Arizona republican., 1915-03-31
IAN ACCOUNTING | 0F 0FSTEWAR0SH|P
Statement by Former City Manager Parish of the Accomplishments During His Administration and Incidents of Hearing
To the People of Phoenix:-

The new charter was a revolution in the mode and manner Of munici- pal government. It made the man. lager the executive head of the city whose duty it was to enforce the charter and all ordinances passed by the commission, without fear or fa- iNor. This 1 have done to the best of my ability as the record will show. Nearly year ago l was appointed manager of the city of Phoenix by the commissioners The appointment was unsolicited and unsought on my part. l told the commissioners elect before my appointment as manager that l would not turn the city gov ernment over to any political party and although I was willing to con suit the commission in reference to appointments and other matters con nected with the city government, I would not surrender any of the pow CTS explicitly granted the manager by the charter This was fully under stood between us.
 While l was at all times ready and willing to consult with the commits sioners, and did consult with them on all matters of importance. yet wherever the final determination of d matter was vested in me by the charter. that power l exercised be- cause l had accepted the office and I taken an oath to perform it's duties I in accordance with it's provisions. | and could not delegate any of the powers entrusted to me to anyone
 
 the position of manager of the city of Phoenix. q difference arose be- l tween myself and the members of | the commission when l undertook to purchase new equipment for the Phoenix fire department. The peo- pie of Phoenix had voted the sum of $15,000 for the purpose of improving 1 the fire department, and this sum
 was at my disposal for that purpose | consulted Mr. Neffinger, in charge
 of the local rating agency of the insurance companies regarding the necessary fire equipment to meet
 their requirements for lower fire in- surance rates for the city I con
 templated the purchase of a new
 motor pumping engine, hut Mir Nef- l finger advised me not to buy it at
 the time. saying there was no need
 of it. He told me all that would he
 required tO meet the situation would
 be three standard motor driven com bination chemical and hose wagons. | equipped so they could haul the
 steam pumping engines already own
 ed by the city, and if this equipment l furnished ko
 to meet the requirements of the city
 until new central station could he ibuit and other improvements in the | fire department made. This equip l mcnt would cost not to exceed the sum of $25.000 and MT Neffinger suggested that the balance of the money appropriated could be left un- texpended and used for such improve ments to the department as, from l time to time, were demanded by the growth of the city. I accepted his ladvice and advertised for bids along
 the line suggested. In the meantime l the commissioners waited upon me
 and asked me if I had advertised for bids for a pumping engine. l told 1 them l had not and explained to
 them my reasons for not doing SO The
 commissioners insisted that l should buy that pumping engine, which I refused to do and the matter was dropped.
 | This was my first clash with the | commission. From that time on there was considerable feeling on the part l of the commission toward me, to which I paid no attention
 l The differences between the com
 mission and myself whatever may
 have been their immediate cause, differences of opinion as to the powers granted by the charter to
 the commission and to the manape, 1 realized that the people having adopted the commissions managerial form of government and having de- termined that certain powers should
 be vested in the manager, they would
 expect the manager to exercise them untrammelled, without dictation or | coercion from any source The final determination of all matters coming
 within my office was made by me after careful consideration and de-
 
 of my judgment My constant am bition was to give to the city of 1 Phoenix an economical and efficient government. free from political bias and influence, and to see that the ordinances of the city were enforced
 justly and impartially without fa- lvoritism.
 In following out this course I nat nrally made many enemies. Parties 1 who had before that time furnished l supplies, labor and material to the city | at their own prices were forced to lower l their figures in the face of competitive bids. No contracts were let to anyone as q matter of favor, and not 9 penny of city money went for graft. The re- suit was that horse shoeing was re- | duced from four dollars per head to two dollars per bead, the price of electric light to the city was reduced from five I cents per kilowatt to two and a half l cents per kilowatt, and all supplies and material. hay. grain. lumber, etc, was i purchased, and labor furnished, at a very material reduction from former l prices.
 l l found that taxes under former lic l apSa nr1ipancac yror., nnt ho;pe, cnlIaat