Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1914-06-13

when the city had incurred an indebt-
edness equal to its authority for bor-
rowing money, a movement was start
=. ed, and in 1879 the legislature was in
duced to put an end to the existence
of the city as a municipal corporation
and to lreate, instead, a taxing dis
trict whose affairs were conducted by
a small body of officers having prac-
tically the authority of the commits
sioners in the cities under the new or
commission form of government. Aft
er surviving it's troubles, Memphis did
not care to return to the old ward
system, but made permanent a COM
mission form of government. In the
year 1900 Galveston was overwhelmed
by tidal wave and practically ruined,
| financially, and in the year 1901 a
commission form of government was
adopted which has proved so success
full that it has been copied far and
wide. Houston, fifty miles away,
adopted the commission form in 1906.
Two other cities, having 10000 inhabi-
tants, adopted the commission form in
1907, two in 1908, eight in 1909, six in
1910, fifteen in 1911, nine in 1912,
twenty-one in 1913, and three up to
the time of making this report in 1914.
But even the commission form does
not satisfy the demands of some
places where better business methods
and regularity are demanded. The
Ohio legislature in 1913 provided for
plan of municipal government to be
known as the "city manager plan"
Under this form of government there
is to be council elected by the peo-
pie at large, to consist OF five mem
bers in cities less than 10000 inhabi-
tants. In cities from 10000 to 10000
inhabitants, the council will be COM
posed of seven members. In cities over
$4,000, the council will consist of nine
members, and in all cases the men,
Der sare elected for four years. This
council is to constitute governing
body with power to pass ordinances,
adopt regulations, appoint a chief ad-
ministrative officer tosbe known as the
lefty manager" fix his salary, approve
appointments made by him, and ap-
point civil service commissioner on
all boards or commissions created by |
ordinance. Dayton, Ohio, is the only
city SO far over 10000 Inhabitants that
has adopted the city manager plan,
but it is growing in popularity, espe-
cially in the small towns. Its popula-
rity with the individual citizen results
from lie fact that he has only one man
to look to who is responsible for the
conduct of every employe of the city,
in no matter what department. The
average citizen does not have to waste
his time and attention in looking aft
err an army of public servants. He has
one man only to deal with, and this
one man must make good, Or surren
der his position to some one else who
will do so. 1t simplifies city govern
ment. 1t places it under one head,
and one directing agency, just as great
corporations are so successfully gov
erned. 1t makes for economy and eff
ficiency. 1t knocks the bottom out of
the pork barrel and the old methods
of you tickle me and I'll tickle you
that used to exist between the alder
men of city wards when they wanted
to assist each other in putting over
for the benefit of them
selves or their friends. 1t will be
some time before the general manager
plan becomes universally popular be-
cause, in the cities, there are SO many
who are hostile to-, giving up power
and place and authority. In the
smaller communities, where people
know each other better, and where
there is not so much graft, the city
manager plan is making rapid head
way. Where it mas been tried it is said
to be an improvement upon the COM
mission for moi government, but the
commission form OF government is
such an improvement upon the old al
dermanic bi-cameral form that it is de-
stined to remain for many years in
the larger cities.