The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-02-25
1T Is PARTISAN POLITICS.

The bill changing the commission
form OF government for this city and
for Ogden. which was agreed upon by
the legislative delegations from Salt
Lake and Weber counties, is no inn
provement over the present form. In
no way does it improve the law i'm
posing that form. 1T is simply n politi-
cal dodge to get rid of the present meth
cd of governing cities of the first and
second classes in Utah, so that the Re
| publican bosses may have another
chance at grating and robbery. 1t is
! simply the expiring move OF the old po-
litical machine in Utah for possible
extension Of its power to provide q
chance Tor another grab. That old ma.
chine did its best in 1911 TO capture
the city government OF Salt Lake, and
wants another chance 1t failed then,
and has been disgruptled ever since,
and determined 10 use the agency of the
Legislature, if it were possible TO use
that agency. so as to give it another
chance to capture this municipal gov.
ernment.
Not only is the proposed bill no i'm.
provement over the present law. il is
decidedly roactionary. It's leading pro,
vision would be to scg1eGate the city
into commissioner wards for the pur-
pose o. dismembership rather than uui-
ication. AS il is now, the city acts as
whole; as it would be under this pro-
posed BILL there would be FIVE conflict.
ing commissioner wards, each with u
local commissioner, and each doing the
best possible for his OVID particular
ward, without sufficient regard for the
interests of the city outside Of bis ward.
And as prime requisite for such cleo
tiou. or for such ward divisions. there
would necessarily, in order to make fair
the basis of representation, according 20
population, he required redistricting
of the city into wards. AS il is now. the
First ward of this city has more than
double the population OF the Fifth
ward. 1t has in fact. as much popula-
tion as the Fourth ward aud Fifth ward
combined. Manifestlv the ward lines
would have OF be rcadjnstcd in order
to make any sort of fairness in the rep
resentation Of the people in tho com
mission body which is proposed. The
people of the First ward would not be
more than half represented compared
with the people of the Fourth and Fifth
wards, provided the bill should pass as
agreed upon by these partisan legisla-
tors. And so a gross local injustice
would be inflicted
The best available talent in the city
should 60 to the making OF the munich
pal government That talent should be
devoted TO the interests of
the city. laying aside all personal bust
ness and all business concerns. II re-
quires the devoted ability Of all in Office
to conduct this city government That
is required by the law now, and il ought
to be required all the time. But to
create constituencies such as are pro-
posed and sectionalize the city i. step
not forward
We had been IN hopes to see some real
measure Of advancement made in NUM-
cipal government in case any change
were to be had. Evidently the ultimate
solution of the city government problem
has not been reached in the commission
forn. number Of cities have gone
beyond the commission form. and have
vested the control Of their public affairs
N a business manager or mayor, with
full executive power to appoint all his
assistants and all the
employees Of the city. he alone being
responsible for all, precisely as any
great business, like some of our big min.
ing companies, or like the Z. c.. NJ. 7. in
this city. IS managed by ono supcriu.
tendent, who is responsible to all inter
ested for the proper management and
control of the business.
If we are to have any change in the
commission form of government. let us
go forward, and not backward. Let us
provide what would be a real remedy,
and not get back to ills from which we
have already escaped. Let us have
business head for the city, responsible
TO the taxpayers, for the city's govern
ment Call him mayor, call him 6pan.
cial agent. call him superintendent, man.
ager, or what you like, but let him be
the man who does things, who is able to
do them IN responsible way and who
will be responsible to the taxpayers for
what he does. That is evidently the
coming form OF city government, aud if
Salt Lake City is going TO change at
all, let 1t get In at the head of the pro-
cession.