The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1921-05-18

added the initiative, referendum and
recall and protest and provided that
the power to grant franchise be kept
in the hands of the voters. Many
American cities followed Des Moines'
lead and as result there are today
more than 400 cities which are OPP
Grating under the commission plan
of city government.
"The first city to adopt what is
now referred to as the city man.
ager plan was Sumter, S. c. In the
summer of 1912 the city, which had
about 5000 inhabitants, adopted
new charter and began operating un-
der the city manager plan the year
following. The example of Sumter
was shortly followed by the neigh
boring towns-Hickory and Morgan
town, N. G.
Dayton, Ohio, as in the case of
Galveston, decided upon a change in
the form of city government after the
disastrous flood of 1913. In Dayton,
bureau of municipal research was
organized which aided in drawing up
the new city charter and in working
out the details of government organi-
zation and procedure. Dayton gained
considerable initial publicity for its
form of city government by offering
the job as city manager to General
Goethals, Of Panama fame, at sal
airy of $4,000 year. The essentials
of the Dayton charter are: A COM
mission of five men elected at large
on non-partisan ticket, the initia-
tive, referendum and recall, and a
city manager employed by the COM
mission and subject to recall by the
people.
@ Since the time of the Dayton ex-
pertinent many other American cities
have become interested in the city
manager plan of municipal govern
ment. Today the number of cities
operating under or pledged to, the
city manager plan has increased to
well over the two hundred mark. In
Many cases the converts to the new
plan are among cities which have
already adopted the commission plan.
According Co last reports twelve
states have passed permissive city
manager legislation, including Massa-
chusetts, New York, Virginia, Okla
homa, Kansas, Idaho, Montana, North
Dakota, North Carolina, Wisconsin
and Louisiana.
Interest in the city manager plan
reached height in 1918 when 25
cities adopted the new form of gov
ernment. The city manager plan was
even recommended in reports pre-
pared for New York City and Chi
cago.
"Among the larger American cities
that have adopted the new form of
government, the following may be
mentioned. Akron, Ohio; Dayton
Ohio; Grand Rapids, Mich; Norfolk
Virginia; Wichita, Kansas; Sacra-
mento, Cal; Springfield, Ohio;
Portsmouth, Virginia; Wheeling
West Virginia; Tampa, Florida; Roam.
oke, Virginia.; and Niagara Falls
New York.
Examination of the foregoing list
shows that none Of the largest Amer.
lean cities have, as yet adopted the
city manager plan of municipal gov
eminent. Many students of munich
pal problems claim that the new plaI
would involve serious difficulties il
large cities where government il
necessarily highly complex. The &C
ton of New York City in creating
a board of estimates and apportion
ments has, however, set another stan
dard of modification in line with tn
movement for government by com
mission. The New York experimen
has recently borne fruit in the form
; of proposal to create a board o
estimate and taxation for the cit
of Minneapolis, Mimi"
3 After enumerating numerou,
sources of information on municips
government, the. report says tina
& 1.-THE civic development department O
the national chamber is at all time
glad to serve as a clearing house fo
4 information and advice on matters O
civic interest for member organiza
8 tions." 1t also refers inquiries t
3 agencies specializing in a given fiel
3 so that member organizations ma
2 get all points of view so far as thes
e are represented by organized ae
3 encies.