Some Defects in Municipal Government. Ill 



necessities? In brief, why shonlcl not Sioux City be per- 

 mitted to enjoy home rule to tlie fullest possible extent 

 with reference to purely local matters? 



The legislators in some states are coming to realize 

 the true province of the legislature with reference to 

 cities. In three or four states they have actually begun 

 moving in the right direction. Before we shall have 

 wholesome legislation for our cities it must be learned 

 thoroughly that the city is "ijrimarily an organ for local 

 government — for the satisfaction of local needs, and sec- 

 ondarily an agent of state government." This state- 

 ment, made by Prof. Goodnow, should be inscribed in 

 letters of gold over the portals of every legislative hall. 

 It certainly needs no demonstration. The legislature 

 should legislate only with reference to those matters in 

 which the state at large has an interest. For example, 

 the following matters are of much more than merely 

 local interest, and as to these legislation on the part of 

 the state is essential: All general provisions relating to 

 the area and boundaries of cities, police administration, 

 public health, the administration of justice, public char- 

 ity, public education, and some phases of municipal 

 finance. Without going into details, it is sufficient to 

 say that it is to the interests of the entire state, as well 

 as the particular municipalit3^, that all the matters 

 enumerated should be subject to more than local control. 

 They are matters of general public concern. Generally, 

 in all other matters the state at large has no interest. 

 As to them the legislature should keep "hands off," and 

 each city should be permitted to work out its own salva- 

 tion without being hampered by restrictions which may 

 be of benefit to other cities, but not to it. 



What we need is a clearly defined policy in legis- 

 lating for our cities^ — a policy founded upon the theory 

 that legislation on the par-t of the state should be rigidly 

 confined to those matters in which the slate at large 

 has a direct interest, and that all other matters should 

 be left to the city itself to legislate regarding in such 

 manner as to it may seem best. In some states this 

 policy has been adopted. At the present time in Cali- 

 fornia any city with a population of 3,500 may frame its 



