The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1914-01-19
OCALA MAY HAVE TO TRY 1T

oGdid UCES YER wei Win ner rep
resentative government. and will do
so as long as the people are wise
enough TO elect representative men
TO fill places on the council But the
amount OF work now required from
every alderman is so great as to re-
quire large amount OF his time, and
il is steadily increasing 1t does not
do 10 elect any but leading business
men, the sort of men, in fact, the
city isn't able to pay, ana who would
not work for the city for any salary
II is' able to pay It IS inevitable
that with the growth OF the town the
time is coming when every alder
man will have to devote several
hours a day to city affairs, then il
viii be almost Impossible to obtain
for the service competent men who
will serve the public for honor
Then We will either have to pay the
alderman, or elect set Of cheap and
corrupt men who will pay them
selves.
Before that time comes, it will be
best to follow the example of Day
ton, O., the affairs OF which are look
eG after by city manager Day
tons experience is told in the fol-
| lowing article:
Dayton was no better or no worse
than the average city with the old
time elective mayor and council sys-
TEN. The hand of the machine"
lay heavy on the public service; city
hall inadequacy and greed knew no
party line. The treasury was al
ways empty; government was by
deficit
In ten years the public debt had
grown from s26.37 per capita to
$46.13 To obtain funds for street
lighting during a single year meant
the issue of bonds running for
thirty. Similarly, bonds to pay for
moderate street construction long
outliyed the highways. And so on
down the familiar line of extravag-
ance and mismanagement.
Along in the fall OF 1912 the
Chamber of Commerce, appalled, by
the failure Of the city government,
appointed a committee headed by
Leopold Rauh and including John H.
Patterson, z. A. Deeds, Frederick H.
Rike and E. C. Harley-fve repre-
sentative business men with widely
differing interests and experience
to investigate and recommend some
new plan.
The committee finally decided on
the change that has come into effect
There was plenty of opposition to
the commission project. The old
machine" and the socialists fought
it tooth and nail. The former saw
in it the destruction of seasoned
privilege; the latter a menace to
their party solidarity.
Then destiny took a hand in the
charter campaign. In March the
angry waters swept down the Miami
valley inundating Dayton. When the
muddy waters subsidized, and even
amid the stark desolation that such
devastation leaves in its wake, the
people turned resolutely to the twin
task that confronted them.
In May the people overwhelming
ly declared for the city manager
form Of government, and named .fif-
teen drafters, headed by Mr.. Patter-
son, all pledged to the manager sys-
tenn.
The charter trainers went on the
theory that corrupt government is
due more to the badness of methods
| than to the badness of men. Hence
they devised complete methods of
| management, so specific that officials
cannot go wrong, even if they try. In
brief, the methods are fool and graft
proof.
The commission sits in a legisla-
tive body. 1t decides what the COM
| munity job is, and the city manager
sees that it is done. For example:
| If new street is to be built, the.
commission, certain that the i'm
provement is needed, calls the city
| manager and tells him what is to be
done. He in turn summons the chief
| of the department of public service
and gives the necessary instructions.
| IL the work lags the commission can
| jerk up the city manager. The re-
| sponsibility is definitely fixed.
The budget is carefully guarded.
Public hearings are held on the es-
innate before it can be enacted into
law. The appropriation shall never
exceed the estimated income.
Every check that system and in
genuity can devise is put on expen-
i diture. No pay roll IS complete with