The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1914-02-27
CITY MANAGER
Plan ADVOCATED
Ideal Government For Subur.
ban Towns. :, ~. <.
INVOLVES SHORT BALLOT.
What tho Plan Is and How It Works.
It Is the Outgrowtha Of the Commits
sion Form, but Has Distinctive
Features.

The administration Of many of our
cities is a conspicuous failure, writes
Harold j. Rowland in Suburban Life.
The deplorable fact is no less true of
many a suburban town. We have
much to learn in this country about
municipal government. But we are
learning. Fourteen years ago the city
of Galveston was devastated by flood.
Out of the ruin sprang into being a
new experiment in city administration
commission government. AS adopted
in Galveston it was an emergency
measure, but it's success was so imme-
date and so sustained that its perma-
nency was quickly assured. Today
there are nearly 800 cities in the Unit
ed States which have the commission
form Of government.
A year and half ago further de-
velopment Of the commission plan was
put into operation in the little city of
Sumter, S. G. The plan did not originate
there. but in Lockport, N. Y. But the
bill which certain progressive citizens
of Lockport caused to be introduced
into the New York legislature to au-
thorize the adoption by any third class
city of the "Lockport plan" never sue
ceeded in making it's way through that
medieval body.
Indeed, the new plan did not orig
mate in America at all. Like many
another valuable invention, it was
'made in Germany"
The most successful municipal gov
ernments in the world-those of Ger
many-are all directed by an elective
council which hires a professional
'magistrat," an experienced executive
secretary, whose business it is to carry
out the councils orders. The profess
sion of "magistrat" is one of great op-
portunity and honor. Magistrats who
succeed brilliantly in the administra-
ton Of small cities are called to larger
work and higher salaries in bigger
cities.
This is the essence of the Lockport-
Sumter plan. or, as it is better and
more descriptively called, the city
manager plan Of city government The
advent Of the city manager plan is the
most promising single event in the his
tory of municipal administration in the
United States. Along the road which
1t points out lies the way toward the
elimination of those disgraceful accom-
paniments of municipal administration
-ineficiency. extravaganza. local and
nj
graft-which have made the govern.
ment Of cities the lone conspicuous
failure Of the United States" The plan
as it is now in operation will doubtless
receive many modification before it
approaches perfection. But it contains
In itself the essential elements out of
which perfection may reasonably be
expected to develop. Nothing but the
exact reverse Of this can be said of our
existing methods of municipal govern
ment. We may correct prevalent evils
from time to time by the traditional
method Of turning the rascals out"
but our efforts will in the long. run be
useless. The fundamental structure is
wrong.
What is the city manager plan?
1t is simply an application to the pub
lie cOrporatiOn-the municipal govern
ment-of the form Of management COM
mon to all private corporations. I'm,
der it the administration of the CITY
has two component parts-the commits
sion and the manager. The voters at
the polls elect the members Of small
commission. in whom are vested the
power, the authority and the RESPONSE
bility. The commission in turn ap-
points a city manager. an expert ad-
ministrntor, who does the work. TO
him. of course. the commission dele
gates whatever of the power and the
authority is necessary to enable him to
do the work. The manager is respOn-
sible to the commission; the commits
sioners are responsible to the voters.
The commission corresponds to the
board Of directors Of corporation.
The city manager corresponds to the
corporations general manager. The
commission determines in broad out
lines the policy ON which the city's af-
fairs shall be run. The manager car.
ries out the policy and runs the affairs.
Tie manager appoints the lesser city
officials. he hires the city workers.
The city of Sumter. in advertising
for applicants for the new position.
thus described the job: =. ...rm = =. 81 +
''The applicant should be competent
to oversee public works, such as paw
ing, lighting, water supply, etc. s5*sE
IAN engineer Of standing and abil-
ity would be preferred. @ss- -$$t.
''The city manager will hold Office SO
long as he gives satisfaction to the
commission. : +.a5y4ssg~ >.
HE will have complete administra-
tive control of the city, subject to the
approval of the board of three elected
commissioners. >&~....
There will be no politics in the job.
''The work will be purely that Of an
expert. III, ."o a.:>
''Local citizenship is not necessary"
The city manager plan has all the
advantages Of the commission form Of
= -,