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 DIGEST AND REFERENCES 
 
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 COMPILED BY 
 
 EDWARD C. LYTTON 
 
 MAYORS SECRETARY 
 
 DES MOINES, IOWA 
 SEPTEMBER, 1910 
 

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Digest of The Des Moines Plan 
 
 By Mayor James R. Hanna, Des Moines, Iowa 
 
 The Commission form of government abolishes ward lines, 
 party politics and the old division of city officers into legisla- 
 tive, executive and judicial departments. In place of this ic 
 substitutes a board, consisting of the mayor and four commis- 
 sioners, who manage the affairs of the city just as a board of 
 directors manage the business of a bank or any large corpora- 
 tion, who are invested with all the powers of city government 
 and who are elected by the people of the whole city, but with- 
 orut any party designation. These five men divide the duties of 
 the city government among themselves into five departments of 
 Public Affairs, Accounts and Finances, Public Safety, Streets 
 and Public Improvements, and Parks and Public Property. They 
 then elect all the subordinate officers necessary to the conduct- 
 ing of the city business, such as Chief of Police, Police Judge, 
 City Clerk, City Engineer, City Treasurer, City Auditor, etc. 
 These subordinate officers may be discharged at any time far 
 any misconduct or lack of attention to duties. All other subor- 
 dinates except common laborers are selected under civil service 
 rules administered by a Civil Service Commission, and are re- 
 movable only for misconduct or lack of attention to duties, or 
 activity in political matters. 
 
 The four councilmen and mayor act as the administrative 
 heads of their respective departments, and also constitute the 
 city council and as such legislate for the city. 
 
 The councilmen under the Des Moines plan are elected for a 
 period of two years and in the following manner: 
 
 Any citizen Avho can secure the signatures of twenty-five vot- 
 ers vouching for his character may become a candidate for 
 mayor or commissioner. From among these candidates the 
 two receiving the highest number of votes for mayor in the 
 primary become candidates for mayor in the final election, and 
 the eight receiving the highest number of votes for commission- 
 er become the final candidates for commissioners. Then in 
 the final election, occurring two weeks later, the one receivin£. 
 the highest number of votes for mayor becomes mayor and the 
 four receiving the highest number of. votes for commissioners 
 are elected to these offices. These five men at their first meet- 
 ing proceed to elect the subordinate city officers and the new 
 council is then ready to conduct the business of the city. 
 
 It will be seen that directness and simplicity are the main 
 characteristics of the Des Moines plan of commission govern- 
 ment. The great purposes are to make the city government 
 feel responsive to public opinion and also to make it efficient 
 in administration. To carry out these two fundamental ideas 
 two other great principles have directed nearly all the details 
 
 —4- 
 
of our charter, viz: to confer upon the governing body great 
 power, and to ho_d the govein^^ng body strictly responsible for 
 the right use of that power. Publicity and efficiency are thus 
 the watchwords of the Des Moines plan. 
 
 Candidates must make a public statement of their campaign 
 expenses, there can be no secret meetings of the city council, 
 every ordinance appropriating money must be on public file for 
 seven days before it becomes effective, all franchises must be 
 submitted to a vote of the people for approval before they be* 
 come operative, officers must have no secret obligations to pub- 
 lic service companies in the way of passes, special rates, or 
 free services, etc. These specific provisions for publicity have 
 created a general spirit of bringing everything in connection 
 with the city government out into the open light. Campaigns 
 are conducted practically altogether in open meetings, hundreds 
 of which occur in every city election. Every meeting of the 
 city council is minutely reported in the daily newspapers. The 
 result is that the public opinion is well informed and intelli- 
 gent, and it moulds the action of the city council, and the pow- 
 er of this public opinion is rendered still more effective by the 
 existence of the provisions for the initiative, referendum and 
 recall. 
 
 Having thus provided for intelligent, active and effective pub* 
 lie opinion that makes the city government feel entirely re- 
 sponsible to it for its every act, the next thing of importance, 
 indeed the great object, Is to give the city officers every pos- 
 sible means of efficient administration. They are, therefore, 
 given every power of city government, legislative, executive and 
 judicial, so that they can make no excuse for not doing their 
 full duty. The result is a prompt, efficient, business-like admin- 
 istration of municipal affairs. That would seem to be some- 
 thing like the fulfillment of democracy, when you can have in 
 telligent public opinion making itself felt in a business-like ad- 
 ministration of public business. 
 
