The Winslow mail., 1920-04-23
COMMISSION FORM
OF GOVERNMENT.
(By Professor Lewis.)

Within the past two decades con-
siderable attention has been given to
the city commission form of govern
ment to replace the old mayor-coun--
Gil plan. The advocates of this radical
reform contend that by enhancing
legislative efficiency in municipal
government such procedure will serve
TO promote the welfare of the peopIee
n the way Of decreased taxation or
better municipal service. The CITY
commission form of government is be-
ing tried in over two hundred cities
OF the United States enjoying a popu-
Iation between eight thousand and one
hundred thousand inhabitants and the
results, SO far, have been very salts
factory not only in the conservation
OF revenue but also in the promotion
Of civic pride and welfare. The COM
missioners are elected by the people
upon salary basis and they are re-
quired to serve either whole or part
time and are accountable to their
constituents. In some instances it
has been found feasible to have the
commissioners appoint a general bust
ness manager for a given salary to
serve all the time and to place all the
administrative departments under the
CTnPrUiCinn 0f I,O
and expenditures of revenue being
published and the vouchers being
audited from time to time as may be
deemed expedient to subserve the best
interests of the community.
The commission form of governmen
rs applied to cities is only one phase
OF social reform that has been demon
strated financial success from a
business point Of view, and no doubt
It will be only a matter of time when
our legislatures vii also be replaced
by .comissions of experts who will be
able, not only to draft understandable
laws, but statutory enactments char
actepized by judicious learning and
wisdom
We are living in an age Of economi-
cal, social. and political reform. The
wols preconceiKed notions of the
past are being steadily revamped and
nodded to harmoniously meet the
modern exigencies of the present in
order that the people may enjoy their
political privileges and prerogatives
to the fullest extent. The early foun-
ders of this American republic be-
lieved they had discovered the panacea
for all economic ills when they pro-
mulgated the Declaration of Indepen-
dence and its cOncomitant constitu-
tlonal guarantees of Republican
form of government. These documen-
tary evidences of evolution have serv-
ed their purpose and still remain the
foundation upon which a more practi-
cal suDerstructure must be built in
order to subserve the political in
terests of the people.
It is a law of nature that there is
gradual evOlvement from the simple
10 the complex whether it be in the
mineral, vegetable Or animal kingdom.
and man is no exception to the rule.
What is true of nature is absolutely
true to the human race. History is
nothing but chronology of wars be-
tween foreign nations contanding owe
territorial ACKNOWLEDGEMENT or feudal
internecine conflicts between com
fortably situated autocracy on the one
hand and vassalage on the other for
constitutional rights, and while we
must perforce acknowledge the great
debt we owe our American forefathers
in divining a remedy for their politi-
cal Ills. yet we must not lose sight of
the fact that on account of the greater
complexity Of life, problems are being
continually presenting for solution
the precedents for which we look in
vain in the venerated documents OF
the past. In the early colonial days the
people were not concerned with mono
polistic combinations. the pooling in
terests of trusts, the interference
OF proper legislation by influential
lobbyists seeking capaIistic prefer
ment, the budget system of revenue
control and multitudinous number OF
other present day problems.