Arizona republican., 1913-08-31
The Dayton and Phoenix Charters

Some of the opponents of the proposed Phoenix charter persist in hints that it is vastly diff ferent from, and than, the Dayton charter which they decline criticise This difference the critics have taken the trouble to describe be- yond the general statement that the Dayton char ter does not give the city manager such unlimited ear -ka' powers the Phoenix charter proposes.
 For the edfication the critics, well those may have been misled by their general and shadowy statements. We present the following brief analysis by the current Engineering Record of the city manager feature of the Dayton charter:
 Dayton charter. adopted last week, for the employment of trained city manager, after the plan already put into effect in number O American cities, including Staunton, Va where the plan has been Tn use for some years ana sum- sum- ter, s. C. Dayton, however is by far the largest city which tried the plan, the population being estimated a 135O0O The type of government is of the modified commission form; that is, the city nomfnalIy will be governed by five elective con- missioners who will, however have only Legislative functions They will employ city manager in whom all responsibility will be centered. He will appoint the heads of the eNecutie departments m which all the employees will be under civil service charter includes, among other features provision for a scientific budget, complete and systematic auditing city the installa- tOn of a modern accounting system, the employ ment of a purchasing agent the standardization of city supplies the introduction of employees time and service records That Dayton should break away form the old ward council idea and adopt short partisan ballot is not to be wonder ed by those who know anything of the utter breaking of the former city government under the stress of the flood disaster.
 It will be observed that the power of the city manager and his responsibility almost exactly the same Phoenix charter proposes. There is this exception: the Dayton charter creates the office O purchasing agent. appointive office, while our charter makes the city the pur chasing agent where the purchases or contracts do not exceed $500 Above that purchases are made let bids, and provision is made against coluson among bidders or between the city manager other city official and any bidder. n a city the size of Dayton such divis- ion of the duties of manager is necessary, while in Phoenix at the present time it is not necessary that office should be maintained It would add nothing to the already excellent checks pro- vided by
 The following from Harpers Weekly will be o interest:
 Good for Dayton Ohio Whether we should add Good Springfield, Ohio, cannot at the moment be said of the mechanical fact that this is of Harper's Weekly goes to press before August 27th, 1913, which date more or less attentive world how Springfield decides mat ter intelligence. Springfield rightly decidedly A little later Sandusky, Ohio, is to pass upon the
 The most important and sacred concerns of women and men are passed upon necessarily by a few individuals chosen to office They decide now much it shall cost to live in city and to be fur nished with asphalt and policemen and firemen and parks and electric light. They decide whether building laws shall be written and so enforced that hundred working girls shall be burned up every in awhile; and whether the schools shall have systems fitted help in life, out and valueless. They decide whether the police shall make ample fortunes out of vice and whether the inside spectators real estate shall get the benefit the improvements for which the working citizens pay. New York these questions usually a pack of predatory and ignorant sports Tammany Hall Dayton puts all the powers of the city small board, and this board hires the general manager who controls all the city departments except schools and courts and is paid is thought to be worth, and kept office long he is satisfactory. A lean out look for patronage, thisi system which would not nourish a Tiger" other predatory animal The American people will adopt it they become wearied of being bled, demoralized and rendered ridiculous by system devised for the exclusive use leeches.