Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-10-02

w ASlfiNGTpN. j.. e, October ALI
OF the organizations that are engaged
III 'he hight for better municipal gov
crhlncnt viii hold their convention IN,
Springfield. Mass. this faII
On November 20. In that city. Will
assemble III" members of - number o.
important organizations. IA" name. q!
which Indicate their various methods
oi injecting efficiency into the civ Han.
IN" national Municipal League TN.
Guy Managers Association. the civil.
secretaries Conference. the Bureau of
Municipal Research Worh.rS and the
Now York Training school for puhIi..
S"rNic" arc the principal organizations
which Will b" represented
THIS gathering ANA what IL has 10
say ought /" receive I'll" earnest con-
S'ucrati"n OF every American wh" livc.
In q town and pays taxes. for this rnu-
ni"ipai reform Is different from, nearly
an others In that II is really getting
results.
Among conservative citizens with a
sense or hu,nor. rcfnrm does not stand
very well in this country. They know
reforncrs as the members of poli,ic,l
organizations who are running for Of
nee. and have got Ia either get elected
or quit eating. Whether Il Is a borough
election or national one /, is al
most always the outs who wan, to
rrlorm IN" ms. Particularly in city
elections has the reform gag been
worked until its joints creak Always
the antiadminstration ring launches
the movement. cnlis,s tho local prcnch-
crs and wonan's clubs, tho An;i-Saioon
League and the Society for the Pro
V"ntion OF Cruelty 10 Animals An anti
vice campaign * launched the hovs
that would play baseball on tho vacan.
lots on sunday are pinChcd the papcrs
ar" filled with news az arrests ana
raids. the newly elected Mayor cole-
brateS his triumph and the rcuoncri-
a
lasts anywhere from three months Ia
year. Then human nature is allowed
TO sag back into it's unrcgcncrate ways
and another reform movement is
started
Even the citizen of s,uallcs, cranial
capacity has At last gotten ON 10 this
box of tricks, aud refuses To lc de-
Ccived by it,
But this newest municipal reform
movement stems from :: deeper source
IL ana not originate with the politicians
nj all. though most Of them tried TO
get onto i, and ride when they saw
II coming. II is really the revolt OF
tho American city dwcllcr agaiiis, the
ubiquitous City Hall gang" that has
ruled him all these years. All over
INC conntry--cxcept. Of ccur:c. in those
cities that have good governments
the taxpayer is getting heartily tired
OF having his City Hall made n refuge
Tor the deserving boys who cannot
max" u living anywhere else
me movement for commission gov
eminent. in all Of its various forms and
with all OF it's appendaees is tho vote.
of This weary citizen speaking in anger
and determinations
some farm of commission govern
mcht has now been adopted in several
hundred American cities; ana cam
phlShs or II are under way in many
others. In almost every case the very
btSt cittXcnG. who al,
on politics with mingled DISCUS, and
amusement. have given the movement
their support Almost without exccp-
ZION. the politicians, when they saw the
force back OF the reform. have tried
to step into the limclight as it's orici-
nal and lily white prophets In two or
three Instances they have succeeded
and have made Il farce and Il failure
OF commission government In most
or the cities. however. the revolution
mas pccn real one The politicians
have gone down and out. and business
mcn have taken over the city's gov
crnmcnt. The term Commission gov
eminent has really become a rallyiur
cry for the disgruntlcd city taXpayers
Of America.
Galveston, Ten. was the original
commission government city. The tlra
matte rise Of that city from it's flooded
ruins: the swift evolution OF an cf-
hcicnt government 10y u commission Of
citizens under the pressure of dire ne
ccSsity; and the subsequent proof that
the REFORM had been permanent at
iractcd wide attention. and gave the
commission government propaganda its
strong first impulse. Dayton. Ohio. sub
scnucntly won great fame as the place
where the new system has achieved
the greatest efficiency. Dayton has
adopted commission government with
the added flourish Of city manager
which seems 10 he the very best Hyatenl
for towns of n certain size. The man
agcr liz an expert. who is paid u large
salary to run the city efficiently Day
tons manager ia Henry NJ. Waite. who
gets $1,000 - year. while The commits
sionrrs get only 81 200 aud Mayor only
$1,000. They merely meet tho manager
once week and TALK things over with
him. There rs no cause FOR him TO play
politics, or be partial Ia amy ward or
hailiwick. iic holds hir Job In the sminc
way that - manager az II factory docs
by running tho Job right An
change from typical city ian govern
mcnt. hn liz rcfrcHhug indeed
liul large city cannot br managed
by one man. ana u Hiunll town cunnot
anOrd enough salary to yet u good man.
AT least that iB the deduction which