Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1920-11-01
HOW DAYTON, O., SOLVED IT'S
DEEP MUNICIPAL TROUBLES
Experience Of First Large City To Adopt Com
> misson-Manager Plan For City Rev
elation Is Worked

,.(What of the city manager plan
of municipal government? In or
der that readers of the Times-Re-
corder may know how the city
manager plan is working out, the
Tines-Recorder starts today a Sc
ries of articles ON results obtained
by the plan in various cities, Iarg-
er and small, where it has been
adopted. Today's article deals
with Dayton, Ohio, a city of about
10000, the pioneer big city"
to adopt the city manager plan.l
DAYTON, Ohio, Nov. 1.-"Mr.
Voter, the city manager asks that
you vote, tor use of the city of
Dayton, bonds in the sum of ST.
053,000. The city manager, if you
approve this bond issue, will ex-
pend the money for permanent
improvements, for street and sewer
construction, new fire stations and
motorized apparatus, new bridge
and playground, park and market
Improvements. The city manager
plan has been in efefct in Dayton
long enough for you to have made
up your mind as to whether it de-
serves your confidence. If it has
your confidence, vote for these
bonds"
The result of this plain business
statement made by the first City
Manager Henry M. Waite, to the
voters of Dayton was: Two-thirds
majority, required by Ohio law,
for issue of the bonds, with hun
dreds of vote to spare.
And there's the answer to
whether Dayton, after fair trial
of the city manager plan, still be-
lieves in it.
Adoption here of the city man
ager plan resulted from popular
dissatisfaction with the old feder-
al scheme of municipal govern
ment. 1t was fastened by the dis
astrous flood of 1913, crisis with
which the mayor-council form of
government was inadequate to
cope. The city manager plan went
into effect Jan. l, 1914.
What have been the results?
First, what were the conditions
that City Manager Waite found
when he took office in January,
1914.
No Corruption, Just Loseness.
While Waite found no serious
corruption, looseness and ineffic-
iency in the conduct of the city's
business were rampant. Jobs re-
quiring the service of experts were
held by politicians. Each depart
ment was running itself. There
was no orderly budget procedure
of financial control. Because the
old administration had borrowed,
where possible, to avoid taKation,
there was bonded Indebtedness
of S6,000,000 and a floating debt
in excess of income. The water
supply was inadequate. There was
no ash or rubbish collection. There
was only partial garbage collec-
ton. Sewers were being laid out
piecemeal without conformity to
any comprehensive plan. Public
health was neglected. There was
general distrust of the municipal
government and its officers.
Today City Manager Barlow,
who succeeded Waite in March,
1918, knows at the end of every
day the exact state of the city's fl
nances.
Such is the city managers con-
troll of the financial institution
that when in August, 1915, the
county authorities, acting under
peculiar state law, cut off S164,-
600 of Dayton's expected revenue
for 1915, the city manager was
able to so readjust the city's ex-
penditures that, despite a 20 per
cent cut in it's income, it closed
the year with balance on hand of
$48,500.
Under the city manager plan
Dayton is no longer threatened
with a water famine. But what
is more, instead of facing the al
tentative of a deficit of a higher
rate, the water department is earn
ing an, annual profit of $4,000.
Under the city manager plan, ash
es, rubbish and garbage are regu-
larly collected A municipal
garbage disposal plant has been
built at cost of $4,000, and
through the sale of by-products it
is earning a net annual profit.
In 1913 the death rate was 15.7.
In 1914 this was reduced to 1877.
In 1915 to 13. In 1919 the rate
was down to 11.43 the lowest the
city has ever had.
Infant mortality in 1913 was
139 per thousand. This was re-
duced to 95.8 in 1918, and in 1913
to 8S.8. Last year it went down
to S7.58.
Other Results.
Here are some other results: The
formation Of an extensive sewer