The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-06-03

Since January / Of THE year the
government Of Dayton, Ohio. a city
OF over 125. zee people. has been ad-
ministered by . city manager, an In
novation inspired partly by the exper-
fence following the Dayton mood OF =
year ag0, writes Lent D. Upton In 1n
article in the American HevseW Oh
Reviews for June ON How Dayson's
City Maua3er Plan In WORKING Cnfy
an exceptional city administration
could have met the urgent needs OF
that time. The existing admlnistra-
ton was not e:cepti0nalItn 1Act u
was inadequate for the requirements
of a progressive city under norman
conditions Under such circumstances
the control Of public affairs not an
naturally passed to the strongest men
OF the community. A great manu-
facturer and philanthroptst assumed
the burden of feeding and caring Tor
one hundred thousand people. IN
der his direction competent men took
charge Of public works. sanitation
and provisioning, with the result that
the community regained q working
condition with remarkable rapfdfty.
1t IL not astonishing that after TINS
experience the public expressed IT'S
approval of a charter making sucn
type of government permanent
Though In operation only -FOUR
months. the advantages Of unify1ng
authority and responsibility In one
man are manifesting themselves
through prompt. decisive and direct
action, a quality usually conspicuous
" absent in public affairs. A Ego and
he soeth" spirit has superseded the
checks and balances" and dulled tni-
tiative of . more conp1icated govern
ment. Two days after taking ONCE
the city manager instituted the prac-
tice of periodically flushing the streets
which (during previous administra-
tjonsJ had become hlthy because the
fire, water and publlc-works depart
ments did not cooperate. This CO.
ordination Of the city's needs has been
notable in large as well as small mat
ters At the end Of 1918 the contracts
for the disposal of garbage were to
expire, yet, under the old administra-
ton, failure on the part OF the mayor
and the city council to cooperate
with the local departments had null
lifted any efforts to provide a solution
of this always vexing problem One
of the first acts Of the newly elected
commission, at the suggestion OF the
city manager. was the appropriation
Of several thousand dollars to be
spent at his discretion in a study OF
this and similar conditions. Within
q month competent engineers had
teen secured to report upon feasible
plans for refuse disposal.
The water problem was handled in
q similar way. Under the present
administration l. new water supply
has been secured, and steps have been
taken which will ultimately provide
for all the city's needs. The public
works department has resumed the
collection of ashes and rubbish after
a lapse Of year. inaugurated a city
wide cleanup, placed rubbish recep-
tacles In the business section, cleaned
all residence Streets, land -Auth0Ez2ad
a commission on remaining and re-
numbering.
There no longer exists q govern
ment in which the several depart
ments work as Independent units in
the prosecution of their duties. On
each afternoon at four o'clock the
departmental heads meet with the
manager to discuss problems Of COM
mon interest. and minor activities
which call for co-operation-activ
which formerly would not have been
undertaken.
For example, the newly appointed
district physicians of the department
of welfare use the police-telegraph
system for reporting, because such
privileges can be secured by an order
| of one man, instead of through end
less dickering between unrelated par
ties. Inmates of the city's correction
al institutions work in the public
parks and streets; the associated
charities administers without direct
ing expense all public relief. These
are small items; but extended they
eliminate thousands Of dollars of use
less expense. and add that peculiar
quality to city government which
makes 1t good government.