The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1919-04-16
HI. T. LEWIS TELLS,
IN DETAIL, CHANGES THAT
WOULD BE MADE

At the mass meeting held in Guild
hall last night to discuss the pro-
posed change of government to city
manager, which proposition will be
voted upon by the people at the COM
ing city election next Tuesday, April
| %, Professor H. T. Lewis, of the Uni
versity of Idaho, delivered the follow
ing able address, telling of the pro-
posed plan and how it has worked
where tried. His address follows:
lam undertaking to present to-
night very general discussion, in
deed of our problem of government
and of finance, that being the case
shall not try to entertain you, but
merely to suggest some lines of
/ thought. / shall not endeavor to be
oratorical-I would not if | could
and l could not if / would, least of
all shall try to teach or instruct. [
am to deal with very specific propo-
sition, namely: a proposal to change
in a very fundamental manner the
plan by which the city of Moscow is
to be governed. | feel sure that no
one here tonight will accuse me of
being personal.
l am of the opinion that our gov
ernment has been as well managed as
could be expected under the clrcum-
stances, any criticism that may be
made is criticism OF the system and
not of any official.
Whenever any suggestion is made
relative to change such as that we
have under consideration, the first
question presented is this one-will
the new plan give US greater
amount of service than the old? For
fundamentally a democratic govern
ment exists for but one purpose,
namely: to give service; municipal
government has but one excuse for
existence-to protect the property
and lives of those who live under it,
to keep streets passable and clean,
contagious and other diseases under
control, to protect the morals of the
children within the corporate limits,
to provide an adequate water supply,
and to provide satisfactory recrea--
tional facilities for children and
adults alike.
These being the legitimate func-
tions of city government | take 1T
that that government is best which
fulfills these functions most efficient
ly and at the lowest ultimate (tho
not necessarily Immediately cost. How
all of these things have been is IN
some measure provided by the city
of Moscow The question is then,
would the new plan give better serv-
ice for the same money? And right
here | want to point out that, theo-
retically, it may be said that the
present form of government can be
made to produce results, streets paw
ed, new fire apparatus purchased,
and public park maintained, but at
what a cost of effort. Tho recog-
nized by every citizen of Moscow as
essential, West Sixth street has not
been paved, there are still houses, so
am told, that do not have sewer
connections, the water pressure on
the hill is absolutely inadequate, the
question of the much needed swim
ming pool has been agitated for
wears, and so on thru list of things
could repeat. What is the reason?
Because there is no one with the
time, the ability, and the sustained
interest to attack any one of these
propositions and see it thru. If one
assert "it can be done," under our
present government the reply must
come, ''true, but it isn't These are
concerned with fact and not with
theory.
We are forced to rely upon volun-
teer agitation by men who can i'll
afford to spare the time for their
regular business, and frequently with
little technical knowledge of the
problem, to secure, after months and
perhaps years of spasmodlc effort the
necessary facts and sufficient sup
port to accomplish thing recognized
as desirable from the beginning. :,
| have but little sympathy with
those who criticise the city officials
e.. +l,;- -;+,,o+ +ior Thou are dong
the best they can. The fact is that
they must run the city and their prl-
vate business at the same time, either
one of which is a man-slzed job IN
itself. They are forced, moreover, to
run the gauntlet of public criticism
and, in other cities than Moscow, the
fear of adversity affecting their prl-
vate business has kept some public
official from doing that which they
knew was right. The loss of trade
was a threatening danger ever in
their minds.
They are elected because of their
power and not because
of their technical and business train
ing. And lastly, they are hampered
at every turn by checks and balances
without number.
| have a very rough diagram illus
trating the present government OF
Moscow. The mayor is held respon-
sible for the government of the city,
but he is checked more or less, de-
pending upon his personal qualities,
by council which he did not choose
and cannot fire, by standing commit
tees, and by administration heads but
remotely dependent upon him. so
business travels from private citizens
TO mayor, to council, to standing COM
mittees, to council again, to admins
trative head, and to employee. There
is no real responsibility, no central