 205698 
 
List of References to Some of the Best Articles Written 
 on The Des Moines Plan of Commission Government 
 
 Berryhill, James G. 
 
 Des Moines plan argument. 
 
 (Register and Leader, Des Moines, February 9, 1909.) 
 Bradford, E. S. 
 
 Commission government in American cities. 
 
 Commission government in Houston. 
 
 (In Municipal journal and engineer, vol. 25, Aug. 5, 1908, 
 
 pp. 174-175.) 
 "Difference between this and Galveston plan." 
 Galveston plan successful. 
 (In Municipal journal and engineer, vol. 24, June 3, 1908, 
 
 pp. 694-695.) 
 (Address E. S. Bradford, Dept. of Commerce and Labor, 
 Washington, D. C.) 
 Campbell, R. A. 
 
 Commission system of municipal government — Des Moines 
 
 plan. 
 (In American political science review, vol. 1, Aug., 1907, 
 pp. 621-626.) 
 Cheeseborough, E. R. 
 
 The success of the Galveston experience. 
 (In National municipal league. Proceedings, 1906, pp. 181 
 193.) 
 City government by commission: a symposium on the Gal- 
 veston, Newport and Des Moines plans. 
 The Galveston plan, by William Bennett Munroe; Newport 
 plan of city government, by F. E. Chadwick; The Des 
 Moines plan, by Silas B. Allen. 
 (In Chantauquan, vol. 51, June, 1908, pp. 108-141.) 
 City government. 
 
 (In Outlook, vol. 92, Aug. 14, 1909, pp. 865-866.) 
 The City Hall. 
 
 (Bulletin of the League of American municipalities; pub- 
 lished monthly by Municipal Publishing Co., Des Moines, 
 Iowa. Discussions of practical operation of the Des 
 Moines plan and other commission systems in each 
 issue since January, 1909; also information as to prog 
 ress of this plan of government in fifteen or twenty 
 other American cities; back numbers obtainable from 
 publishers. 
 Debate on the Commission form of government. 
 
 State University of Iowa vs. University of Minnesota. 
 (Published by The Forensic league, Iowa City, Iowa.) 
 
Dehoney, C. 
 
 Breaking down ward lines in cities. 
 
 (In World Today, v. 18, p. 487-90, May, 1910.) 
 
 Deming, H. E. 
 
 The government of American cities; a program of democ- 
 racy. 
 
 New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1909. 323 pp. 
 
 The Galveston plan: pp. 97-101, 123, 161. 
 Des Moines plan of city government. 
 
 (In World's work, vol. 18, May, 1909, p. 11,533.) 
 Dillon, S. J. 
 
 The "Des Moines plan." 
 
 (In National magazine, vol. 26, Sept., 1907, pp. 710-714.) 
 
 The Des Moines plan of city government. 
 
 (In Overland monthly, vol. 50, Oct., 1907, pp. 324-328.) 
 
 Eliot, C. W. 
 
 Municipal government by commission. 
 
 (In South Atlantic quarterly, vol. 8, April, 1909, pp. 174- 
 183.) 
 Fuller, A. M. 
 
 Municipal government by commission. 
 
 (Address A. M. Fuller, Meadville, Pa.) 
 The Galveston idea. 
 
 (In Bliss, W. D. P., ed. New encyclopedia of social reform, 
 pp. 529-530. New York, 1908.) 
 The Galveston plan of city government. 
 
 (In Municipal engineering, vol. 32, April, 1907, pp. 255-258.) 
 Garvin, L. F. C. 
 
 Better city government. 
 
 (In Arena, vol. 41, January, 1909, pp. 38-41.) 
 
 Goodyear, D. 
 
 Example of Haverhill. 
 
 (In Independent, vol. 66, January 28, 1909, pp. 194-195.) 
 Government of cities by commission. 
 
 (In Municipal engineering, vol. 34, Mar., 1908, pp. 160-162.) 
 
