however, be otherwise distribut-
ed by majority vote of the commits
sioners.
Old Law Re- enacted.
by chapter 67 of the session laws
of 1911 the electors of any city hav-
ing adopted the commission system
wer given the opportunity of exercis-
ing the initiative and referendum with
respect to city ordinances, and such
chapter also gives them the power
upon the fling of q sufficient petition
TO recall the president or any commits
sioner at subsequent election. This
law, with some slight notifications.
was re- enacted in a bill introduced by
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