Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1915-11-27
INTELLIGENT CITIZEN INTEREST AND
PARTICIPATION and SUPERVISION
AS IMPORTANT IN MANAGER
PLAN AS IN ANY OTHER.
SAYS DR.. JAMES.

"Thcre il danger that over emphasis of the merits OF the city nnua.cr Milan of
commission government may lead people TO forget that 10 plan OF government H. -
perfect that il can be left to run itself" DR. Herman q. James III the bureau NJ mu-
nicIal re-earch and reference of the University OF Texas. cautioned an audience at
the. federal building last evening IN his address in which he explained this fom of
government for the benefit 81 voters il the election to b.. held III Brownsville Deem
Der ii for the adoption Of Il new charter Intelligent cuzenm interest participation
and supervision are just as important for the commission manager plan n for an
other continued Dr. james. III the commission elected b. the people r continually
kept at the highest level II honesty and dedication to the public welfare the com
manager plant l. fmusht with the greatest promise for the American city
government. IT, however Indifference take hold of the electorate and an unworthy
commission be permitted to exercise the powers Of government. then the commission
manager plan will be 40 better than any other that might Be mentioned. The ume
formula therefore i lot the commission manager plan minus, public interest which
i sure to equal mchcency am. corruption, the same a. would result with my other
form, but the commission manager form plus intelligent citizen participation which
MI equal THE maximum Of efficiency auaiuaLlem any city government"
The audience which greeted DR. James was, a. comparatively small one amd
composed IN large part oi club women who are cvidcncrg \ lively and growing m-
sen the crowd that might otherwise have been larger. hui t~ fact in no wise de
tractcd from the rIt interest with which the audience listened 10 Dr. james add
dress Il = safe 70 lay that of The -cNenty-pld people present Int tra address. fully
80 per cent, if not all. we're convinced Of the worhinc,~ or the plan Of municipal
overnne proposed for the city of Brownsville. provided the electorate sees that 1t
j. rcn the right nnm.
DIR. james SAID that on his wny down to Brownsville M read over carefully
proposed new charter of the. city OF Brownsville and he said that it was quite
a. well drawn n the charter of the half dozen Texas cities. including Amarillo,
Sherman, Taylor. Denton. Terrell which have adopted thu form III government.
Judge james A. Graham Of Brownsville. III introducing Dr. james. explained
the purpose Of the address at Thu time, and placed himself on record a fawrg
the proposed new charter
IN leading M to he modern forms Of municipal government. DR.. james went
INTO the history of government in American ce-. dividing into three main
though unequal periods. the first extending from colonial day. to the beginning OF
the nineteenth century. the second covering roughly the nineteenth century. the
third extending from 100 to the present tr. After explaining in more or les de-
tail the various forms Of municipal government he launched into the more mod
forms Of municipal government. first discussing the nnn-~i government
plan, pointing mt the defects ia that men were elected to manage DEPARTMENTS
which They had 10 experience. and had to cnhy various department experts.
"~erc commission plan where one man bears the responsibility. with department cx-
pcte under him.