Since the discussion this afternoon centers about the newer institutional forms of democracy, I shall not in this paper attempt to exploit the Des Moines plan of city government as a method of municipal reform or as a solution of the problems of city administration. My purpose will be simply to point out such of the newer institutional forms of democracy as are expressed in “An act to provide for the government of certain cities,” recently passed by the general assembly of Iowa and applicable to all cities of the first-class in that State, having a population of 25,000 or over.

Having been originally brought forward and urged by the people of the city of Des Moines, the system of government outlined in the act of the general assembly has come to be known generally as “The Des Moines Plan of City Government.” It has already been adopted by two of the leading cities of the State, namely; Des Moines and Cedar Rapids—but organization under the new system has not yet been effected in either place.

The Des Moines plan is of course not an altogether unique system of municipal government. It is simply a new edition of the more familiar commission plan; or, it is the Galveston plan revised. Briefly it provides for the government of the city by a council consisting of a mayor and four councilmen who are vested with

all executive, legislative and judicial powers and duties now had possessed and exercised by the mayor, city council, board of public works, park commissioners, board of police and fire commissioners, board of water-works trustees, board of library trustees, solicitor, assessor, treasurer, auditor, city engineer, and other executive and administrative officers in cities of the first-class.