The Detroit times., 1916-11-14
Small School Board
Is Just Beginning In
Cleansing City Politics

The seven-man board and the com
mission form of city government may
not seem. on the surface, 10 bear much
resemblance to each other but looked
at more deeply. they are seen 70 be IN
essence the same thing.
The principle of reducing the number
of persons at the head Of any institution
or government so that the individuals
may become known 10 the electorate and
responsibility may be easily fixed is fast
gaining ground in the United States.
All this might seem TO point 70 re-
turn to autocracy rather than demo-
cratic idea, and this would be true, in a
great measure. were it not for the power
of recall held in the peoples hands.
The successful passage of the small
school board bill has raised hopes in the
breasts Of those persons who are rest
less under the rule of our machine rid
den politics and long to be truly repre-
sented in the municipality by the best
instead Of the worst elements which our
city produces.
They cast their eyes upon those
smaller cities where a city manager,
backed by a small commission, conserves
the financial resources and must show. TO
retain his position, that he has not mis-
managed their affairs.
They look upon the representative men
OF this city. who would be an asset 20 any
commission. and wonder why they must
be forever bound, gagged and exploited
by body of politicians, who are ~not-
representative of the best in any sense.
They realize that this better element
would doubtless give their services to the
municipality were politics lifted from the
low to the high plane where politics be-
longs.
Altho no city as large as Detroit yet
enjoys the commission form Of govern
ment, there seems no reason why il
should not succeed here as We'll = in
smaller places.
II was thru the accident of the food
that Dayton shed her political machine
and relied upon the ability, honesty and
generosity Of her best citizens and It
now has five commissioners and q city
manager, Henry NJ Waite. who are run
ming business-hke, municipal govern
ment. the commissioners elected al large.
like the small school board on purely
non-partiSan ballot The city-mauager is
hired by the commissioners at q good
salary and is expected by them. as they
are expected by the people, to make
good. The commissioners outline the
general policy TO be pursued and APP
propriate the money the city-maraEer
appoints all subordinate officials Grre-
spective Of politics) and hires the work
ers in the same WAY as that followed by
the general manager Of Il corporation
According to reports. in the fr,t year
OF its present government Dayton had
$4,000 more 20 spend than IL had the
year before and gave S139,O00 worth ol
Increased service. II paid off two-ffth
of Sl25000 n outstanding notes and
lived within its income There is much
more that could be said about Dayton
It's vacant lots cleaned of rubbish anc
given over TO the poor for vegetable gar
dens, its infant mortality lowered from
139 per thousand TO SIS. but space Il
limited. This is merely a suggestion tha
We direct our eyes toward radica
changes which can be brought about her,
rs elsewhere il public opinion VIII bu
crystalline this way.
We have driven the entering wedg,
W. - small school board. let us driv,
Il still farther until We have demolishe,
the political machine which is rotten il
sll ITS parts