The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1906-2016, 1910-10-18
FUTURE OF CITY
TO Be DISCUSSED
MANY BUSINESS MEN FAVOR
CHANGE IN THE FORM OF
GOVERNMENT.
The Staunton Plan is Suggested by
Many-A Brief Article of How
ttat Virginia City is Now Being
Operated

Much interest is being manifested
in the meeting to be held at the city
hall on Thursday night for the pur-
pose of discussing new form of city
government for Brunswick, and it is
probable that large number OF 0usi-
ness men will attend the meeting.
Many new plans have been suggest
ed, among them the regular commits
sion plan. which is now in force in
number of cities. The Stanton
plan das also teen suggested. In
connection with the form of govern
ment now in vogue in that city the
following brief concerning the Staun-
torn form will be of interest:
The Staunton Plan.
In the struggle for better munich
pal government Stauntons plan chal-
lenees and holds attention. She ven-
,ured into new field and has eyolV-
ed plan that has notable features.
The basic principle of the plan is con-
centration of authority and response
bility. There is a general consensus
of opinion that the high cost, the
cum ersOmeness and the dlsappOint-
meuts of ordinary American munich
pal government are due to scattered
authority and responsibility. In the
effort to gather up the threads of au-
thority and responsibility so as to
secure greater concentration and cor
relation, the question that has con-
fronted the cities is; Where will
you stop? Shall authority and re-
sponsibiiity be reposed in seven, i've
or three persons? Staunton was the
only American city to ask herself;
Shall it be repD5ed in one?
Having answered this question: az
firmatiyely StauntOn proceeded to
construct a one-man administration,
concentrating under one head-her
general manageable direction of
all her business. work and manufac-
turing, and holding '-im responsible
for results Under the state cOnsti-
tuition the city must have mayor,
and council composed of two bodies
for administrative and legislative pur
poses, but the code of Virginia, Sec
ton 1898, permits the creation OF
any offices needed, and the council
enacted an ordinance providing for
general manager to conduct the
city's business, supervise its work
and direct its manufacturing plants
eight and water) carrying out the
program adopted from time to time
by the council and council commit
tees.
Under this plan the entire busi-
ness of the city is directed through
the Office Of the general manager,
whe,e all purchases are made, ac-
counts kept. work supervised, and
Were everything centers. The advan-
taacs to individual citizens, to the
people collectively, and to the serv-
ants Of the city in thus having the
business centered are incalculable.
All complaints, requests, suggestions
and injuries for information pertain
ing TO the city's business, are address
sed to one person and the issue must
be directly met. 1t is easy to see
what relief this affords from the cir
and evasiveness of an
ordinary municipal system. That it
cXpedtes immeasurably the execution
of the city's work in all its details
and ramifcatons, and promotes econ.
omy goes without saying. Its anal
ogy 10 the plan OF organization of the
great industrial plants of the country
directed by one head, leads logically
to the conclusion that the plan would
be just as successful if adopted in the
larger cities Of TIE country.