Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1914-11-26
Prof. Herman G. James'Talk
b efOre Municipal League

operation can not bc relied npon 20 secure
the harmony necessary for efficient work
ing together, because many times the gen
cral public welfare may demand the >ubor-
dination of what might seem to be- the IN
tcre~t~ of one department 10 those of an
other.
We may say then, that commission form
Of government fails III two respects. III
the first place. II puts into the hands Of
elective officers the management of affairs
which are extremely technical III their ma
turc and demand professional expert. /:
and IN the second place. ii fails 10 co-
ordinate the work IF administrator ~
authority. Both of these defects the city
manager plan will remedy. The city man
iaGcr ~ chosen because of expert q%ualili-
cations. not because Oi friends aud rcla-
tIve~ who may like to see him in public
office. lie IN turn chooses liz subordinate
officers on the basis ~ the amc qualiticu-
tion~. The heads of departments hcing
appointed and removed BY him. under
Proper limitations, are responsible ~ him
IN every particular, and he il able Ca use
that compul,ion which y Frequently nee
eSsary To secure successful cooperation.
Such. IN brief. J. the theory If the city
manager plan. and II would seem ~ ~ too
clear for argument that these changes
must matcrillize !; the plan l. worked out
on the foregoing principle. There are,
however. ~ome objections whicn have been
urged against this plan. and which II may
y" well To dwell on very briefly here.
Pcrlat- the commcnc>i objection j. that
this plan T. undemocratIc. that II J. bureau
crai g because the central authority J. IN
the lands Ut y single individual and ~
= not even elected by the people. The
answer 10 that. Of course. j, apparent.
The control ~ the electorate j, coniinu-
ou> over tlIc members OF the commission
The msnlsr~ ui the commission appoint
and rtmcVe m city manager. and con~c-
qucttiy have .hc absolute power of direc-
Ition. II the elected representative body
of the reoIl' J. dissatisfied. or n their
constituents are dissatisfied with the city
y auactr. liz can bc removed more easily
Il an a. ho ~" an elective officer who
might have succeeded in building M 4
strong machine
There D. however. a real danger in thu,
Capitalization of responsibility IN those
comlnunI'le> and IN those only M which
tho electorate j. unable 10 exercise it, con
trol over the nrn.bers Of the elected rep
a.. -.
lc>>ly nu-- ridden. the city manager would
doubles BE the tool OF the boss but in
AIRY community IN which that primitive
stage ~ political development ha~ been
"a 80" and the citizens can elect and keep
elected a responsible and responsive com
mission, there need be- no fear Of an auto
cracv.
Another argumcn advanced against the
city manage plan. for larger cities al any
rate. J. that the ~intru~iing Of all admins
%traiive authority Ia one individual confcr~
more than one individual can be- expected
a. administer effectively. 80 ihi~ II may
Ne answered that private corporations
could be easily in~tanced whose capiial
and expenditure exceeded that Of MANY
large citicS and Yet which have found the
general manager an indispensable officer.
To my mind there ~ ~ distinction. a. FAT
a. the question of administrative cnicicnc,
u involved. between the smaller city ana
the larger city. Every city, whatever H.
~lze. viii gam hy increased efficiency IL
IT. administration and concentration N
power and responsibility in the hands OF
q single individual chosen on the basis ~
professional qualifications can not hclT
hut result IA increased efficiency.