Great Falls daily tribune., 1919-08-06

ing TO the Inauguration of either COM
mission or managerial form OF govern
ment for Great Falls, the committee Sc
lected to make a preliminary lnvestlga-
ton has prepared series OF artlcies'
generally educational in nature, the first
of which appears below. This article,
as will be the entire series, appear over
the name Of B. B. Johnson, secretary OF
the committee, and deals almost exclu-
sively with the first history OF both the
commission and managerial forms OF
city government, altho space IS devoted
to comments upon the relative merits OF
the different plans.
The committee Yves chosen at the
meeting held in the council chambers 70
gather complete information on the sub
iect and to submit report of its findings
thru the press. During the next few
weeks people interested in the matter
will have an opportunity to follow the
secretary's letters and at the conclusion
of the series it is the hope of the com
mittee that the public will be familiar
with every angle of the matter under
discussion. The first letter is addressed
to the editor Of The Tribune and reads
as follows:
"With your kind indulgence, the COM
mittee on municipal government for
Great Falls, appointed some time ago,
will take this opportunity to initiate
the promised discussion, thru your coll
umns, of the merits and demerits of the
different systems Of government for
cities, and especially for Great Falls.
'"The generously allowed, but neces-
sarily limited space at our command ne
cessitates a series of letters covering
the subject-because in one letter, or
in several disconnected ones, the subject
could not be inteligently treated-and
we should deservedly fail in our purpose.
"a natural and logical analysis, then,
Of the subject, permitting its separation
into series. will follow somewhat the
following lines: A brief history of the
movement for the Improvement of city
governments will be first given, to show
the rise and development Of the various
plans. This will be followed by a defi-
nition, or brief explanation of the more
prominent plans. Following this. in q
later letter, will be a fair and impartial,
but searching comparison Of the most
prominent plans. including, specifically
an analysis of the present form Of gov
ernment by councils, the commission
form Of government, and the commissions
manager plan, or, as it is more CON-
monty called, the manager plan Of city
government. Out Of this comparison, IN
a still later letter, will come certain
well defined points for dscussion-points
around which the dispute, (if it may be
called such.D arises between the adj
herents Of the various plans. This will
be the meat Of the whole matter, and
should arouse considerable interest. Ii
is the hope of the committee that it will
provoke a general discussion. and that
that discussion may take place in the col
umns of your paper, as well as on the
street, in the pulpit, and from the ros-
trum. Out of the discussion Of these
disputed points should come conclusion
based upon the best judgment Of our
people here.
"A word may be said at this point
before proceeding with the history of tht
question, touching our present system and
the present officers Of our city. This
committee aims to destroy no individual
positions, nor to criticise in any man
ner individuals. Our aim is to destrO,
the old, time-worn inefficient and bungle
some system under which our city fl
nances and our city management has
long suffered. The suffering is not the
fault of any man or set of men. The
ablest men are under a severe handicaj
under the mayor and council systemt
everywhere and not alone in Great Falls
1t is, rather, our aim to help these men
by giving to them more efficient sys
tem--a system that has proved itse
capable under the most trying circum
stances, and system that has come t,
stay in our American civic life.
Up to about fifteen years ago M
form of city government was known il
this country but the mayor and council
plan. such as we now have. Then nj
most simultaneously, the cities of Gal
| weston and Des Moines came forwar,
with improved plans, fought for, and OBJ
tained the legislative and constitutions
powers necessary to put them into effect
At about the same time, in a little tow
on the east coast. the name of which i
I swallowed up in that Of the greater cit
of Dayton, Ohio, plan was evolved, an
later adopted by the city of Dayton
| which we call the manager plan. Yol
will remember that the city of Daytol
| was subjected to a terrible flood an
I that the loss of life, the misery, the suf
I fering, and the property damage an
/ loss which followed was appalling. Tn
city of Dayton was at that time labor
4 Ing under the old mayor and council plar
4 The old government found itself utterl
pOwerless and inadequate to meet tn
situation. Millions of dollars were need
ed to repair the damage done, million
4 more to provide against n recurrence o
the flood, still more millions to hel
the stricken population and to furnis
housing and food for them, pending re
construction. The old government wal
lowing in a mire of inefficiency, cross
purposes, red tape, debt, and lack o
any central management, could not NEE
the situation. Out of their need, tn
people of Dayton turned to the city man
ager plan. adopted it, set it going, an
today would not change back to the oil
system for anything. The city manage
set about meeting the situation. not b
4 talking and haggling over political ad
vantage and party power, but by actin
z In the emergency as business ma
2 would-organiZing relief, budgeting tn
4 necessary expenses and -ordinating de
4 partments. BY his management he GU
out many wastes and useless Implications
4 He put the business of Dayton on
/ business basis. He established n ne,
( credit for Dayton's bonds, and sold then
! to better advantage than before. i
short. he ran the business of the city a
the best business brains run busines
today, at less cost for more service
without political haggling and with spec,
and efficiency.
Meanwhile, Galveston and De
Moines, with their plans of commission
government, were finding themscve
much improved as to city management
4 al; nF