The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1915-05-14
CITY MANAGERS PROVE SATISFAC-
TORY.

1On1. /
Nothing perhaps more. clearly displays the
restlessness of people, and their dissatisfaction
with the old-time municipal governments, than the
number of cities that have abolished old regimes,
and put themselves under a city manager, who has
full control, who must select all his .subordinates,
and be responsible to the people for their conduct,
and the service which they render, says the Men,
phis News-Scimitar. Forty odd cities have adopted
the city manager system, Dayton, Ohio, being the
largest, and Grand Rapids, Mich, next. These cit
les are scattered about throughout the country
from California to Florida, and from Texas to Mich
lgan. Some have a commission form Of govern
ment, composed of from three to five members,
elected by the people, and some retain the old ward
and aldermen SYSTEM but, in any event, a trained
and practical manager is employed to tai e charge
OF the affairs of the cit and manage same on a
skilled and a scientific basis. These cities look upon
themselves as corporations in which every citizen
has stock, and they elect a board of directors to
manage them, one of these directors being the pre-
siding officer. AS is the case with a railroad or
other corporation, these directors 60 out and seek
the best ability that they can find, and employ a
city manager, just as a superintendent or general
manager, Of a railroad is employed. When they
quest a city manager they do not confine them
selves to their own city, or even to their own state.
They look over the whole country, and wherever
they can find a man to suit them they employ him
on terms that are mutually agreeable. The old line
papsuckers, who profited by and lived upon former
municipal governments, are of course, bitterly COM
planning, but the people as a whole, where the city
manager plan has been tried out, seem highly
pleased with it, and would not abandon it on any
account. Of course, it is an experiment which each
community must indulge in for itself, and it is some
what of a gamble also, because much depends upon
fho pifu pop.ror orI tho oocic<onoo. ruhich ho O
ceives from those who employ him. If he does not
yield to their opportunities and wishes in the mat
ter of employing 'subordinates, they make it un-
pleasant for him to thwart his effort. If he is COM
PLEASANT, and yields to the dictation of tine commits
sloners or cOunclmen, as the case may be, his sub
ordlnates are not selected, but forced upon him, and,
feeling that they have a pull which is stronger than
the city's managers, they do not put themselves to
much trouble in carrying out his wishes and in
structions, and in rendering the service which is ex-
pected of them. The city manager plan has been
adopted largely in Germany, where municipal man.
agement has been brought to greater efficiency than
anywhere else. The Germans pick out the man
they want, and they not only pay him a good sal
airy, but enter into a contract with him binding him
to remain in their employ, and not abandon them
and seek another position if an increased salary or
a more eligible position should be offered. Being
thus safely anchored, a city manager has nothing to
do but make as good a record as possible for the
city that first employs him. In this country, up to
the present time, city managers are not bound for a
period of years. The habit of r%esigning is not SO
prevalent in this country, because better offers are
not numerous. The city manager plan is an evolu-
ton in municipal economics. It would not have
come if it had not been an Improvement on what
was here before it, and it will not long remain after
something better than it is devised.