Arizona republican., 1912-08-26
CITY MANAGER
 F0R PHOENIX
Views of Dr. Godfrey, Mem Der of Charter Commis- sion in an Explanation of the So Called Lockport Plan.

To The Editor of The Republican. Sir:
 In deciding to strike out the pro- visions of the proposed city charter relating to the employment by the city commission of a city manager the writer is strongly of the opinion that the city will be deprived of a most useful reform in city government Tho some of the members of the present charter commission are opposed to the city manager or Lockport plan be- cause they believe it to be less ef- ficient or less economical than the Des Mofnes or straight commission plan, yet the determining reason for striking out these provisions was a fear that if incorporated in the pro- posed charter. the charter would be defeated at the polls Largely be- cause of the lack of publicity in con- nection with the charter commissions proceedings there has been little pub lie discussion of the provisions of the tentative charter submitted to the council last spring and it has been exceedingly difficult for the members of the present commission to learn the opinions of the voters regarding it With a view to informing the public and provoking public discus sion the following argument on the Lockport plan is submitted.
 This plan is called the Lockport plan because it was proposed by the board of trade of that city. tho it never has passed the New York Iegis- lature and could if adopted here. quite easily become the Phoenix plan. The central idea is that the respon- sibilitY for the city government should be vested in a few men Give under the Lockport, three under the Phoenix plan) always acting collectively. Un- der the Des MOines plan the commits siOners sometimes act collectively as legislators. and sometimes individually as heads of departments. and strange as it may seem to some this has on occasion made it difficult to. fix the responsibility. The Lockport plan con- templates the employment by the com mission of a city manager, just as t Q board of directors of a business corporation employs a manager to at tend to the details of it's business and to carry out the policy of the board in accordance with it's directions.
  by no means new to business and the superiority of corporate organization over other forms gives promise that it will work we'll in municipal manage ment It is not new to our school systems for we have it today in Phoenix and in most other large towns and cities. It approXimates closely the German type of city government -I- IL, it has practically been in effect in Staunton, Va, for more than year with remarkable enhancement of the efficiency of that city's government.
 In the latter city the citizens were unable to adopt the commission plan on account of the failure of the Vir- ginia legislatures to pass the needed laws As an alternative the city cOun- cil sent to Richmond and obtained the services of competent municipal en- gineer who has managed the city's business so successfully aSs9 have eff fectually quieted the demand for a commission government.
 The Des Moines plan cOntemplates the division of the city's work into departments each headed by a cOmmis- sioner responsible for that department. It has happened and probably will happen again that commissioners will be put in charge of departments of which they have but the most per functory knowledge and very little in terest. A man may be popular and a good representative and yet fail utterly as an executive He may be man of good ideas, able and energetic and yet be so hampered by a majority of his cOnfreres as to make no showing in his department For example. the commissioner of streets is desirous of placing electroliers in the public squares. Public sentiment is clamor. ing for such action, but on looking over his budget the commissioner finds it is inadequate to meet this added expense. He applies to the commission for a larger appropria tion and they refuse As commission CT of streets he will probably get the blame while the commission will really be at fault. Or again, the commission orders cetrain paving done, the commissioner of streets voting against it. Let us suppose him to be obdurate. What action can the responsible commission take IO IOTCe one or US own members to execute it's orders?
 Under the Lockport plan the com mission alone is responsible. The commissioner of streets and every other employe is an appointive crea ture of theirs. If electroliers are not installed it is their fault and we know it without looking up the record If streets are not paved because of an obstinate street superintendent, we do not have to go thru the storm and stress of a recall election to get rid of an undesirable department head. If a recall is necessary it will be for a majority of the commission and we will know that they are not scape- goats. The Lockport plan naturally causes each commissioner to take all the needs of the whole city into his view He is not present at meet ings to scrap for his department. He is not there to boost his appropriation and reduce the others. He is there to see that the city moneys are divi- ded equitably according to the needs and usefulness of the different de- partments to the end that the city may develop tremendously and not