South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-04-10
APRIL 10. 1921
OPPONENTS OF CITY MANAGER PLAN
WELDON TO LEADERSHIP THEY
CITE, FROM KALAMAZOO

Efforts Of the opponents Of the commisson-nlan-
bger system OF city government 20 Gi5credit St 5y
reference to KaIamazoos vote OF last Monday TO
revise IT'S city charter entities those opponents to
tho company they in. and to all the console ton
they can get from such leadership IT affords
them. once understood, no sef-respecting person
will further oppose the city manager system by
seeking to emulate the forces opposed 20 it in Iila
rnazoo. Doing so they find themselves championiug
the causes of the most INSCRIPTIONS and designing
politicians utilizing tho dissatisfactous Of labor
unionists, bootlegsers prostitutes and gamblers
dissat sfactions born Of their respective grievances,
and restraints
They do SEINE things differently IN Michigan than
in Indiana-but the forces Of evil a-s quite as ac-
tive over there they have what they call home
rule for cities. a city in Michigan has identity
in relation TO the similar the relation that
the rtate holds to the nation. There IS no general
city ana towns act in Michigan similar to the
that Indiana has declaring that municipalities must
be governed this way that according they are
municipalities Of the first second or third class
Michigan cities accordingly operate under what
they call charters which TO the cities what the
constitution 8 the state These charters are
framed at what they call charter conventions made
up of commissioners. one from each ward and
many additional from the city at large there
wards The commissioners are elected by the people
and the charters that they frame submitted to
the people for approval rejection.
The process consists OF a vote as to whether
not the charter shall be revised then the election
of commissioners then the charter convention;
then submission the people; then effectiveness if
It carries or the election Of a set Of commits
sioners II it does not carry and on. Cities may
adopt any sort OF charter they like. long it
provides for government republican in form. and
does not appropriate rowers IN conflict with the
4,, r,f for ncfou
empower "a city council to pass law legalizing
murder. while the state held # to Zoe a crime, nor
could it legalize boouegging within the city. while
the state law declares 1t ohense.
Kalamazoo. three years ago, voted to revise its
charter. and following the above process adopted
the commission manager system. Last Monday Il
voted to repeat the process and revise It's charter
That is all Tt VIII the whole gauntlet over
again. and depending upon the temper of the char
ter comuissioners-and the popular mind when Il
comes TO a vote.-it may abolish that system, 20
back 10 the mayor-aldermanIc system, or adopt the
straight commission other system, or
heaven only knows what
A number OF elements were back OF this
ment Tor charter revision. VIZ; the labor unions,
for one reason and the bootleggers. prostitutes.
and gamblers for another; these and the political
Erafters-rolitcans easy for the other elements to
control and who Ike TO the city government
and its machinery to further their political
ends. Combined against the remainder OF the city.
the movement TO revise the city charter was car
ried.
The labor unions peeved because the city
manager. and the city commission, TO the
street railway service submitted to the state pub
10 service commission question of equipment. and
one-man cars Ike we have here IN South Bend was
allowed. That cut the number OF men needed
car one-half. and Notwithstanding that it was at
time when help was hard to get labor dis
gruntled and wanted the city charter revised The
labor unionists were particularly opposed to
the city manager system or DESTROYS Of a change OF
system on that account. far as concerned the
principle as IN obtaining revision Of the charter
rurbng the powers OF the commission ara manager
IN matters affecting their interests.
City Manager Freeman was law enforcement
manager and that Deeved the so-called liberal ele
tnent Booueggers. gamblers prostitutes Of course,
prefer the mayor-aldermanic system, which they
can reach through political intrigues more easily
than they can reach a non-partisan commission and
manager Their forces Joined 70 the forces OF or
Fanzed labor though for different reasons, natural
y made a powerful appeal to unprincipled pot-
clans 20 whom government IS ever only prey, and
sppropriatng the iI-feelngs OF those two elements
the hght for charter revision
Kalanazoo's vote last Monday indicates that
Kalamazoo's politicians surrounded by dlsgrunted
labor unlonsts and professional bootleggers. pros
titutcs gamblers-the liberal elements-are in
the majority that city OF the people voting at the
election that IS all there IS 20 Il. When the char
ter commission is elected 20 may abandon the com
rnLsslon-uanacer system or Sc may not The people
then might approve OF such abandonment or they
might not bat this much is certain that people who
eLpose the commission manager system OF govern
lnent. and cite Kslamazoos dissatisfaction with rs
administration as indicated 10y Kalamazoos vote
last Monday. are planning their faith not on the
good judgment 90 the better people OF the Celery
City bat upon the peeve az dlsgruntied labor union
sts naisapproprlated by designing politicians and