The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1912-06-05

~ P"i '"'Niie system, You would lie
more apt To get men Of the goody-
goody class Of -fellow-weu-n.et
with everybody, politician and wire
puller, seeking a job out oi which he
could get his living would be afraid
! to do anything for fear he would
make enemies. and not he re-elected
and thereby he deprived of an easy
job, out Of which he could make q
| living. do not believe that you could
elect men of the proper business
ability under the department system.
for the salaries of twelve hundred
and one thousand dollars respectively.
The men who have the proper busi-
ness ability could not afford to give
the hours each day required under
the act, for the salary paid. The re-
suit. in my opinion. would be. that
We would get men Of the goody-
goody class above referred to. they
would get the money instead of the
manager and the city would get very
little, if anything. Suppose the City
Board of Education, composed OF
five mem should attempt to run the
graded schools of our city by divid-
ing them up into five departments
and one trustee, be designated TO look
after one Of these departments. Do
YOU think that we would have the
magnificent schools that we now
have? No, instead of Going this.
while there is a Board Of Trustees.
yet, they employ a superintendent
who gives his entire time and ability
looking after the teachers, and he
knows how their duties should be per-
formed, and he sees that they are
performed. Now, then, if the city
adopts the department system, then
the management of its affairs would
be like the management of the affairs
OF the schools of the city, without
a superintendent. While. if YOU adopt
the manager system it will be similar
TO the management of the city schools.
with superintendent. Some may
argue that you cannot hire a COM
| petent manager. l will reply to that
by simply saying. YOU can always take
money and get what you want. They
could argue with equal force, that
You could not take money and hire
competent superintendent for our
| school. i can conclusively reply TO
who attended the recent exercises Of
our graded schools. of the magnif-
| cent exhibition of the results that
were obtained under the system op-
Grated by our most beloved superin-
| tendent. Therefore. if we can hire,
| for the pitiful sum that is being paid
a superintendent Of this calbre. why
| then, can We not hire a manager for
twenty-five hundred dollars or less
who will look after the city's inter-
est with the same degree of efficiency
as Prof. EdmundS looks after the in
terests OF the schools Of the city?
How long do you suppose the Sum-
ter Telephone Manufacturing Com
pany would run if its Board of Direc-
tors met only once in every two
weeks, and left everything to be run
hn xx-if A,-;,
tendent in charge? There must be
| a head to every business organization
| in order for it TO succeed. If il were
not for the fact that the city treasury
has money coming into ii from the
pockets of all, it would have long
since had to go out of business un-
der its present business system of
| operation. If, therefore, our city
schools and the Telephone Manufac-
turing Company, and other various
corporations succeed so well. with
manager or superintendent in charge
then do you not think, that it would
at least be wise to try the same kind
Of business system in our city affairs.
| | have said too much already. but be-
ing so thoroughly convinced in my
own mind that the manager system is
so far superior to the department
system. is the reason I have written
this.
| hn 1lit of
voter TO thoroughly acquaint HIM
self with the two systems and vote.
not for the interest of any individual
| or individuals. but vote for what he
believes To be for the best business in
tereSts of the city
| Respectfully.