sake of fixing responsibility?  If so, then why not make it still more definite and establish one-man power?  Honorable Judges, we have shown that responsibility is more effectively centered by establishing uniform accounting and publicity.

The affirmative contend that the commissioners will furnish superior legislation.  Now we do not say that knowledge of administration is of no benefit in legislation.  But the necessary information can be secured without confusing the functions in a small executive cabinet.  In Europe it is done by making the cabinet responsible to the council.  In the United States, for example, Baltimore, it is done by having the cabinet meet and co-operate with the council.  Nothing can be done by withholding the information, and as a matter of fact, the city secures all the benefit of the technical training of its administrators without the disadvantage of confusion of functions.

Mr. Clarence Coulter opened for the Affirmative: 

It has been argued by the Negative that the success of the commission form of government is based upon the assumption of electing good men to office, and as an illustration, that the Des Moines commissioners are inefficient members of the old city hall gang.  As it happens, however, one of the commissioners is a man with a national reputation as a municipal expert, a man whose honesty and integrity have never once been questioned.  The commissioner of public safety has been trained for his position by long experience in municipal affairs and is a college graduate.  Admitting, however, for the sake of argument, that the gentleman’s contention is true; yet the unquestioned success of the Des Moines government proves the wisdom of the commission plan, for it so centralizes individual responsibility as to require honest and efficient performance of duty on the part of each commissioner.

Now as to securing good men.  In the first place, the negative did not, and cannot, cite a single city in which the commission plan has failed to secure good men.  Better men are elected under the commission plan, for the number of elective offices is greatly decreased, while the responsibility and honor of the position is relatively increased.  Moreover, the government is put on a business basis and the commissioners are given steady employment at a good salary.  They have an opportunity to make a genuine record for themselves, as well as to serve the best interests of the city.  On the other hand, the fact that responsibility is definitely centered on each commissioner will, in itself, prevent men of no ability or grafting politicians from seeking office.  Political parties no longer have any opportunity of putting men of little ability into office, but instead, competent men with a genuine interest in the city affairs and with no party affiliations whatever, so far as municipal affairs are concerned, will be attracted to the position of commissioner.