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Show THE FIRE-COMMISSION BILL Representative Kinney of this city hns found a more objectionable feature yet to apply In tho case of a proposed board of commissioners to manage the fire department of this city and of Og-den; Og-den; he proposes to have the Governor of the State appoint the commission. That Is, ho would virtually mako the Governor a municipal official also of tho two cities named. This is a proposition proposi-tion eminently worthy of the general mischief that would ensue In case of the creation of a commission in any manner. Tho whole proposal Is vicious In the extreme. We have had this sort of administration until the whole city was heartily sick and tired of it all. It was a strife-breeder beyond compare, a costly and paralyzing nuisance Wo are well aware that this intermingling intermin-gling of State and municipal functions has been tried In other States. We arc aware, also, that it has never been put into effect without vigorous protest against tho Impropriety of it, and that It has never worked in any way other than objectionably In practice, fostering foster-ing corruption, irresponsibility, and inefficiency. in-efficiency. This sort of administration removes the governing power from accountability ac-countability to the people governed; it would remove from the people of Salt Lake City the chief volco In their fire service, and would render them impotent impo-tent to effect any improvement, or to give effect to any move for better rates of Insurance; a body unknown to them, and that would be altogether out of their reach would have control of their fire system. And then, the principle is all wrong. If we really are to have government by the people, why all these efforts to take away from tho people the control and management of their own "affairs? Why should a municipality In one of Its most vital agencies be put at the mercy of a board appointed by an official whose accountability ls not to the peo- pie embraced In that municipality, but to the people of the whole State, whose concern for the most part In the Are department of either city affected Is of the most remote degree? What have the people of this city or of Ogden dono that tliey should be put under legislative legisla-tive ban like this? Aside, however, from the obvious Impropriety Im-propriety of the State at large thus assuming as-suming to control that with which it has no real relation, the administration proposed Is bad In Its workings. It has been tried and found oppressive, disorganizing, dis-organizing, and 'costly. It has promoted insubordination, and given premiums on Intrigue and Jobbery. It has kept unfit men In positions, and when they were displaced, and others employed, It has caused the city to pay both sets of employees. The men who put up Jobs on their superiors in office were rewarded reward-ed by the law for so doing, and the efficiency effi-ciency of the department was seriously menaced, with no power to stop the disintegration. It seems marvelous that any citizen of Salt Lake would wish to see that old chaotic state of affairs restored; re-stored; but since that is now seriously proposed, we urge all friends of popular government and public order to stand ready, to defeat this bill. |