South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-01-31

san ballot. and are among the most
representative citizens OF the city.
being chosen from practically every
walk OF life. The commissioner re
ceiving the largest number of votes
in the election is chosen mayor. The
mayOf receives a salary Of $500.
the other commissioners $1,000
each. They meet regularly for about
three hours each week and have
special meetings when the occasion
requires IT,
just Like Corporation.
The commissioners choose the city
manager from wherever and at
whatever salary they please. The
relations OF the city manager and
the commissioners are almost iden-
teal with those of "A president and
the directors of a corporation. Poll
tics is no consideration. The city
manager must get results or be sub
ject 20 dismissal at any time.
The city manager system of gov
eminent. il is the opinion of many,
is a kind of boss-rule system" said
Mr. Waite. but" he continued.
nothing could be farther from the
truth. The city manager who be
gins 10 think himself a boss will
find himself out of a job before he
gets used 20 the feeling" MIR. Waite
then went on TO explain the duties
Of the city manager likening him
TO the head of a huge corporation
only asserting that his was a much
more trying position. He mention
ed how in his particular instance he
had found besides his work i'm
planning, studying budgets and
problems of all kind. il was neces-
sary for him to meet on the aver
age about 1900 persons a year and
to hold sometimes as many as 10
conferences in a single day
Various Departments.
Under the city manager are the
directors Of the welfare. finance,
law, safety and service departments
of the city administration. The di-
rectors of these departments are
practical men chosen for their fit
ness for the work and their expe-
renee Besides these directors and
their scores of assistants in the va
riOus departments there are differ
ent boards such as the city planning
I board, the civic service board. the
auditing board etc. Above all OF
these men and i'm complete control
as executive of the city, is the city
manager. whose duty it is TO man
I Il III Il lima -
land push the work Of the city
working ever from the business ba-
/ sis
Following his explanation of the
! city commission plan as operated
/ in Dayton. Mr.. Waite went on and
pointed out some of the things il
/ has done for the city A careful
and complete budget is kept of the
/ financial condition Of the city and
/ IL is possible for any citizen at any
| time TO enter the city hall and as
certain for himself the exact fnan-
\ cial condition of the city up almost
\ TO the moment BY applying bust
ness methods il has been found pos
sible 10 improve and enlarge the
work of practically every depart
/ ment of the city administration and
/ 10 add many features OF work mo-
\ found i'm other cities
Even Play j. Watched.
In the playground work a tab j.
J kept on every amateur and semi
professional baseball. football ant
basketball player in the city, in thi.
way facilitating the arranging OF
schedules of games between the va
riOus teams and promoting tn,
cleanest craftsmanship. said Mr.
Waite 4 civic music league IA!
been organized which this year il
giving two series of concerts by tn
/ most famous musical organization
within the country "A; the rate of -
cents a performance Seveuty-fiv'
per cent of the people who buy sea
son tickets 10 these concerts pa,
for them ON the installment plal
ard as this would indicate the audi
ences which always pack the hall o
/ .O00 persons capacity where tn
concerts are given are the mos
democratic possible Twelve hun
dred childrens' gardens have beel
started throughout the city and tn
children sell their products upon tn
big up-to-d&te markets.
Perhaps the most striking achieve
of the government is the work i
is doing with its institutions partic
ularly the jails. The inmates of tn
iails are secured jobs and let cut oil
parole while they live at the cit
prison. the only condition being tina
! they turn i'm their WAGES for the US
OF their families. Many are no
only supporting their families bu
frequently the long termers ar
started upon saving habits whicl
are not easily forgotten
Police are Big Brothers.
We have almost succeeded nm re-
versing the idea in the minds o.
the down-and-outS that the polio
are their enemies. The police &C