The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-03-04
CITY MANAGER
IS PREFERABLE
TO MISMANAGER
Legislative Delegation Stands
Firm and People Agreed
That Change in Personnel
Necessary.

90 ldi as ven bb dGANA "a AAtbhs HtiAN
out Of II members of the Shelby coun-
~ delegation in the legislature will
return to Nashville on March II as
genuinely in favor Of the city manager
bill as they were when they pledged
themselves to enact the measure at the
time Of their nomination. The oppo-
nents can count but two dereIicts, Rep
resentative Hanover, who was placed
on the ticket at the insistence Of Mayor
Monteverde, and Representative Galella,
a member Of the firm representing the
telephone systems and the street car
company.
The bait >held out by the city COM
mission in failing to make appointments
at the city hail, a delay that is with
out precedent in all Of the city's trou-
bled history, has failed to catch a sin
gle additional vote. The fact that
Mayor Monteverde~ and Commissioners
Miller and Mason repudiated the pledge
they made to the people in these words,
I'VE pledge ourselves unreserVedly to
the city manager plan Of government
as proposed by the business mems COM
| mlttee and agree 20 enact and support
legislation to that end" has not served
has an inducement to other members to
follow their lead. 1t is Incompetent
sible to the people of Memphis, who
know that the citizens committee had
nothing to do with writing the plat
form and that it was a voluntary pledge
made to offset the pledge made by the
opposition ticket, that the mayor and
his commissioners should have the te-'
merity to discount their own reliability
by such a fragrant change Of front. 1t
is not an example calculated to win
many converts, and the opinion OF
those familiar with legislative procedure,
is that it will be promptly repudiated
by the members Of the legislature.
Gone Outside.
1t is understood that the fight has
been abandoned for additional votes in
| Shelby county. 1t is recalled that two
members of the Davidson delegation
passed a measure over the opposition
of four OF their colleagues, who repudi-
ated their platform, and there is no
doubt that the same result would fol-
low. even II a job or two in Memphis
| could be swapped for a vote or two.
The opposition of the utility interests
| TO the city manager bill proved a boom
| erang with the complete collapse Of one
Of the chief factors in the interlocklng
crowd.
On the contrary the meeting of the
citizens committee has been open at
every session to persons of any shade
Of belief and political alignment, but
no politician has felt entirely comfort
able in a session devoted TO the pur-
pose to rid the city Of politics OF the
kind that is being administered to II
at the present time.
Since the "%crumbling" process start
ed only one name has been mentioned
as withdrawing from the beliefN that
the bill is a good thing.
on the other hand the bill has gained
momentum from the time it was given
TO the public. Nearly every one who
has no political advantage to crafty
| and no office holding appetite 10 sat
| isfy and has read the bill carefully will
| agree that it is a measure far superior
| to the present form of mismanagement'
Chance for People.
The labor people, the leaders in the
church life of the city who have spoken,
the business men and in fact those
Of every walk and profession who want
TO see something practical done for the
city, and who ave not as their con-
| Stunning ambition the wish to have the
| city do something for them individually,
have fallen in line.
Rarely m the experience of the city
has sentiment grown more rapidly in
favor of a change in both form and
personnel of the city government, The
| city administration tried to run the
| city for awhile and failed, then the city
was turned over to the corporate in
terests and there has been no improve
ment.
Under the city-manager form the
people will have a hand in running
their own business INC a vast and
much needed improvement may be ex-
pected.
1t is said that the former delightful
relations existing between the city adj
ministration and the utilities Is not so
pleasant as 1t once was. When the city
administration surrendered to the utili-
ties there was a general belief that the
utilities would support the administra-
ton and help to retain it in office,
which could only be lone by the defeat
of the city manager bill. and then some
exceedingly valiant work In the forth
coming election. The city administra-
ton indicated the public suspicion by
giving the interests all the assistance
~ could. Then suddenly, when the
utilities might boast of complete own
ership Of the city hal lhenchmen, the
service collapsed, things generally went
to pieces. The utilities had the admin
istration, what need had they for the
public?
Outside Aid Sought.
It was a situation that the admins
tration did not anticipate or there might
have been some reservation when the
utilities began to extract their pound Of
flesh, The result was that the admin
istration could not protect the utilities
and the utilities could not protect the
administration and both went down to-
gether in public esteem.
Upon agreeing that the local sitVatior
Is hopeless the administration has SEM
emissaries out over tht state to appea
to the members of the Legislature tC
help. keep the Ehelby delegation from
CARRYING out its pledge.
Dudley Porter is said to be ~canvassini
the district where he used to live ant
run for congress. He is in favor of
charter like the one Memphis now has
where a man does not have to be elect
ed to hold Offices
There isn't going to be n stone lief
unturned by the opponents OF the CIT!
manager bill, hut its advocates ar
7 fairly familiar with all movements. tn
sessions held in Capt. Fitzhugh's otfic
l and at the city hall. while not open t
me public, have been attended by
united number of newspaper men, b,
nolIt,eians of various hues and offic
) holders OF varying degrees.