f 370 acts performed by the council,
32 were granting of saloon licenses and similar permits; 338
concerned matters demanding technical knowledge. To have a street
paved, shall one body legislate; a second group administer; and a
third pass upon the validity of the whole thing? Rather the
councilmen should know good paving; they should know how to draw up
and enforce a business contract. These are the vital necessities.

The commission council secures such results. Its membership is
comparatively small. Its sessions are held daily. Its members have a
direct knowledge of the city's needs for each one serves as the head
of a department. Satisfactory legislation then becomes a mere
business proposition. It is but carrying forward the work of each
commissioner, for successful administration is impossible without
competent legislation. Hence, a city commissioner would no more
think of passing improper legislation than a bank director would
think of advising unsound loans.

The Cedar Rapids commission met to legislate on replacing an old
bridge. The commissioner of public safety told in what respects the
old structure was unsafe. The commissioner of public property knew
how much land the city owned abutting the bridge. The commissioner
of streets explained what alterations should be made in the
approaches, and the commissioner of finance knew in just what way
the city could best pay for the improvement. Honorable Judges, such
men are in a position to legislate with thoroughness. They are a
commission council, the very nature of which makes it inevitable
that they act with intelligence and efficiency.

Contrast now, the commission council with the isolated council. Here
we find positively no co-ordination between the legislative and
administrative branches, while a century of experience with the
scheme of checks and balances has proved conclusively that it can
not prevent municipal corruption. Moreover, legislation by the
isolated council is not only chaotic in form but it is
irresponsible, while in the case of the commission council the very
fact that the head of each department possesses necessary
information not only secures adequate legislation but fixes with
certainty the entire responsibility.

The isolated council is a large and unwieldy body. Each member of it
has his o