The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1918-12-25
Appetite Is Lost
For City Manager

The Memphis public Is looking with
amused interest upon the activity OF
those who are taking a leading part in
opposition to the city manager plan OF
municipal government. There Is very
little positive action in behalf OF the
enterprise, 1t seems to be for the most
part negative and confined principally
to those who think they Will fare better
under the present management than
under the city manager plan,
Recent developments are illuminated
by a reference TO the city manager
propaganda that was started just prior
TO the August election, when some Of
those who are either passive or outspO-
kenly opposed to the plan were its
strongest proponents,
Those who took a leading part in fos-
tertng the city manager plan for Mem
phis were II. r. ELLIS, Milton IL. Hunt,
Frank n, Fisher, h, l., Mallory. r, II,
Tutwiler, Henry Wetter and numerous
others of "A committee OF 100, including
all the newspapers with the exception
of The News Scimitar. A representative
Of The New SCimitar narrowly escaped
being thrown out Of one of the meetings
because he would not commit the paper.
to support n citizens ticket pledged to
the city manager plan. His hRsty but
judicious decision to leave the meeting
averted hoetilities.
Mr.. Ellis and a few OF tho gentlemen
took up tho city manager plan with the
view to getting the city government out
of politics. The avidity with which
some Of the other gentlemen seized
upon the plan indicated that perhaps
they had some other idea in mind.
The result, however, was that both
tickets voted for by the people In the
August election were pledged to the
city manager plan. The platform of the
candidates elected contained this provi-
sion; 1--WE pledge ourselves unrcserv-
eddy to the city manager plan of gov
eminent as proposed by the business
mems committee, n agree to enact
and support legislation to hat end.
The public has asked, out of sheer
curiosity, how the city government Is
going to get around this pledge and
why certain interests have lost their
appetite for the city manager plan Of
government.
The lack Of interest on the part of the
mayor aud city commissioners may be
attributed to the attitude OF the public,
which seems very little concerned with
che project one way or the other. Mayor
Monteyerde says he viii advocate the
plan II the people decide in a refer
endum election that they desire 1t, This,
u course, would merely be a ratification
Of what has already been ratified.
"Chicf Justice" Miller, commissioner
Of fire and police. IN disturbed over tho
constitutional phase Of the question. Mr..
Miller Is a lawyer, and after consulting
authorities at the police station, he has
expressed grave doubts Of the %consti-
~tutionallty of an act passed by the
legislature affecting the city charter not
voted on by the people. Other eminent
authorities are not In entire agreement
with Mr., Miller,
The next p%erplexlng question is how
the legislative delegation Is going to
he able to get around It's pledge In ia
vor of the city manage plan made at
the time the ticket WAS nominated. The
solution 1t has hit upon IL to pass tho
buck to the city commission and II the
city commission favors the plan to sup.
port 1t,
There is no criticism Of the city COM
mission or the legislative delegation for
their lack Of interest because they are
taking their cue from the former city
manage boosters who suddenly have
grown quiesCcnt and arc doubtless pre-
pared to take another tack to secure
the relief they had In mind when they
espoused the change in August,