Show THE GALVESTON GALVESTON IDEA I BY CHAFES CHAREES I CRANE CR NE NETo I To tJ tb 1 Editor of or The Herald Heralds Mud I ha has hag s been said raid ald during durl and md since the last of the Utah legislature in conr tat t those who did not en endorse endorse endorse dorse nd V law the tho Galveston Galves Galveston ton idea sI supported b by br many man many of our most mast citizens many of ot whom evidently evil vi had not the re rC remotest remotest conception concep Ion What hal that idea was except that than the city would or of three citizens who of course would be DP experts expert in the business A short time ago I J L listened to a public exposition 0 of t Galveston idea by bj bjone byon byone one on of the most ardent and Intelligent Int supporters of that th measure and I ut utterly terly terl failed to hear a single ogle s reason why have that idea should have bave been b by any an Intelligent citizen who vho has vCr ever given hen iven any study tudy o problems and I say that the Gal Galveston opton veston Idea In its or present firpi will twill never again be Incorporated into la taw law fr In any Suture charter given to any iny mv it in the United States Tb Th it t the tho people of Salt Lake Lak nr In 11 artily art it tired of the th present ion tinn there fn ran n be he no shadow of or doub Many believe they are absolutely in ini incompetent Incompetent i competent ethers tJ rs that some are grafters graft ers rs and under the control of contractor who nho direct the t of the peoples money but whether ether thiis this thi is or 01 is not a 1 fact we wo W do know that tha the citizens of Salt Lake Lale have absolute absolutes K h s lost all confidence on In the tho present nd ad administration minh ministration and demand a change But there are an worse things even than thai the till present city council and Pond that would be hp the enactment into law of tho the bill bil bm ho tiO urgently advocated last winter be bf before before fore the legislature Because in that tha Intended measure the rights of taxpayers ers ra were not safeguarded no check was a placed on the power DOwer of ot this Intended commission an and ana 3 the people would have been bren as helpless in the face of graft graf then as they are now Without doubt doub fifteen men are nearer to the people than three as are arc further awa away from the source of or government viz the people than fifteen men Without at this time setting forth a remedy for existing evils mils for there is isa isa isa a panacea and one which all good goed men mei meil menvIll vIll In l endorse let us analyze this much discussed Galveston Galeston Idea In a very exhaustive i and interesting letter If before me from front the present presen n mayor maor of ot Galveston Mr H A Landes and from which I shall shaH copiously quote he JIP says The rhe old plan Dlan of our munki municipal pal ral RT J government eminent I consisted of maj mayor maor or and twelve aldermen each representing hi his ward In 1890 1590 four other aldermen elected at large were added eat It au a au I ministration of our city government contained some Om of our best citizens but mIt I this class were always in the minor it hence the financial condition of our cit city ity kept gradually gradual going from bad to K caused by ly extravagance and graft STart 1 I 1 tot t this the th history of Salt Lake Our expenses 8 exceeded e c eded the th rr re i each year vear and this y yas Yas as met net by b the Issue and sale of bonds Silt halt alt Lake Lale again to the tho extent tit tin th I Ii t tI tI i bonds to the amount of LId hid d been issued This condition of nf ar arf aff f irs continued until the unfortunate limity of 1900 1000 after which the city f rf f Galveston found herself face to fact face ith financial bankruptcy the condition condi condit t tion on of Salt Lake at the present re ent time i site lif 11 could not revolutionize and pla place e C her iv r elf upon u on A business busine s basis It was then n the intelligent people conceived the th ilea Pf Pc a of f government by commission and once orro framed a new charter based i run 1111 i n a commission plan as the leading lea ing Mr Jr Landes then speaks sneaks of the litle they theo encountered in securing tl is charter barter it being opposed by the tio th theold old olt foment element of oC grafters aril arid 1 franchise grabbers grabber but the legis ture turc seeing peeing their helpless condition re n with ith them and in April 1901 the tit thrill i iI ill giving hing them the new charter chart r was vis as granted The Original G Charter Char er erTh Ti Tice charter harter as granted placed lace our oui ourI i government in the hands of five three of whom were vure to tobe tobE tobe be appointed by the governor and two elected by the people This was the great error e of this charter and justly justl should receive as it did the tIll condemnation condemnation nation of all an citizens who believe b in a government of the people for the peo Deo people people pIe and by b the people The governor of ofa ofa ofa a has no more right to appoint a commission to enact laws and trans tran transact transact act at the business of a city organization than he would have to appoint clerks clerk In ill Ina illa fua a private store or the cashier of a bank and Is IB but another step steD in the usurpation of power by the executives of tf oJ state Plata and nation The object of this was to eliminate politics with all Its kindred evils from our city government Our charter called for one commissioner commis commissioner to be known as mayor president whose duty It was to overlook the city as a whole and a commissioner of finance and revenue water works and ands sewerage s rage police and fire and streets public property and electric light This commission appointed all the other city elt officers and In these appointments ef of efficiency efficiency and honesty were alone consid considered considered considered ered Political