The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1920-02-19
Manager of Wichita, Kansas, to
Meet Ardmorc Citizens at Convention Hall
This Evening; Will Tell What A Business
Administration Means to A City: Ellingson
OF Sherman, Texas, Cannot Attend Meet
Held Under Auspices American Legion

is the thing. II we can have n new
Charter enabling the city TO hire
competent manager, at a respectable
salary, feel sure that Ardmore will
take on a new growth and will go
forward II We don't do something
like this. intend to dispose of my
property here as soon as I can, and
to the hest advantage, and 90 Some
Wherc else to live.
Things That Have Happened
And l am going to tell you, brief
ly, why l have reached this decis-
ion. Here are a few OF the things
that have happened in Ardmore IN
the rast three years; The city debt
has nearly doubled. Our taxes are
about three times what they are in
Wichita or Sherman, both Of which
cities are operated under city man
agement. | have visited those cities
recently and made study OF conll-
tons, and am sure that great i'm
rrovemcnt has resulted from the
change in city government.
our water supply is very short.
The people voted bonds for an addi-
tional water supply. a contract was
let to build the pipe line complete.
This was to cost $4,000 for com
plctc job The city, in violation OF the
| terms of the contract, paid for pipe.
| The city was To pay for Il completed
pipe line, under the contract This
loss may he more than 100000.
There are in this city about
hundred blocks Of paving under con
/ tract. These contracts may be in
valid. Some of the work was let
( nearly three years ago. Property
owners have paid the city money on
/ these contracts. If the contracts are
Cancelled, 1t will cost now about twice
what it was to cost, to let new com
! tracts and do the work
The present mayor has stated that
/ when he went into office he found
that there was no system in the sew
eral departments. Things had been
run haphazard, with little attempt
1T accounting. The city manager
would take over public affairs and
see to il that every dollar OF public
money was accounted for, and that
it would be expended in business
manner, for the best interests OF the
public. That is what city man.
agcr is for, according TO the testi-
mony from various cities that have
such form Of government. II n city
manager does not make good, he Is
removed. He is not elected to his
job-he is merely appointed; and it
Is up To him to make good or bo
fired. That's the idea.
Along Business Lines
For my part, | can see no reason
why this big business corporation,
the municipality Of Ardmore, should
not be conducted as any other big
business concern is conducted-havc
a general manager who Is responsible
to the people, who will hire subortli-
mates responsible to him; and he will
have the hiring and the firing Of
everybody except himself. ne being
responsible only to the elected com.
missioners. And under the non.parti-
san system we can elect commission
ers who will serve because they are
interested in the welfare OF the com
munity."
The committee was notified this
= morning that City Manager o. J. s.
Ellingson Of sherman, Texas, who
was TO be present ut the maSs.meet
ing tonight, is down with the "nu'
b | and cannot come.