112 Sioux City Academy of Science and Letters. 



own charter, subject to certain restrictions and limita- 

 tions expressed in the constitutional provision permit- 

 ting it. A similar constitutional provision is found in 

 Missouri. St. Louis and San Francisco have framed and 

 adopted their own charters in much the same manner as 

 a state adopts its constitution. Like opportunity is of 

 course enjoyed by Kansas City and Los Angeles. The 

 Missouri and California plan was adopted in the state of 

 Washington in 1889, and all cities having a population 

 of 20,000 in that state have the right to frame their own 

 charters. Seattle and Tacoma have taken advantage of 

 this provision. Minnesota has fallen into line and 

 adopted a constitutional amendment by which cities in 

 that state are permitted to frame their own charters 

 within general limits prescribed by the legislature. In 

 1902 Colorado adopted the most radical home rule con- 

 stitutional provisions to be found anywhere. Under 

 these provisions any city with a population of over 2,000 

 may frame its charter. 



Iowa should repeal the present Procrustean provi- 

 sions relating to her cities, and at least permit any city 

 with a population of over 25,000 to formulate its own 

 charter, subject to certain general laws relating to mat- 

 ters in which the state at large has an interest, and thus 

 permit the cities of the state to individually carve out 

 their own future. Each would then be able to make the 

 most of its local conditions and opportunities. It would 

 give greater flexibility tO' municipal government, and 

 would, I believe, result in the taking of greater interest 

 in municipal affairs on the part of the people of our 

 cities. 



II. 



Similarl3^, though of course to a much less extent, 

 there has been legislative tinkering with reference to the 

 duties of the mayors of our cities. The disposition has 

 always been to distrust both the mayor and the city 

 council, and the tendency is to show that distrust by a 

 limitation of their powers. The result of such legisla- 

 tion, and the result of the indifference of the people as 



