Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-05-14
government BY COMMISSION
Theme Discussed by L. p. Smith
at Weekly Merchants Luncheon.
Guests Included Mayors OF Several
Vermont Cities, who Afterwards
Heard subject Further Dis
cussed by Prof. Groat.


day noon to hear about the commission
terday noon to hear about the commission
plan of city government, Among those
present were Mayor II. c. Brslin of Rut-
land, Mayor ]. K. Maun of st. Adams and
Mayor j. NJ. Boutwell, of Montpelier.
Mayor j. A. Harrington of Vergennes and
MAYOR W. II. Ward of Barre were unable
to be present. The speaker was Levi +.
Smith.
Mr. Smiths talk dealt particularly with
the principles Of the plan. lie advocated
1t warmly as n simple and effective means
Of procuring democracy. responsibility
and efficiency, ana less new departure
than return to the good Qualities of the
old New England town meeting Before
the meeting broke up Mayor Burke an
nounced tho inspection tour and outlined
the purpose of the weeks work. He de-
Clared himself emphauCally In favor of
the commission plar of city government
Beft,ro the speaking commenced, the
manfbcrs of the association arose and
stood with bow ed heads in memory of the
late Nelson A Bero, whose death was an
nounced BY Mr.. Powell, the president Of
the association.
Mr. Smith said IN part
1t hes always seemed to me that /. was
the duty Of a man in these days OF limo
vatiors-e especially OF young man-to
advocate no idea or theory simply because
it seems fashionable or popular or In nc
cord with the thought of the hour. or be-
cause someone tells us in large type that
il is the progressive thing to do Accord
ingly l have examined and cross-exaInlned
this plan of commission government for
cities in the most critical manner possible
a.. I lit. H.
it at least no better than city government
Of the old kind.
find that the commission plan provides
a government under which things are ac-
compished. / find cities under commits
sion government paying off debts. ! find
them paving streets as they were never
paved before / find them erecting build
ings, cleaning up slums and throwing out
ring politics. I find that though the
scheme is only a dozen years old, it's first
successes were so striking-so sensational,
almost-that the plan was taken up by
other cities Immediately. ! find a number
OF cities which have had experience with
this plan for six, eight and ten years. And
| find In these cities the great majority Of
intelligent people regard it as an immense
Improvement Every political scientist
who says anything about the plan regards
it as better than any American city gov
eminent which went before. 1t rests on
sound, simple principles. And it Is
as near return to the good
qualities of the old New Eng
land town meeting as any government
of a city can be. ] find much in its
favor that I wish to speak to-day not as
one who stands aloof and delivers a dis
passionate verdict, but rather as an advo-
cate of the scheme in it's entirety. I be-
lieve it would be better for Burlington and
for Vermont.
The commission plan puts the whole
government and business of a city in the
hands of very small board of its citizens,
and then holds them directly and constant
~ responsible. The usual number of com
nissioners seems to be five. Tho Wiscon-
sin general commission law prescribes five
gor cities Of 5000 population and over,
Ihree commissioners for cities undery %
200. In most instances the commissioners
are elected at large and party designa-
ton is prohibited. Each commissioner is
placed at the head of a separate division
Of the city government. Tho initiative,
referendum and recall play an important
part in most commission charters. Com
uissioners are elected for rather long
=
arranged to be voted on as few possible
at one time
The keynote Of the whole plan is sim
2lcity-simplicity, that every voter may
know what he Is voting about; simplicity,
that the work Of every commissioner may
be in full view of the whole body of cleo
tors; simplicity, that the ambitious com
missioner may proceed to accomplish
things, unhampered by checks and bal
ances and division OF powers, In a gov
eminent where powers OF officials are 50
divided and complicated and checked and
balanced that the busy man has not time
to unravel the snarl, democracy IS i'm
possible: the man who Is not constantly
in politics Is c!stranc!iised. In govern.
ment OF divided powers and checks and
balances, With many officials of nterlook
ing powers, accountability to the people
10 impossible. In such a checked and
counter checked government, officials hin.
Cor each other and hold each other %,
speeches become cheap but action OF the
prompt effective kind Is next TO impossible
Democracy, accountab iiity and efficiency
are the three great gains of the commits
sion plan OF government
To gain .he kind OF simplicity whcr
1omes Of having the ballot short the Office
conspicuous anc the Oftlcidl important Il
Is necessary to part with some familiar
features of the old city governments
Ward lines are wiped out, and thus the
confusion of a divided city Is done ava,
with. Party lines are dropped, and will
them goes much party politics which neve
mad anything to do with the correct way
90 water streets, or with the proper loca
tion OF electric light poles The old meet
lngs of aldermen once month to debat,
the business of the city: these will z,
and in their stead will be held frequen
meetings of the kind that businessmen
hold in managing big businesses. TIL
city ofticeholder will be kept in office les
on account Of what he says than becaus
Of what he does.
The commission plan Is designed an,
fitted to answer the need of a tim
which believes that government hes
which will do most for the city and tn
people, which will best carry out thei
common undertakings and minister L
their common needs 1t IL only one stel
in a long journey. New discoveries hav
taught us so many things which must b.
done by common endeavor that we nee,
plan of city government wieldy AM
capable Of doing things. We know to
day that disease on a side street ma,
mean the death OF our children unles
the city promptly and efficiently check
the contagion. And so with fire, an
contaminated water or milk supply