The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-08-01

70 cooperate Win tne Yup1fC autHvhs-
} fies In such matters
4 CONCLUSIONS.
We conclude:
1. Commission government repre-
SCENTS a distinct advance from the old
J type Of municipal government The
. non partisan primary. the small gov
crning body, the short ballot and abo-
iition of ward representation. have
gone far toward the ultimate goal Of
reducing city administration to q mat
: ter OF business. efficiently handled.
Indeed. Commission Government has
already made city administration q
matter of business; but 1t has not in
our judgment. provided the best or
ganization for It's efficient handling.
The plan lacks administrative unity
; and harmony. because the executive
I function Is divided among five men
of equal authority and dignity. There
is no one person having at once the
duty of the power to administer the
affairs of the city as a whole.
Again the heads OF the several ad-
ministrative departments of city
should be men of special training for
their respective tasks. Assuming that
such men will be elected to the COM
mission, there is under this plan no
assurance that each will be assigned
to the department for which he la
best fitted. Nor can this weakness be
overcome by providing for the cleo
ton of commissioners to fill specific
administrative positions. Technical
and professional qualifications can
not be accurately gagged by popular
vote or properly determined at the
/ polls
/ Sound principle requires election
! for policy. but appointment for eff
/ ficiency.
| 2. The City Manager plan possesses
all OF the advantages of Commission
/ Government. and, in our judgmens.
/ has overcome the particular defects
above pointed out. Men of the same
high type are secured for service in
the commission, the methods of selce-
| ton being the same.
These determine all question OF
policy for the whole city. Their COM
bined judgment is brought to bear
upon all matters before them
They employ chief executive,
upon whom rests the sole responsible
ity for the efficient administration of
all departments. They may remove
him at will.
The City Manager not only has the
power to administer the affairs Of
the city as a whole He must do so.
He has no incentive to advance one
department at the expense OF an
other All are his departments. All
must work in unison. All must sue
coed Being responsible for all de-
partments. he is justly given free
hand in selecting department heads,
He need not worry. He may look
J the field over for the best possible
man for each place. He Is In posi-
ton to select as head of each depart
ment man specially fitted by train
ing and experience for the particular
task. self-interest dictates that he
should. His own tenure OF office de-
ponds upon It.
Should his appointee prove a misfit
he may summary remove him. He
has every incentive to do So His
own tenure of office depends upon
n. a al &&i&ks
Thus from top to bottom the city
forces are compactly organized. Re
sponsi billty is everywhere placed
3. We doubt the utility Of Civil Ser
vice in connection with the City Man
ager ulan. The basic idea of the plan
is concentration of power and respon-
dbility. The city Manager should not,
in general, be responsible for the acts
! of any man who Is beyond his reach
Fin matters OF discipline and removal
We would not favor extending the
classified service beyond the Fire and
Police Departments.
n RECOMNfENDATIO
I While we favor the City Manager
} plan under proper conditions, we are
) opposed to proceeding under the go
called Optional Charter Act. AS stat
! ed in the report Of your Charter Com
} mission. the grating of new ad-
ministradve method upon our pres
ent charter involves the result in too
, much doubt and uncertainty and Is
! - La a,SIf -A
We recommend that the Chamber
of Commerce advocate a new charter
for Norfolk, embodying the City Man.
= ager principle.
n That II begin in the near future and
g consistently follow up--not a short
y campalgn-but continuing pro-
Q gram of education, to the end not only
e that people may be prepared to vote
o lnteIligentiy on the adoption OF a new
= shall be awakened SUCH O general and
$ enlightened interest on the subject
i of efficient administration that the
( new government will not shortly be
!. permitted to fall into corrupt or In
6 competent hands.
3 Whether either of the forms of gov
- eminent discussed in this report shall
prove permanently successful In any
q city will depend upon the degree OF
i interest rfe citfZefts trfa intafn lit tirefs
1 allhiEb- hC SiSC Va
: the citizen Is at the root of most mu-
1, nicipal ills. and nowhere would indtf-
: ference prove more disastrous than
c under these two types of government
. in which extraordinary powers are
t lodged in the hands of a few men.
3 In any city adopting either the com
mission of City Manager plan there
Y should be strong citizens organi-
> zation or commercial body back OF
Y 1t, determined to see that the new
9 government In given fair trial. Once
4 II has demonstrated its efficiency II
( will be easier to maintain interest In
Y its proper support
z This does not mean that such COM
= mercial body Is engaging in politics
i On the contrary 1t means a determine
= ton on its part that the city's bust
ness shall be kept out of politics.
r Needed Constitutional Changes
The cities of Virginia are unneces-
sar1ly hampered by constitutional re-
! strictions Before complete home rule
can be enjoyed or any modern type
, of government put into effect in its
i most efficient form. the constitution
must be amended as follows:
/ Section lit. so as to confer upon
Il