The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-07-26
THE LockPoRT PLAN.

Lockuort, y. Y, has devised that
il considers IN improvement on the
commission plan Of city government
The arrangement includes z combina-
lion of the fundamental features OF
the best existing commission gov
eminent charters, bur with separation
Of the representative and adminissra-
tire functions. This l. brought ahont
BIZ the creation Of an sppointive chief
executive called the city manager
who presides over ali departments and
ig himself the servant OF the commits
sion. holding Office az their pleasure.
The Lockport plan Is based on the
rule laid down by John Fiske many
years ago: For representation, elect;
for administration, appoint" In hne
with thi= the commission executes its
policies through q hired adninistra-
tor. Leaving 10 the commission simply
the function Of telling their city
manager what the people want and
seeing 10 ii that he carries out their
orders in the spirit in which they
are issued. On this point the argu
uent is as foiiGWs
The chief improvement IL this
act over previous commission plans Is
the creation OF this city manager, thus
completing the resemblance d the
plan to the private business CORPORA
t5on with IT'S welI-demonEtrated ca
Dacity for efficiency This gives the
highly desirable Eingle-headed sxecu-
tive IN place Of the fye-headed vest
err svstem where each member Of
+ the commission or council becomes
4 head OF a city department. II dis
+ rn,sez Of the confusion OF responsible
ltv inherent in the western plan where
4 the board IS whole ig responsible
for al DEPARTMENTS and each commits
s!oner is also responsible for MS OWE
This improved plan also frees the
r,eoule from the necessity OF trying
10 gauge the fitness OF candidates 70
do executive aEd technical work as
department heads. The people can
efec4 true representatives., labor men
for ezam9le. men who are typical
leadess u numerically important els-
-aente " the population, and, aE they
vii only direct policies and viii not
tersonalIY execute them, the efficiency
u TIE department IS iess likely 70 be
ir.te-fered Wiz. Likewise the depart
ueats viii not BE sgosect To demcraii-
zation by needless changes d their
!, executives, nor viii they be a. the
uercy " the ignorance 81 some man
who IL elected On, gsg. z franchise ig-
sue and finds himself Obliged 70 learn
and direct me details Of city finance
or street paving.
) The list Of available candidates is
+ widened immensely BY the fact that
/ the commissioners faidermen3 are not
( TO be obliged To abandon private ca
!, reerg for what may be but single
y term OF office at the head Of an IN
q familiar and perhaps. nncongenial de-
!, partment They simply represent the
: people, az the city hail. With power
. TO review, criticise. question and d.
u rect the work Of the city manager.
who is their creature. Those are con
-e ditions which will be attractive 10 the
C. ablest brains in the community. re.
N CARELESS OF the small saIary."
Or The city manager idea Is 81 course
tie not original with the Lockport Deo
in pie, but is copied from the German
I'd system with its appointive MAYOR n
s. Germany there are professional NAV
be ors, who, having made succase a,
o. chief executives in small city pro
he gress upwards by being hired by
.p- larger city at an advance in SALARY
he They are experts in administration
en- but have, of course, no original nov
he ers, being always subject to the A,
on rection of the council
de There are several interesting mino
or features in the Lockport proposal