The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1912-06-22

EYES OF GOOD GOVERNMENT
kXPERTS ON SUMTER.
adoption of City Manager Plan of
Municipal Government Attracts Ma
tiOnal Attention to Sumter and The
Practical Workings OF System Will
bc Watched With Utmost Interest
by Students of Business Methods
Applied to City.

retary Richard S. Childs. congratu-
lating Sumter on the adoption Of the
city manager plan OF commission gov
ernment. the National Short Ballot
Organization wrote to the Chamber of
commerce for a synopsis of the Act
under which Sumter adopted the
new form Of government, stating that
1t was their intention to propose and
distribute throughout the United
States a pamphlet describing the sum
ter plan and its advantages You
can rest assured that every step you
take will be watched by US with the
utmost interest"
In addition to the pamphlet, which
will be issued in time for distribution
at the Convention of the National
Municipal League in Los Angeles, next
month. the short Ballot Organization
has issued the subjoined circular for
immediate distribution to 1900 news
papers and commercial organizations
In various parts Of the United States.
If the city manager government does
nothing else for Sumter 1t will give
the Game Cock City the greatest
amount Of valuable advertising that
town Of the size ever obtained by
any means.
The Short Ballot Organization
Sumter Plan" circular Is as follows:
Why Not Run a City just Like q Pri-
vate Business Corporation?
This was the question put to the
people OF Sumter on June 11th. BY
an act of the last legislature they had
an option between the stereotyped
commission plan with three separate
heads and the City Manager plan.
which had been discussed and approx
ed over, the length and breadth of the
land but never adopted by any city.
Sumter took the bit in her teeth and
by three to one vote adopted the
one which applies the tried-out prin-
ciple Of organization which no private
corporation would think Of abandoing.
There had been no question about
the success Of the Galveston plan. It
had done away with bosses. and put
the people in power. 1t had succeed
ed In cutting out graft by fixing re-
l>s~
was done or left undone. 1t had saw
ed the peoples money.
At the same time there was no rea-
son to suppose that the exact Gal
weston or Des Moines types were the
last word on simplifed government.
They had unquestionably succeeded
because Of certain sound principles
which lay beneath the form.
The new Sumter law preserves these
principles. Responsibility is settled
upon three men. who can do anything
that the city can do. They are not
to be hampered by having to work
through elective clerks. There is a
short ballot in other words. There
are to be no ward lines and petty
local jealOusies.
So far as the well-knOwn commits
sion type was followed. But when it
came to the matter of organization
1t was found to be ill-adapted to the
local needs. The regular commission
plan would necessitate three paid
managers, as heads Of departments.
Few men, who were really competent,
could be found who would undertake
public service under the Inadequate
salaries which the city could offer.
$4,000 and $1,000 per annum, and de-
vote the necessary amount Of time to
the details OF city business. Further
more. 1t was regarded as folly to try
to secure good administrative super
visors by popular election. With the
same amount of money ii is thought
possible to secure one good man who
Will take over the management of the
Guys allairS. lie need not be "a local
resident. The whole country may be
taken as "A field for selection. He will
have an opportunity to introduce mod
ern accounting and efficiency meth
DDS and generally to impress his per-
sonality on the city, and will be in
In line for promotion later on to sim
ilar work in larger cities.
Under the Sumter plan. however,
the elective commissioners will be
responsible for all the acts of the city
manager, for he will hold Office at
their pleasure. There is therefore
no danger that he will build up a
patronage through the appointing
power, because every incentive will be