 Haskel, H. J. 
 
 The Texas idea; city government by a board of directors. 
 (In Outlook, vol. 85, April 13, 1907, pp. 839-843.) 
 
 Hamilton, John J. 
 
 The Dethronement of the city boss. 
 
 Pub. by Funk & Wagnalls, New York. $1.20 net; postpaid 
 $1.30; 285 pages. An analysis and history of the Dee 
 Moines plan, with showing of results in many cities; 
 text, court decisions, etc.) 
 
 Horn, P. W. 
 
 City schools under the commission form of city govern- 
 ment. 
 (In Educational review, vol. 37, April, 1909, pp. 362-374.) 
 
 —7— 
 
James, G. W. 
 
 Two successful experiments in civic government: Gal- 
 veston and Houston, Texas. 1. Galveston. 2. Houston 
 and its city commission. 
 
 (In Arena, vol. 38, July, 1907, pp. 8-13; Aug., 1907, pp. 
 144-149.) 
 Jones, Neal 
 
 A city on a hill. 
 
 (In Circle magazine, July, 1909; a description of the Des 
 Moines plan and results obtained by it.) 
 MacFarland, Henry B. F. 
 
 Address on the commission form of government. 
 . (Published by board of commissioners, Washington, D. C.) 
 MacGregor, Ford H. 
 
 City government by commission. 
 
 Address before Wisconsin league of municipalities. 
 
 (Pub. by Municipal reference bureau, Univ. of Wisconsin 
 extension, Madison, Wis.) 
 Moorhead, F. G. 
 
 Bringing dead cities to life. 
 
 (In Technical world, vol. 12, Feb., 1910, pp. 621-628.) 
 Municipal government. 
 
 Two discussions before the Economic club of Boston. 
 
 (Pub. by Economic club, Boston, Mass.) 
 Municipal government by commission. 
 
 (In Nation, vol. 83, Oct. 18, 1906, p. 322.) 
 Niday, J. E. 
 
 The Business idea in municipal government. 
 
 (Address J. E. Niday, Asst. City Attorney, Houston, Texas.) 
 Plan vindicated by year's work. 
 
 (Register and Leader, Des Moines, Iowa, March 28, 1909.) 
 Proceedings of the Providence conference for good city goy- 
 
 ernment and the thirteenth annual meeting of the National 
 
 municipal league. 
 Robbins, E. Clyde 
 
 Selected articles on the commission plan of government. 
 
 (In Debater's Hand book series.) 
 
 Pub^'shed by H. W. Wilson Co., Minneapolis, Minn. 
 Russell, C. E. 
 
 Sanity and democracy for American cities. 
 
 (In Everybody's magazine, v. 22, pp. 435-47, April, 191©.) 
 Sampson, Henry E. 
 
 Des Moines plan of city government. 
 
 (In Century magazine, vol. 74, Oct., 1907, p. 270.) 
 
 A year under the Des Moines plan. 
 
 (Pub. by Greater Des Moines Committee, Des Moines, loTra.) 
 Slosson, W. B. 
 
 Government by commission in Texas. 
 
 (In Independent, vol. 63, July 25, 1907, pp. 195-200.) 
 Spread of the commission plan. 
 
 —8— 
 
(In Outlook, vol. 89, July 4, 1908, pp. 495-457.) 
 Spread of the Galveston plan. 
 
 .(In American monthly review of reviews, vol. 36, Nov., 
 1907, pp. 623-624.) 
 Spread of the Texas idea. 
 
 (In Outlook, vol. 8G, Aug. 3, 1907, pp. 707-708.) 
 Texas idea. 
 
 In Outlook, vol. 85, April 13, 1907, pp. 834-835.) 
 
 The Story of the short ballot cities — an explanation of the suc- 
 cess of the commission form of municipal government. 
 (Address Richard S. Childs, Secretary, The Short ballot or- 
 ganization, 383 Fourth Avenue, New York.) 
 
 Three great experiments. (Galveston, Tex.; Des Moines, la., 
 Newport, R. I.) 
 (In Independent, vol. 64, June 18, 1908, pp. 1409-1410.) 
 
 Turner, George K. 
 
 Galveston: a business corporation. 
 
