8ome Defects in Municipal Government. 109 



municipal affairs is due to the fact tliat our state legis- 

 lature lias not given us the most practical form of 

 municipal government — a form of government hj which 

 the best results can be attained. 



The more important defects in municipal govern- 

 ment in Iowa having for their foundation either too 

 much or too little legislation are the following, and it is 

 to these defects in particular that I desire to call atten- 

 tion: 



1. Under the law as it exists today, too little lati- 

 tude is given in Iowa for municipal home rule, and 

 entirely too much is arrogated to itself by the legisla- 

 ture. 



2. Our mayors should have greater powers and 

 added duties. They should be in fact, as well as name, 

 the chief administrative officers of our cities, and the 

 city council should not be permitted, to the least extent, 

 to share any of the administrative functions belonging 

 to the executive department. All subordinate adminis- 

 trative officers should be appointed by the mayor with- 

 out even the approval of the council. 



3. The duties of the city council should be made 

 purely and distinctly legislative. It should have no 

 administrative authority or power whatsoever, and all 

 councilmen should be elected at large, or at least from 

 large districts, and never from wards. 



4. Government by boards and commissions should 

 be entirely abolished, because of the fact that there is 

 little, if any, disposition on their part to co-operate Avith 

 either the legislative or the executive department of the 

 city government, and in place of the board and commis- 

 sion there should be substituted an individual adminis- 

 trative head of department. 



5. A rational corporate debt limit should be 

 adopted instead of the present irrational one. While 

 there should be a general debt incurring limitation, it 

 should not be made to apply to debts incurred to pur- 

 chase or improve revenue-producing municipal utilities. 



