Show liES DES MOINES PLAN INTERESTS OHEN Junction City to Send Delegate With Salt Lake LakeI I Investigators gators i I QUESTIONS ARE ANSWERED i t Mayor o of Iowa City Explains jr k- k Practical Workings of ofA A Sy System em 1 1 t Following a I. I period of ot Interest i. i L. L among prominent business men of f Off Off- d don ln n concerning the Des Den Moines plan of ot civic government tho letters of oC in- in sent to th mayors YOl of ot cities advocating advocating ad nd- that plan of ot government o J. J S. S Lewis Lowis of Ogden chairman of at tho et executive committee of or tho the Civic lc Improvement Im Tm- i provement h and chairman of ot tho Uio I board of ot park commissioners has re received received recell re- re l cel I an answer from Mayor or A. A J. J Mathis of or Des which h thrown considerable lI light hl upon the practical tide bide of or tho the plan O. O W. W Hewlett returned from O Ogden clen lout evening e an and says Practically all tho the business men inca of or Ogden are showing enthusiasm over tho the discussion discus discus- sion slon concerning this tills movement At a meeting of ot tho the Civic Improvement league to l he e h hold tonight a delegate will bo Lo appointed to accompany the dele delegates delegate from Crom Salt Lake Lako to in investigate in- in at Des Moines J. J Letter Prom rom Following Is IR the letter from Mayor A. A J. J MaUlts Mathis of or Des Moines Wo Yo Wo have havo a commission of oC five rive men because Lecause three superintendents cannot take Like care caro of the work In a smaller maller elt city three commissioners might suffice ri r of all the Work of or any iy 3 el department Is is not placed en entirely on- on upon one superintendent All HB acts must bo be approved cd b by the thc council as a A. whole This provision I IL isa is isi a i L check The superintendent has di direct dl dl- charge chargo But his action Is is not necessarily finaL Smaller would woul probably answer as well in smaller cities OurS Our S law fixes the salaries to conform to tho size of ot cities Our commissioners aro arc on active duty from flom about 9 a. a m m. until r G 5 p. p m m. which is ia the tho u usual uAl business busi busl- ness hours of this city Information Tho Tio city citi ov b by commission commis sion is more economical as ns definite fixing fixing- of duties an nOd and l responsibilities with increased salaries insures closer attention to work which means say sav lug ing Tho ta tax x rate rato has been Leen lowered slightly as tho tim result of or time the adoption of the Des Moines plan Tho objection o of our our- people our people has not been as to tho amount of taxes but tho the benefits derived de do- rived from Cram taxes In lit th this Is respect I great t-reat change e. The rho lack Jack of con centralized responsibility In the tho old government resulted in wastefulness The Tho commission plan result in the tho election of ot better men than did the theold theold old plan Better Detter salaries tho selection of good men from one ward made mado possible b by the elimination of or ward lines efficient men in minority political political poli poll I parties made available b by diminution dimin I ution of partisan politics In nomina nomina- I ions flens Working Inverse inversely these conditions conditions con con- and others have tended to ro- ro du e the tho chances of undesirable C can can- canI I Tho same s. men are aro more efficient effi eUI- cleat clont as the they have an unrestricted chance chanco to ma make e good oo Time The people take more interest In Inthe Inthe Inthe the government Go of oC the city but tho the thoe e commission plan does not continue to work well If It the electorate becomes Indifferent but better than under theold tho the old system Politics l IH lii removed from tho the city J. J y 1 the tho 10 elimination of or party li lim m r rn baHot u ot of can cam cam- 5 5 expenses nes P tor tur lor of mon money or promise of or job or other valuable things Confusion seldom arises arisen between the tho heads of or departments in lii the commission coin coin- ml mission plan piau but it is not n. n part of the required program that all men inca on ona ona a 3 commission should agree invariably S Disagreement lr frequently develops tho time thobeRt host bout course courEl Tho Time theory of the law Jaw is that all must approve tho the acts of or one The Tho approval l by all JI Is la intended to insure proper action fiction by hy all nil Tho commission plan Illan is probably for or the largest t cities I see no reason why the tha commission plan plan- properly mo modified to suit conditions should not be as satisfactory thero there as elsewhere A AJ J. J 1 MATHIS M A THIS Mayor of Des Moines |