The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram., 1921-02-04
inefficient
RULE SCORED
BY CITIZENS
Richmond Citizens, Repre-
sentatives of Organizations,
Urge Passage of Home Rule
Bill at Hearing in Capital.
SENTIMENT IS STRONG

Dill that VIII give cities the right to
adopt the commission or the commits
sion manager form of government,
seemed to have decidedly the best Of
1t last night at a meeting held by the
House cities and towns committee to
listen to discussions of the bill that
has been introduced by Representative
Knapp. At least they had much the
best of it when it came to the consti-
tuency they represented. Every speak
er who spoke in favor of the bill
indicated that he represented organiza-
tions in which many business men and,
others had membership.
The speaking was remarkable for
the fact that there was an absence Of
mudslinging. There were no referen-
ces to scandals that have come to
light in city governments. But there
vas a decided plea on the part of all
The speakers for the bill that there
he efficiency in city government and
all were of the opinion that efficiency
is not possible under the present form.
1t was asserted for example that the
chickering's and delays that had been
encountered under TIE present form
Of government in the city of Anderson
had cost the taxpayers of that city
something like 100000 in the enter
prise of constructing n S1,000.000 sew
er system. John F. Mcclure. Of
Anderson. speaker of the house Of
representatives. who was present at
the hearing. did not deny the truth of
the assertion. In fact he appeared to
be one of the interested members Of
The audience from start TO finish.
Knapp Speaks First.
Representative Knapp opened the
hearing with a discussion of the pro-
visions of the bill. most OF which are
already pretty well understood by the
legislators. He emphasized two rather
important points-one that the adop-
tion of the new form of government is
rot made compulsory under the bill
but remains optional and that under
the city manager form as provided in
the measure. it would not be neces-
sarv for the manager to be a resident
Of the community. In other words the
people would be at liberty to go out
and get the best talent they could find
to manage their affairs
In speaking for the bill. Byram G.
Robbins. OF Richmond, told of the
great number of Richmond organiza-
tions that had indorsed the measure
among them the Rotary club, The
Kiwanis club. the Central Labor coun-
Gil. Y. NJ. 3. c.. Chamber of Commerce
and the Women's club with six hun
dred members. He said that to his
knowledge no civic organization in
Richmond had turned the proposal
down. Mr.. Robbins explained early in
his speech that the Richmond citizens
who were present in the interest of
the bill were there without pay and
had no axes to grind. Their interest
I, nd in tho woIfapo nf a
city of Richmond
Mr.. Robbins said that formerly he
had thought there was a good deal of
bunk in the new form of government
but after he had been inside the ad-
ninistration of Richmond for three
years as city attorney and had noted
the inefficient manner in which the
Cltys business was handled. he said
It changed his mind He referred to
the many disputes between various
city boards and added that the busi-
ness of the city had been conducted
along partisan lines rather than busi-
ness lines. He said he believed in the
political parties, but he did not be-
lieve any great party principle was
involved in the issuance of bonds for
public improvements or in reaching a
decision as to when or under what con-
ditions the city's supply of coal should
be bought. Under the present form of
government in Richmond he said the
citv's business had been made the foot
ball of politics and that business affairs
had been affected by political ward
Influences
Tracy Speaks.
Robert f. Tracy OF the Indiana
State Charber of Commerce who has
made a wide study of municipal gov
ernment said the Knapp bill had been
zone over bv A city charter expert and
that if the bill became a law the state
was assured of having a law that
would not be attacked in the courts
the first time any city attempted to
operate under it.
The commission or commission man
neer form of government said Mr.
Tracy is no experiment. "It' he said
sis virtually the original form of city
government that was in operation in
colonial times. The federal plan that
we have now is in reality a recent
adoption. Washington, ID. c., has had
the commission form since 1878 and
orr counties have always had it. Over
300 cities in America are now operat-
ing under the commission plan. The
impetus came after the Galveston
flood when Galveston threw up her
hands and asked for help. Compare
lively few cities have gone back to the
old form after having the new form,
Denver was supposed to have done so
but Denver in reality put most of the
power in the hands of the mayor.
Among the large cities that have
the new form of government Mr..
Tracy mentioned New Orleans. Birm-
ingham, Memphis, Buffalo, Dallas and
Omaha. He said he had written let
tiers to authorities in many of these
cities and the replies were almost
without exception favorable to the new
form. Mr.. Tracy said frankly that he
preferred the city manager form over
the stra:g commission form. The
city manager form he said had it's
start in Staunton. Va.
Then Re said it was adopted by Day
ton when Dayton found herself help
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