Perth Amboy evening news., 1920-12-03
CITY MANAGERS.

Two hundred American cities now are being
directed by city managers.
City management is nothing more than the
operation of city government by methods in use
in private business. That this method of run
ming a city no longer is an experiment or gov
ornamental fad, was made evident when 200 ex-
perienced city managers held a convention re-
Gently to exchange ideas.
The mere fact that these men were getting to-
gether for the common good of their collective
communities was in itself significant of the
idealism of the new method. The old political
system of municipal government still has
staunch defenders-and they may be right-but
whoever heard of the politically-chosen mayors
of 200 cities holding a convention for the pur-
pose of trading ideas and experiences?
The manager plan of municipal government
has developed a group of experts who know
cities as other experts know the human body or
the solar system. 1t is based on the idea that
the city government is the largest business in
~stitution in any city, and therefore. deserves ex-
pert management instead of changeable man
agement by political organizations.
Politicians have claimed that the city man.
ager plan is not democratic in that it centralizes
authority in an appointed official. But it is pure
democracy compared to the autocratic political
boss system that it has supplanted in many COM
munities. The political boss is the invisible
government responsible to no one; the city
manager is a boss, too, but IA visible boss, direct
ly responsible to the community.
The city manager plan was born in stanton,
Va, twelve years ago. and it is not recorded that
any city abandoned the plan after once getting
used to it.
The city manager idea is really an out-growth
of the commission form Of government. Perth
Amboy has not yet reached the latter stage. In
the meantime. other progressive places are forg-
ing ahead in municipal development along such
advanced lines as the employment Of a city
manager.
Senator-elect Parry. of Essex county, promises
20 introduce a bill at the coming session Of the
legislature making it possible for municipalities
of New Jersey to adopt the city manager plan
that has proven so successful elsewhere. No
doubt many progressive cities will take advan-
tage of such a law once it is enacted.
Philip Everist of Sioux City. aged two. has
been selected as Iowa's perfect baby. but you
ought to hear VIII. the neighboring mothers
say!
A Manila youth got sixty-seven years in
prison for stealing bicycles; now if they'd been
wheeled chairs he could use one when he gets
out.
They're trying TO vote Scotland dry. but too
late to interfere with Bobbie Burns poetry.
Trotsky believes in primitive coors. Having a
red army he seeks to enroll a yellow one.
Marshal Haig and General Diaz are on a COM
mittee to celebrate the hundredth anniversary of
Napoleon's death. Too bad Nap isn't alive to see
that.
Children: If you must rummage in the bureau
drawers before Christmas, put things back just
as you found them.
Perhaps Britons will call coal coal instead
of Goals when they get down TO the last lump.
Millions still believe there is merit in the
mince pie.
Isn't it possible TO promote anybody in the
army without someone else getting sors7