The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1909-02-07
IDEAL CITY RULE
HELD UP BY ELIOT
Former President Of Har-
ward for Government by
Commission.
DIES MONIES PLAN
CLOSELY FOLLOWED
Council of Four and Mayor
Choose SubOTdinateS as
Needed.

Former President Charles w. Eliot OF
Harvard University, who has made eN-
teusive studies in the field of municipal
government, has contributed an inter
esting article TO the first number Df the
Municipal Economist on the commission
plan OF government for cities. The arti-
Gle is really o charter outline Of such q
plan, and, coming from Dr. Eliot. may
be regarded a. representing the indOrse-
ment OF many learned economists of the
sim novel plan of municipal admins
tration
In substance tie outline is identical
with the Des MOines plan, though Dr.
Eliot has added features that the Iowa
city has not adopted As provided by
the Des Moines plan, DIT. Eliot suggests
government by q council, consisting of
the mayor and four c0uncilmen, elected
10y the people at large. The mayor is
president of the council bat has no
veto power. Each Of the members Of
the body is the head OF some large de
partment Of city affairs, such az public
nnance and accounts, public health.
sdIety and sanitation; public charities.
corrections and public recreation: but
such assignments may be changed at
any time.
Council Elects Officers.
AT its first meeting the council nv
majority votes elects a city clerk. cor
poration counsel. comptroller. and su-
perintendent of streets. and such other
officers and assistants as are necessary.
and shall fix the terms and salaries of
such officials.
1t is also provided that no such officer
or employe shall accept or receive from
any person, firm, or corporation. oper-
ating under a public franchise or city
license, any frank, free pass, free ticket
or free service.
Dr. Eliot provides iu his outline that
all persons elected or appointed by the
council for the city's service, and all
persons employed by the council or its
officers In the city's service, shall be
elected under the. rules and by the
agency OF the civil service commission
OF the commonwealth.
The outline also provides for the ref
erendum- No ordinance passed by the
council, except an ordinance for the i'm
mediate preservation Of the public
peace, health and safety. which contains
a statement of its urgency and is passed
by an affirmative vote Of three of the
members OF the council. shall go into
effect before ten days after its final
passage, and If Ia those ten days a
petition signed by five per cent or more
Of the voters OF the city protesting
against the passage Of such an ordi-
nance be presented to the council, the
ordinance shall thereupou be suspended.
10 reconsider the measure. and. IL it
does not entirely repeal 1t. to submit 1T
10 the voters OF the city, While prOvid-
ing thus for referendum the outline OF
Dr. Eliot does not seem 10 allow the
people any initiative in legislation.
Centralizes Authority.
The principal effect of the outline
would be. like the Des Moines plan, TO
concentrate administrative func- ions,
and. with the exception OF the school
committee and commissions appointed
by the state for city work, TO abolish
all responsibility toward the council Of
five.
AS presented in the seine magazine.
Stanton. Va, Is experimenting with a
form OF city government which is one
OF the most generally studied new de-
parrUTes I'm municipal administration ia
this country For the last eight months
thar ciC's business has been conducted
by a general manager" There is some
question as to whether such a plan
would work out IN large cites. but
stanton boasts proudly Of the belief
that since the system has proved good
in every phase in that place, the size Of
the city is not q material factor.
Neither the mayor nor the city council
nor any Of the various council commit
tees have relinquished any authority,
nor rclinquisLed any responsibility. They
have simply by ordinance defeated TO
q. general manager the entire charge and
control OF all the executive work Of the
city I'm its various departments AMI en-
tire charge and control of the heads of
the departments and employees OF the
city except those employed in the
I school, police, and fire departments.
Real General Manager.
He is, moreover, the purchasing agent
for all tie departments. He makes and
signs all contracts for the city. sub
Ject TO the approval OF the council. He
is the ci1y engineer, and issues building
permits and licenses 90 milk dealers.
'In other words" says the Municipal
Economist. che occupies the same posi-
ton as that Of the general manager OF
any business corporation, reporting
quarterly I'm detail To the mayor and
city council, 5ust as the general man
ager of a business corporation would
report to the president and board Of di-
rectOTs."
Like the Des Moiues plan, the under
taking at Stanton sought the cpscen-
Iatiou Of functions. and IL would
seem, has accomplished this. Before the
new departure went into operation
there was no cooperation among the
departments mo- correlation OF forces.
no general supervision.