New-York tribune., 1913-11-14
HOW TO GOVERN A CITY us. "JACKES' IN ROME
Committee of National Munich
pal League Presents Report.
MANAGER" IDEA FAVORED
Plan of Electing a Purely Rep
resentative Commission Ex-
planned at Toronto.

Toronto. Ont, Nov, f3.-William Dudley
Foulke, OF Richmond. Ind, was to-day
reelected president OF the National Mu-
nicipal League in session here. George
Burnham, OF Philadelphia, was reelected
treasurer, and c. r. Woodruff, of Phila-
delphia, secretary.
John Stewart Bryan, of Richmond, Va,
was added to the list OF vice-presidents,
and the following new members were
elected to the executive committees: Mrs.
i. Bancroft. San Francisco: J. A Gaight,
Seattle; J. l.. O'Brien. Buffalo; Lawson
Purdy, F.. l.. Siddons New York; H.
Strong, Minneapolis; G. b. Ward, Blr-
mingham, Ala, and +. s. Spence. To-
ronto.
The city Manager Plan" OF municipal
government was explained to and heartily
indorsed by the league at to-day's session
by the special committee appointed two
and half years ago at the Richmond
meeting TO study the problem Of COM
mission government and It's developments.
Commission government at present
rules moro than 100000 persons In 90
cities and towns. The supporters OF the
plan are divided as to whether commits
soners should be elected for SPECIFIC
posts, as in Lynn, Mass, or on a general
ticket with power to divide the depart
ments among themselves after election
as in Galveston and Des Moines.
Nominal Salaries or None.
The majority of the committee, how
ever, reported that neither solution was
as sound as that offered by the plan of
electing a commission purely representa-
tive and legislative in function, permit
ting the members TO give only part time
to municipal work and receive nominal
salaries or none and leave the chief
executive work 10 city manager hired
by the commission from anywhere in the
country and holding Office at its pleas
ure This manager appoints and con-
trolls the remaining city employees, sub
ject TO adequate civil service provisions.
The plan was first adopted by the Leg
islature of South Carolina for the city OF
Sumter and went into effect there on
the first OF the present year. Since then
IL has been adopted by Hickory and Nor
gantown, ~ c.; Dayton and Springfield,
Ohio: La Grande, Ore; Phpnix, Ariz.,
and Morris. MINI.
The advantages of the plan were
pointed out by the committee in its re-
port, as follows
1T creates a single handed administra-
tive establishment instead of the five
separate administrative establishments
seen in the Des Moines plan. This admin
istrative unity makes for harmony be-
tween municipal departments since all are
subject to a common head.
"The city merger plan permits expert
ness in administration at the point where
II Is most valuable. namely. at the head.
1T permits comparative permanence In
the office Of the chief executive, where
as. in all plans involving elective execu-
tives, long tenures are rare.
Greater Command Of Talent.
"It permits the chief executives TO mi
crate from city to city, inasmuch as the
city manager Is not TO be necessarily
resident of the city at the time of his
appointment, and thus an experienced
man can be summoned at advanced sal
airy from a similar post I'm another city.
1T abandons all attempts TO choose ad-
ministrators by popular election. This is
desirable because:
1t leaves the lines OF responsibility un-
mistakably clear, avoiding the confusion
In the Des Moines plan between the re-
sponsibility of the individual commission
ers and that Of the commission as a
whole.
ut provides basis for better discipline
and harmony, inasmuch as the city man
ager cannot safely be at odds with the
commission. as can the Des Moines COM
missioners in their capacity as depart
ment heads. or the Mayor with the Coun-
ell In the Mayor and Council plan"