The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1915-08-27

Economy Commission" They were
asked to make a study of our system
of state government and 20 suggest
changes, II needed, to make that gov
eminent an efficient one and an eco
nomical one.
The members OF this body made a
report to the last legislature and pre-
scented a proposed bin for enactment
into law.
The Board System.
Referring to- the board system, th9
commission said: Students in polI
tical science are all agreed that ex-
ecutive work should be done by in
dividuals and not by boards. The
average citizen has come to the same
conclusion. The board system tends
TO delay and inefficiency. II dissipates
responsibility. No one knows exactly
who is to blame IL work is badly done
Boards are necessary for legislative
and judicial work. They are useful to
give advice. They are not suited TO
administrative tasks. Moreover. under
the board system, the governor has
little control over the administration.
The board members usually have over
tapping terms. Each governor appoints
only minority. Each board is a gov
eminent by ITSELF
There can be no objection to the
establishment of boards and COM
missions. The advice and assistance
OF men picked from the citizenry OF
the commonwealth for their intelii-
gence. ability, and worth, cannot but
be OF great benefit TO public officials
and to the state itself, but their duties
ought to be advisory and not execu-
tive"
The plan proposed in Minnesota
was to consolidate all of these offices
and divisions of government in FIVE or
six departments. each with director
appointed by the governor and re-
sponsible to him for the conduct of
his department, but Il met defeat in
the legislature.
simplifieation OF Government.
Simplifcation OF state government
al machinery was advocated by Gov
ernor Moses Alexander of Idaho. He
favored the short ballot" elimina-
ton OF useless state boards and COM
missions vesting more power in the
executive departments OF the states.
There must be absolute RESPONSE
bility fixed somewhere" Governor
Alexander said. while 1t may seem
good TO the eiector to have long bal
lot and to vote for a candidate for
every Office. the result is that the re-
sronsibility Is shifted from the prac-
tical heads OF institutions and govern
ment to the minor and subordinate
officials which are merely cogs in
the wheel of government and
not the directing power.
1T is essential that the executive
department OF the state government
should be clothed with more power
and more responsibility and held
directly amenable to the people.
Whatever power is vested I'm the
executive department a check could
be had upon he executive through
what Is commonly known as
the recall. SO that where a bad gov
eminent Is selected by electors Il
can be corrected by them.
When People are Thwarted
Boards and commissions are often
so constituted that they thwart the
will OF the executive and OF the peo-
pie. They ere frequently created for
the purpose OF aiding some particular
interest and not to serve the general
welfare. They give some special or
ganixaticn an -opporfunjtg. 10 parti-
cipate In the administration OF pub
lie Affairs. 80 -. II :.
with tho eh,~t h.i,,<t -, liz. -