The Detroit times., 1913-11-19
\ Plenty of Material for Mayor
But Office Under Present
Conditions Offers No
Chance
ONE RESPONSIBLE HEAD
rs BETTER THAN TOO MANY
Not a Candidate for Mayor-NOt
Rack of BurtOn-Admires
Dingeman's Qualities

Frank II. Croul, former police com
4 missioner. Is not candidate LOT
mayor. nor Is he encouraging what
4 ever mayoral aspirations Aid. burton
Is said to have.
In his ONCE In the Detroit YAK
Betting Co., Oh the Waterfront. where
he can swing to the right ana see
Belle Isle, or swing to the left ana
look down-river, Mr.. Croul, In MS
, shirtsleeves, smoking cigar. talked
OF the possible future government OF
Detroit from the standpoint OF a-man
who has seen the inside OF municipal
politics--talxed without bias ana
without criticism, looking ahead. not
backward. =.
II am not a candidate for mayor"
|; he said. Il believe that II the new
charter Is adopted, good men viii De
found who will be willing TO take the
ONCE. There are plenty OF good ousi-
ness men, OF great executive ability.
who would like TO make a name for
sthemselves-what man does not? But
what chance has q man under the
present charter?
There are too many political In
Auences at work In our present form
tOf government A mayor may go In
with the best intentions. but within
three months he finds himself bending
his energies toward securing re-elec-
ton. For two years. everything he
does IL hampered by this ambition. l
don't want to 60 on record too strong
~, for there are many points In the
new charter that I haven't become Ia
TWittF Without Il seems to me that
there are important changes proposed
that make II UNNECESSARILY better
@hAn the charter which we have.
1T will be argued that the new
pharter puts large powers In the
hands OF one man. But what bust
ues- can be run successfully without
r. responsible head? Under our pres
'Nnt form, the next mayor to take once
Auds that he has little or no control
OVER many Departments Their heads
we're appointed by his predecessor.
and do not leave once until after his
own term expires. A mayor ought
~ be able to say to the people: Go
Az thIt man: he will take care OF you.'
|<-Cr Go to this mamie 10 respons-
3}ble to me- And that is what the
new charter provides. II eliminates
'Qolitlcs, and 1t gives a chance for the
5nsAd 7Of the city to show what he can
eij Problems Are Ahead.
Their are big problems ahead of
problems caused by our tre-
n6ndCus growth; problems OF sewers.
"a water service, that ought to be
-on4led as business propositions. We
Uunt spend q great deal OF money,
md We must be careful how We spend
~ Il n Job for big men 70 tackle;
nd believe that under the new
Smarter the right men can be secured.
The charter will raise so many
questions to be settled that do not
re how man can announce q den-
mite platform for his candidacy. III.
10 my best is about the only prom
H. = candidate can make with any
1easCaable expectation OF carrying It
cut. It will take some time to get
fh1ngs running smoothly.
The abolition Of the boald OF esti.
mates II good thing. It's far
o1ghted business man who can look
ohead even three months and tell his
4iroctOrs what he will need: but In
4he city administration an ofYicer IL
GOmpelled to look more than q year
ohead, and then convince a large body
Ut men that he fs right IL IS too
much to expect the greatest efiiciency
~ department that IL SO hampered
II have heard a great many express
Tsi0nS OF approval OF various sections
.Of the charter. The danger Is that
men vii pick out certain portions OF
which they diss pp-oye. and vote
against the whole charter because OF
Those eecdoSs. 1t asems to me that
We should take wider uew--that we
'shonld weigh the whole document, and
sacrifice our prejudices against GER
tain clauses II we find that the charter
- whole Is better than the one
which nov exists.
The workingman in Detroit IL n
pretty Intelligent fellow. believe
that he knows more about our gov.
Iornmeut than q great many business
mem ! can 80 20 group of work.
.tnHmcn IN Je~erson-ave.. and md
That thy know all about the men who
are rpyaing for once. while soma az
my business friends are lucky n they
can tell me the names OF two or three
candidates or the ticket. The work
'3ugmen think about politics and dis.
cuss II. and their vote Is highly in.
,<6lligent.
Admlres DIneeman's Nerve.
w Z know Charley Burton and I like
aim. but am not behind any idea 10
make Mn mayor haven't heard ~
any candidates. Haven't heard anv
suggested. But there's Dingeman 7
Am know what sort of executive
:Ab1lity he has, but he showed his
!nxrY4 AZ chairman OF the liquor com.
lyBitl6e. He went ahead and did his
duty. and know what sort of pres.
eare he must have had to stand mn
!nRainet. don't think too much credi,
.CAn Be given Dingeman for what he
VIA last spring In dealing with the
|{I4uog license question"
/. NJ. Croul threw away his cigar
INT on his overcoat and stood for a
|rpinute looking at the river.
~t has . great attraction for me.
especially IN summer he said, as he
5<f< he once. Walking to his auto.
mobile. he pointed out the addition
~ the factory and the, new power
Mn which be has recently built
"A = have found out that II cost me
Izp16t deal % ~ police commission
- pail. ovyly, II didn't give the
1eisn q ~ business that II ought
b 1on. returainx to the subject:
t4N yt6 that there L no good