Omaha daily bee., 1915-01-18
The Political Caldron

Inc CITY manager plan OF municipal government
evidently has friends and advocates in Omaha.
You will bear II discussed in various circles, yes,
even in the city hall, but It is only fair say that
It Is not loudly acclaimed by any Of the present
missioners.
our late defeated candidate for governor now
back on his 5000 job general manager the
works. r. Beecher Howell is agitatng t.
I'm convinced after careful study OF the plan"
says Mr. Howell, that IL is the only system Wen
come TO It in Omaha day as they have come
TO II in Dayton and elsewhere. It itself out
il Is the business way OF transsctne the citys az
fairs Put man OF proved ability and integrity at
the head Of affairs and let him select his subordnates
all along tho line and youll get results such rs
Omaha never has and never viii set under commits
sion or councimsnic systems. The general manager
will feel keeny enough his responsibility surround
ing himself with the proper csliber OF men. There
need be no worry that score IT will cut out
political favoriusm, nepotism and other forms of
potential graft and nefficiency"
Some business take the same view processing
now TO see the falacy of the commission FORM per
In the first place. 1t is plain any observer that
this commission form has effected little II any change
in method but the matter where il was at frat
purely one Of personnel
Even the duh old useless routine procedure in
council meetings has been handel and still in
vogue under the present commission form. Attend
one OF the commissions meetings and yourself
For instance at the regular session. there your city
clerk going through precisely the same tedious and
unnecessary routine OF reading each document and
seven commissioners mumbling their "yeas' or
nays like lot Of wsrlocks their vaccinations
In other words, you will find many alert gentle
men In the city willing to admit that the commits
sion plan has not worked tho promised for
in the city Of Omaha and that the time not remote
when something else will be demanded.
Speaking of Bill Ure our pooh-bah county city
water district and school district treasurer reminds
one OF lot OF quiet talk about that canny
for city commissioner
Now let II be understood that the talk is no qyres
et least II doesn't to be- The matter was men
TONED 70 Ure and he instantly choked off the very
suggestion.
"I've just been reelected and entered upon my
term Of office city and county he said
land couldn't think Of anything else 1t
occurred TO me. anyway to turn attentions toward
the city job"
And IRE undoubtedly meant just what he said.
Yet certain gentlemen astute in politics and keen in
business. with very high regard for Ure personally
and otherwise. giving him the once over
about the right sort Of chap to act the Moses
to lead the city out of they consider TO be the
bondage OF Egyptian politics.
Here's the point: The theory is that in order to do
busines against Jim Dahlnan and his band OF war
riors IL Is first necessary TO find leader pivotal
man. strong personally and successful politically. who
can poll votes as fast Jim In william c. Ure
these good folk seem to think they have man.
HE has shown HIS running powers by landing first
money several times-has out and got elected
that against big Odds they argue, land them as even
his opponents will admit has made good in the Of
flee Now why can't he pitch in and lead the race
for the city commission
Now. more, it is only fair to IRE to say that
this boosting game is not his. The writer put the
question to him. What do you think about this
proposition" and IRE fatty knocked it,
But this is the key to the approaching campaign
Those who are out to wrest control Of city hall
from the forces now In command. first want leader
The next thing would be seven other men to 70 with
him. Then tho third thing would be another right
man TO act as manager OF the campaign,
Now here 10 another little tip about this manager
deal. IL must not he
In this That is to say. let the tcket-et eight
good men and true get out into the imelisht and de-
clare themselves candidates for city commissioners
then let them 80 and select their manager.
See the pofnt7 Simply to avoid some OF the fatal
pitfalls OF three years II will tend. moreover
TO avoid the charge-a charge that hurts-of being a
boss-named and boss-ridden ticket OF course three
when the citizens went out to get the
Dahlman bunch they seemed really TO search for
pitfalls into which they might bury every possible
chance OF winning.
Judge Sutton has been spoken OF as a possible
leader OF new ticket slate and yet the Judge.
himself is hestatng What bothers him is whether
to resign his judgeship and run or run without re-
signing, because either might be hazardous. Then
another deterrent lie. whether n he should run ana
landed he could be sure of getting the mayorship.
The judge at the present writing. doesn't seem 10
care so much about merely being a commissioner
What he might aspire TO be is mayor of Omaha II
anybody can give him the key TO the combination
that will without fail open TO him the lock then
only then-as the case now stands the Judges
docket-will he consent to run.
L. d. Hopkins, solicitor for securities. residing
north in the Twelfth ward is willing TO serve
his city Commissioners. He is one OF many with
such ambitions who afraid or ashamed to como
right out in the open and Tess up He frankly admits
that he wants TO be q commissioner In fact he has
had the official bee buzzns In his bonnet for some
little time. He 1t was who aspired 10 Frank Bests
job as county commissioner. when a court decision
declared mo vacancy" whereupon he matched with
Frank Dewey for the nomination OF county clerk. He
Is genial fellow, OF youth and vgor is out to
DO the best he can with his present ambitions
though not aspiring TO anything like Leadership
IA ticket or slate.