Some Defects in Municipal Government. 115 



1. The functions of the city council, both in theory 

 and practice, should be carefully limited to that which 

 is distinctly legislative. One of the greatest evils in 

 municipal government arises from the fact the council is 

 given, and frequently assumes, administrative functions 

 — functions which, in a well regulated city government, 

 should wholly devolve upon the mayor's subordinates. 

 Administrative powers conferred upon the council 

 affords too great an opportunity for aldermanic graft. 

 Such a distribution of powers results in lack of efliciency, 

 for neither councilmen nor council committees can 

 devote the time, and generally they do not have the qual- 

 ifications to properly and economically administer a 

 department. Let me give a particular instance: It has 

 heretofore been the custom in Sioux City, when the 

 scavenger work has not been done by contract, to have 

 it done under the immediate direction and supervision 

 of the chairman of the health committee of the city 

 council. T believe that my associates will agree with me 

 that that plan is not the best when economy and effi- 

 ciency is considered, and that a great improvement was 

 effected when the work of supervision was taken from 

 the committee by the present council and placed in the 

 sole and exclusive charge of the scavenger inspector, 

 who is now made the responsible head of that depart- 

 ment and directly accountable for its proper, efficient 

 and economical administration. The only additional 

 change I would suggest is that the inspector be 

 appointed by the mayor and accountable to him alone, 

 thus making the office and the administration of it 

 wholly independent of the council. This is but an illus- 

 tration of what might be accomplished in other direc- 

 tions by drawing a well defined line' between executive 

 and legislative functions, and carefully restricting the 

 city council to the latter. Practically as well as theoret- 

 ically it would be as consistent and proper for the legis- 

 lature of the state to perform some of the duties of the 

 governor as it is for the council to perform duties of the 

 mayor or his subordinates. 



2. Another defect in Iowa municipal government, 

 so far as the council is concerned, is in the election of 