Influence ward heelers contractors and other evil influences which heretofore had the city in its grasp were thereby entirely eliminated eliminated eliminated September 18 IS 1901 the new of ot officers officers took charge and they found an empty treasury city without credit and floating Indebtedness running back for several years The commission in inspired Inspired inspired confidence and the city was at once put on a cash basis so that it could go ijo into the open market buy sup supplies supplies supplies plies on same terms as ac our best mer merchants merchants chants h or wealthiest citizens but there quickly came a snag A drayman was fined 10 He ap appealed appealed appealed pealed the case to the criminal district court ourt upon the ground that our whole city government was waR unconstitutional hence the recorder had no authority whatever to Impose a fine and the ground bround for such action was that a ma majority majority majority of our commission being ap appointive appointive appointive the citizen was deprived of the right of oP ballot banot guaranteed by the constitution This case was fought through the courts and the supreme civil court held the appointive feature was wac constitutional in civil matters but had no police pollee jurisdiction The charter was therefore amended and all the old oid officers were again elected The meetings of ot the board are held every Thursday evening at 6 The utmost harmony prevails and bus busi business busness ness is dispatched as a private corpora corporation corporation tion The city cit ball hall is conspicuous by bythe bythe bythe the absence of politicians and place I hunters as a simple request in writ writing writIng writing ing from the humblest citizen ad addressed addressed addressed dressed to the board meets with the same consideration as would the pres presence presence ence in person or by attorney of ou our most influential citizen All An contracts amounting to or over are awarded by bJ sealed bids A good feature which should be adopted by b Salt SaIt Take Lake and the state of Utah and which Is but common honesty is this Our cash held for Cor the different sink sinkIng lug Ing funds is let out subject to call or on approved security to our different moneyed Institutions at 3 per cent In m 1 r feces terest which is a source of consider considerable considerable able Income Our city owns its own water plant I and a nd sewerage system for Cor which l th Y issued special bonds bonds and the income not n t only takes care of oC the interest and sinking funds but b t pays a revenue to the city It also owns and operates its own awn electric light plant and is I run in connection with the waterworks plant thus saving a considerable cost on lighting the city Mr Ir Landes then proceeds to dis discuss discuss discuss cuss the tIle splendid improvements con constructed str Si c ted under the commission form facet of government nt notwithstanding the th ca ea calamity calamity lamity of 1900 which wiped out 25 5 per percent percent cent of taxable values of the city He Be sums Up tip p the whole question In these words While our city administration has i accomplished much and an It Is ble perhaps to our change eh of govern government ment merit the reform and beneficial changes in our county government have bave been phenomenal and that has I been accomplished under our old system tem tent which is the same as every county in the state I Our people were again fortunate in I getting good men to serve as a commis commissioners commissioners I men who were honest and capable and who at t once set to too work I putting our county a affairs on a busi busl business I i ness mess basis They stopped the leas leaks i iI I and inaugurated ed a system and method I displacing chaos and confusion soon oon getting every fund upon its proper cash basis So it would appear that the old form of government is good enough when placed in the hands of ot efficient honest and capable men who will guard tie the public interests as they would their I own He then discusses the school sc ool tern tem in which every eer objectionable fea fen feature feature ture which might enter into its man management management management has been entirely eliminated Municipal reform says sas Mr Landes must originate with the people but such movements are generally delayed until forced upon them by excesses and abuses buses and whether caused by b care carelessness carelessness carelessness or incompetency or graft the result to the taxpayer Is the same Every civic administration can have just as good government as a majority of its citizens make an honest and ef effective effective effective effort to have and this tan can lan only be accomplished by each citizen c taking an active interest In seeing that none but good goo and competent men are arc elected to office To this every earnest honest citizen regardless of political affiliation will say Amen This in Iq brief Is the Gal Galveston Galveston Galveston veston Idea of ot municipal government and while Jt has been fairly successful so far as Galveston itself Is concerned because of Its very great good luck in securing honest and capable commis commissioners commissioners commissioners yet I repeat no city in the United States will ever adopt the th e Gal Galveston Galveston Galveston I veston form of municipal government without having checks Anon unon the thi com corn missioners The commission Idea I without doubt the ideal form of or got gov go government eminent for large Jarge cities because a dt city It administration is more nearly a busi business bUsiness business ness proposition than political In my next I shall point out to tl 1 fA readers of The Herald the weak point of the Galveston plan and the remedy which remedy In a few fe years will b incorporated Into Its charter as It I j Inow inow now being written Into every chart of every progressive city whose citi citizens citizens citizens zens exhibit intelligence and elci 1 H |