The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1919-11-20
THE COMMISSION FORM
OF STATE GOVERNMENT
CONSISTS OF NINE DEPART
MENTS-ELEcTIvE oFFIc-
Frs STILL HOLD.

ERS STILL HOLD.
Atfriend of the Miner at Mullan
asks information regarding the COM
mission form Of government which
now prevails in Idaho through the
{. passage Of a law by the last session
of the legislature. This law was en-
acted through the urgent solicitation
of Governor Davis, who advocated
the new system in his campaign for
election on the ground that it would
promote greater efficiency, would re-
suit in economy, directly fix RESPONSE
Dility, and enable the governor to
more effectively perform his constitu-
tional duties as the chief executive
officer of the state. The state of Illi-
nois has a similar system, but with
that exception Idaho is the only state
In which the governor has a cabin
ct through which the affairs of his
administration are conducted. The
operation of the Idaho law is there
fore being watched with great in
%terest, and If the system proves sue
~cessful, as now seems more than prob
able, 1t will no doubt be adopted in
other states. The Idaho law a
passed as an emergency measure and
became effective on the 31st of last
March. The specific purpose of the
law Is given in the first section, which
follows:
G~ubernatorial Responsibility.
The supreme executive power of
the state is vested by the constitu-
ton, article Nv, section 5, in the gov
ernor, who is expressly charged with
the duty of seeing that the laws are
faithfully executed. In order that he
may exercise "a portion of the author
ity so vested and in addition to the
powers now conferred upon him by
law, civil administrative departments
are hereby created, through the in
~strumentality of which the governor
Is authorized to exercise the functions
in this chapter assigned to each de-
partment, respectively"
In pursuance Of this urpos the
legislature created nine administra-
tive departments which are d~esignat-
ed as follows: Departments of agrl-
culture, and industry, fin
ance, immigration labor and Stats
ties, law enforcement, public invest
ments, public welfare, public works,
and reclamation.
Heads of Departments.
The heads of these nine depart
ments constitute what Is popularity
called the governors cabinet" The
names of the men appointed by Gov
ernor Davis to hold these important
positions follow:
Miles Cannon, commissioner Of ag-
riculture.
jay Gibson, commissioner of com
merce and industry.
Guy Bowerman, commissioner of
finance.
o. III. Barber, commissioner of i'm
migration, labor and statistics,
r. o. Jones, commissioner of law
enforcement.
C. A. Elmer, commissioner of pub
lie investments.
J. X. White, COMMISSIONS of pub
lie welfare.
w. J.. Hall, commissioner of public
works.
w. G. Swendsen, commissioner Of
reclamation.
The law provides for the establish
ment of various executive and admin
istrative officers in the several de-
partments, all responsible to the COM
missioner who In turn Is directly re-
sponsible to the governor. The act
creating the commission form Of gov
eminent also abolished about so of
fees, boards, commissions, etc, the
maintenance of which made q heavy
draft upon the state treasury. These
positions were often filed by men APP
pointed solely through political con
siderations and probably at times
against the better Judgment of the
governor, who was necessarily re-
sponsible for their official conduct. 1t
was Governor Davis idea in urging
the commission form of government
that since the governor Is made re-
sponsible for the execution and ad-
ministration of the laws, he should
have authority to select the heads of
the several departments who would
he held accountable to him direct for
the conduct of their respective de-
partments. The commissioners also
act in an advisory capacity, their re-
lations to the governor being similar
to that Of the cabinet to the presi-
dent.
Elective State Officers.
While the legislature has the power
to create the various departments
presided over by commissioners, II
has no authority to abolish the elect
i've state offices, as these are created
ny the constitution. It is probable
that the question of abolishing them
will eventually be submitted to a vote
of the people in the form of consti-
%tutional amendments, which will in