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

The seven-man board and the COM
mission form Of city government may
not seem, on the surface, 70 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 numofr
Of persons at the head Of any institution
or government so that the individuals
may become known to 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 il 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, conseves
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 TO 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 well . 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 II
now has five commissioners and a city
manager, Henry W. Waite. who are run
ming a business-like, municipal govern
ment the commissioners elected at large,
like the small school board, on a purely
non-partisan ballot. The city-manager is
hirod hy tho rcr,,y,ois s5ovare a. 4, GOOD
salary and is expected by them, as they
are expected by the people 70 make
good. The commissioners outline the
general policy to be pursued and app
propriate the money; the city-mauager
appoints all subordinate officials drre,
spective of politics. and hires the work
ers in the same way as that followed by
the general manager Of corporation.
According TO reports. IN the first yeai
of It's present government Dayton haC
$4,000 more to spend than it had TIA,
year before and gave Sl39,000 worth %
Increased service. Il paid OF tWo-ffth
of Sl25.000 OF outstanding notes an,
lived within its income There is mucl
more that could be said about Dayton
its vacant lots cleaned of rubbish an,
given over TO the poor for vegetable gar
dens: its infant mortality lowered fror
4 l59 per thousand to SS.S, but space
limited. This is merely a suggestion tha
we direct our eyes toward radics
changes which can be brought about her
nv elsewhere II public opinion will bu
crystalline this way
We have driven the entering wedg
W. - small school board. let us driv
u still farther until we have demolshe
the political machine which is rotten j
til is parts.