The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1909-06-07
M u NICIPAL TRAINING
SCHOOLS.
Men Should be Trained to Man
age Municipal Affairs.
Statesville Landmark.


Statesvie Landmark
Ex-Gov. Glenn spoke for pro-
hibitlon in Columbia, S. c., a
few days ago, and answering the
objection that prohibition cannot
be enforced, he said in effect
that he would take the office Of
mayor of Columbia and guaran-
tee to enforce the law. There is
a suggestion that the ex-Gov-
ernor, in the event Columbia
should vote for prohibition, be
allowed to try his hand; and
The Landmark undertakes to
say that if he were given the
opportunity, with free hand
and the backing of the law-abid-
ing people, he would succeed.
This suggests another matter.
The Landmark hopes that very
soon some sort of a training school
will be established to train men
to manage ...unicipal affairs just
sthey are now trained to manage
other lines of business. Our
present system of municipal gov
ernment is a failure. That It is
a failure is largely due to the
fact that with the coming of
modern conveniences - lights,
water, paved streets, etc. most
of the municipalities own their
light and water plants and the
management Of municipal gov
ernment is a business matter.
Under the present system, even
if the mayor and aldermen are
good business men, they cannot
give the time necessary to the
successful management of the
business. Hence the necessity
of men trained especially in the
business that pertains to a
municipality; men who will not
only have the technical knowl-
edge necessary to be able tc
guard the town against the i'm
positions of contractors in any
line of work, but men capable OF
successfully administering the
affairs of a corporation, who can
secure the best results for the
least expenditure.
The commission form of gov
ernment, which places the af
fairs of the town in the hands OF
two or three salaried commits
sioners who administer it's affair:
on business principles, has beer
tried successfully in a number o.
cities. For the smaller munici
palities, The Landmarks ide;
is business manager for all the
affairs of a town, the board O.
aldermen to act purely as ;
beard of directors Of the cor
! poration. The average munici
! pality could afford to pay such
business mrnager a large salary
, for strictly business admins
. tration of the affairs of the av
erage town would save the sal
6 ary many times over. But tn
1 business manager for a munici
pality would have to be an all
around man; it would be nc
cessary for him to have techica
knowledge of electricity, plumt
e ing, street, work, etc. To secur
: this a sort of general trainin
school would be necessary. If tn
t training school were establishe
: and men trained in it. just q
' they are trained in textile school
t and similar institutions, tn
J, graduates would be open to er
d gagement in any municipallt
e and the matter of citizenshi
e would not count. 1t is said tha
e in Germany men are trained fC
:, this special work and it is nc
d uncommon to select a man {
J. mayor who never saw the tow
he is called to govern. II
It Landmark would retain tt
e present system as to mayor an
l. aldermen, but would have the
% as directors only. The busine:
e manager would be selected an
ID put in charge of the active NAL
1T agement of the municipalit.
is just as the secretary and trea
er urer of a cotton mill, for il
IS stance, is placed in charge of Il
le mill and expected to accomplis
Sc results. If some of the million
aires who don't know what to (
4 with their money would establi
to this municipal training scho
20 they would, in The Landmark
d. judgment, confer a great a.
ne lasting benefit on the urb;
IL communities Of the land.