 (McClure m.agazine, vol. 27, October, 1906, pp. 610-620.) 
 
 New American city government — The Des Moines plan — A 
 triumph of democracy and its spread across the United 
 States. 
 (In McClure's magazine, vol. 35, May, 1910, pp. 997-108.) 
 Various articles regarding the Des Moines plan of city gov 
 ernment published from time to time in the Reg 
 ister and Leader, Des Moines Capital, Des Moines Daily 
 News and Evening Tribune, newspapers published in 
 the city of Des Moines, Iowa. 
 Wealth, Pub. by Greater Des Moines Committee, Des Moines, 
 
 Iowa. 
 Williams, C. A. 
 
 Governing cities by commissions. 
 (In World today, vol. 11, Sept., 1906, pp. 943-946.) 
 Wisconsin University. University extension division. Dept. of 
 debating and public discussion. 
 Commission plan of city government. 
 
 Madison: Pub. by the University, 1908. 6 pp. (Bulletin 
 of the University of Wisco*nsin. serial No. 259; General 
 series. No. 141.) 
 Wise, W. W., and Sampson, Henry E. 
 
 Articles favoring and opposing the Des Moines plan. 
 (Midwestern, January, 1910.) 
 Wise, W. W. 
 
 Article opposing the Des Moines plan. 
 (Register and Leader, Des Moines, la., June 3, 1909.) 
 
The Following Cities Have Voted Favorably Upon the 
 
 Adoption of the Commission Form of 
 
 Municipal Government 
 
 Montgomery 
 Birmingham 
 
 CALIFORNM 
 Berkeley ^^^^^o^^^^a^^^jJ^ 
 Los :^ngeles 
 Riverside 
 San Diego 
 
 GOLORADO 
 Colorado Springs 
 Grand Junction 
 
 GEORGM 
 Atlanta {under consider- 
 ation^ 
 
 IOWA 
 Des Moines 
 Cedar Rapids 
 Keokuk 
 Burlington 
 Sioux City 
 Fort Dodge 
 
 ID:^HO 
 Boise 
 Lewiston 
 
 K:^^S:AS 
 Kansas City 
 Cojfeyville 
 Leavenworth 
 Wichita 
 Hutchinson 
 
 Independence 
 
 :)l7ithony 
 
 Cherry vale 
 
 Topeka 
 
 Parsons 
 
 Pittsburg 
 
 Emporia 
 
 LOVISMKA 
 Shreveport 
 
 M.^SSACHUSETTS 
 Taunton 
 Haverhill 
 G-loucester 
 Chelsea 
 Boston {modified) 
 
 MISSOURI 
 St Joseph 
 
 MIKKESOT:^ 
 Mankato 
 
 KORTH D:AKOTA 
 Grand Forks 
 Fargo 
 Mi not 
 Manden 
 Bismark 
 
 XEW YORK 
 Buffalo 
 Mount Vernon 
 ^ORTH C:^ROLIXM. 
 Charlotte 
 
 —10— 
 
OKmHOMA 
 
 Houston 
 
 Guthrie 
 
 Palestine 
 
 Ardmore 
 
 Waco 
 
 Muskogee 
 
 Fort Worth 
 
 El Reno 
 
 :^ustin 
 
 Tulsa 
 
 El Paso 
 
 Sapulpa 
 
 Dallas 
 
 Olaremore 
 
 Denison 
 
 Enid 
 
 San :^ntonio 
 
 Mc:^lister 
 
 Q-reenville 
 
 SOUTH C:^ROLLY^ 
 
 Sherman 
 
 Columbia 
 
 Beaumont 
 
 SOUTH D^KOT^ 
 
 TEKKESSEE 
 
 Yankton 
 
 Etewah 
 
 Sioux Falls 
 
 Memphis 
 
 Huron 
 
 Bristol 
 
 Pierre 
 
 Clarksville 
 
 Dell Rapids 
 
 Richard City 
 
 Vermillion 
 
 W:1SHL¥GT0^ 
 
 Rapid City 
 
 Tacoma 
 
 TEI^S 
 
 WISGOKSIX 
 
 Galveston 
 
 Eau Claire 
 
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