South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-04-05
EXPLAINS CITY
MANAGER PLAN
BENEFITS HERE
Clyde W. Ketcham Shows
New Form of Municipal
Government.
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CONTINUED FROM PAGE oNEl
problem continued through the re
fusal OF the citizens OF Kalamazoo
20 accept the proposed solution. He
then told OF the submission Of the
problem to the Michigan public ser
vice commission and the subsequent
ruling OF the commission that the
use OF the one man cars by the
street car company on its lines wRs
the anly salvation OF the company.
The speaker explained that the
election yesterday in no way affects
the city manager form OF govern
ment in Kalamazoo, but merely Is
a referendum 20 determine whether
or not there shall be a revision OF
the charter so as 10 include some
things that may make the system
now in use in Kalamazoo more sat
isfactory.
More Efficient.
In explaining the elimination OF
politics in the operation Of the city
form of government \ Kalamazoo.
the speaker pointed { the democ-
racy Of the system, claring that
the contention thA there is
any autocracy in the system
is false. He said that the prin-
ciple of a family Is the same as that
of a city. He declared that this
princiLle IS in service. He declared
that Il is no more sensible for the
head Of a family than il is for a
city government to continually cry
for economy in municipal govern
ment to the destruction Of efficient
service 10 the citizens Of a munich
pality.
Mr.. Ketcham explained that I'M
der the city manager form OF munic-
ipal government the old complicated
system. under which police depart
ments and fire departments and the
other city departments are allowed
TO go TO ruin through a policy OF
false economy for vote getting pur-
poses soley. is changed for one Of
more simplified and efficient char
acter. and one where the interests
Of the people Of the community as
a whole are the paramount issue
Of the members of the commission
and the expert city manager VINO
is under the commissions direction.
The speaker also cited the saving
of large sums of money under the
city manager form OF government.
He told OF the elimination Of waste
in the conduct Of the municipal de-
partment Of the government He
pointed out that under the city man
ager Plan the health Of the city had
dfrpn-
tors Of the public health who had
established means by which much
OF the contagious disease formerly
found in the city had been ehmi-
mated Mr. Ketchum explained that
all these desirable conditions had
been obtained for Kalamazoo at a
saving Of the public money in spite
OF the increase in living cost brought
on by war conditions.
Recalls Dayton Flood.
Mr.. Ketcham refuted the charge
that labor is opposed 10 the city
manager plan by pointing TO the
action Of labor in Dubuque, Ia. He
SAID that it was at the demand Of
labor that the new city government
plan had been adopted. The speaker
! also explained away the argument
| that the city manager plan is meet
/ ing with difficulties in Dayton, o..
through a nine million dollar debt
I by EXP laining that much Of this nine
million dollar debt was incurred
when Dayton was practically wiped
out by the disastrous flood several
years ago and had TO be practically
rebuilt
The speaker declared that once
! South Bend adopted the city mana
\ ger plan, it would not return to the
| present cumbersome system under
| which the municipal affairs Of the
/ city are now conducted. He de-
clared that maladministraton of the
/ city's business is not always due TO
/ dishonest officials, but to the sys-
tenn under which they are compelled
\ to operate.
Mr. Ketchum showed the benefits
/ 10 the citizens Of a municipality to
have the police and fire depart
ments divorced from politics. He
said that these benefits were APP
parent in Kalamazoo as we'll as in
other cities throughout the country
where the city manager plan has
been adoIted. He declared that the
| members OF the police and fire de-
partments in Kalamazoo, after