Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-12-05

Cits SAS AN~''
THE SUMTER PLAN. ~
The trend of the times seems to
presage the end Of the mayor and
ward alderman system of municipal
government. More than 200 cities
have adopted the commission plan
The National Short Ballot Organiza-
ton, Of which President-elect Wilson
Is the head, predicts that the end OF
1913 will see one-tenth of the people
Of the United States under commits
sion government and that In five
years commission government Will
be on the wane in favor of the Sum
ter city manager plan. Sumter, South
Carolina, a town of 5000, has adopted
q plan which it believes will be more
successful in smaller cities than the
Des Moines plan, because it will per-
NIT the payment of a salary that VIII
permit the appointment of one high
class official.
The Des Moines plan provides FOR
three to five commissioners. In Iowa
the law sets the salaries Of these
commissioners at from $1,000 to
$4,000 year. depending upon the size
Of the town. The Sumter plan Is Of
fered for cities that cannot AFFORD
three or five highly paid commission
ers even If their state laws would
allow the payment of high salaries,
and for cities which are limited by
law to the payment of low salaries,
thus making it difficult to secure the
full services Of able men. This plan
involves only one high paid executive
who is known as a city manager.
Three or five commissioners are elect
ed as in other commission governed
cities, but their salaries are only
nominal and they only give part of
their. time to the city's affairs. They
act as the board Of directors in the
same relation as g. board Of directors re. tors
81 rs corporation and they employ and
accept Responsibility for the city
manager, who will give his entire
time to the city and will have sub
stantial salary, holding office as long
as he is satisfactory to the commits
sion. The points made in favor of the
Sumter plan are: =,
81, 1t gives complete unification .of
the administrative establishment.
D. It makes it possible to have
permanent professional expert admin
istrator.
3. It abolishes the one-man power
In the mayor and council plan (since
this executive is under continuous
controD and 1t abolishes the five
headed executive establishment seen
in the Des Moines plan. .-.
Al It simply. leaves the people free
to choose candidates simply as repre-
sentatives, unlimited by any implied
requirement as to executive expert
'ence :or. capacity to earn a large SAL
ary.,5
s. 1t abandons the plan of attempt
ing to select executive experts by pop
ular election for short terms. 9
6. It keeps the short ballot feature
Of the commission plan.
Sumter has advertised for a man
capable of taking complete control
OF the municipal government. An ex-
pert in managing public works, such
as water supply, lighting and paving,
is especially desired. The Engineering
Record, indorsing the plan, sees new
field opening for competent engineers.
In an editorial in a recent Issue that
publication says:
"The arrangement will..be analo-
gous to that of corporation manage
ment, the commissioners correspond
ing to the board Of directors and the
city manager to the general manager
OF the corporation. BY relieving. tho
commissioners of administrative de-
tail it is believed that the ablest citi-
- III, t1 oh 70
Their salaries will be. nominal, thus
making it possible to offer salary
to the city manager commensurate
with the ability Of a competent mu-
nicipal expert. This step is but anoth-
or indication that some day., though
possibly far removed, governmental
service will take rank in this coun-
try similar to that which it holds in
Germany today, where civil govern
ment is profession.
1T was In furtherance of this move
ment that Mrs e. H. Hartman some
time ago established a fund for the
training of men for public service.
70 the engineer the step means still
greater opportunity and a broadening
Of his influence, for engineering train
ing and experience should be invalu-
able In such position. That this is
appreciated by the authorities Of
Sumter is evident from their an
nouncement, in which, though not
mentioning the legal department, po-
lice administration and the schools,
they emphasize the necessity for ex-
perience in overseeing public works,
such as paving, lighting and water
supply. II the spread of the commits
sion form Of government is any cri-
terion as to the advance of this new
phase of the movement, another at
tractive field ought shortly to open
up for competent engineers with ad-
ministrative as we'll as technical abil-
ity."
One thing that the agitation for the
commission plan of government has
done has been to direct the attention
OF the people to the affairs of NUM-
cipal 2NyernS.ent. It has brought