Perth Amboy evening news., 1921-01-08
cry MANAGER L A

CITY MANAGER PLAN.
Some kind friend Of the EVENING NEWS
has sent us a clipping from the New York
Times telling about the way the city manager
plan is spreading throughout the United states
According to the article. this form OF munici-
nal government is most popular in the SOUTH
Norfolk. va, is cited as an example Tine peo-
ME there have ceased playing politics In local
affairs and the place is making rapid strioes'
The NEWS is thoroughly alive to
the advantages of the city manager idea anu
balieves II is even a step in advance OF the coh-
mission form of government. but at the present
.,r,a there ia no provision in the laws of New
larsev whereby the city manager can junction
sa,ator-elect Parry, of Essex county. however,
has promised to introduce a bill during the
coming session of the legislature extending the
o,,v manager idea to the cities Of New jersey
Ntovor Wilson, although he opposed COM
u,.s,on government for Perth Amboy at the
snecial election last summer, shows by MS mes
80 20 the BOARD of Aldermen Monday night
mat he has the right conception of municipal
government.
.arbe MANAGEMENT of a city of between forty
Ave and fifty thousand people ought not % DC
arv bigger task" he says, than that OF any
other business institution of like magnitude
with the same amount involved. With TINS IN
mind we are simply confronted with a business
proposition which always can be met ana
solved by good hard commo nsense and apph-
cation"
The mayor is exactly right. but he knows
that no other business institution would nave as
much divided authority in running its analrs
&c the CITY now has. He knows that no other ousi-
ness institution would appropriate money ana
hand n out to various boards to spend as they
may see fit. The mayor knows as well as any
one else that party service and polticai prefer
want has no part in a we'll managed business
institution. He could, no doubt, bring ABOUT
many economies if his authority were Sufncient'
but he does not even have full authority over
the police department of which he Is supposed
to be the head. ..
The well managed business institution viii
have its board of directors who are directly re-
snonsible to the stockholders. These directors
IN turn. employ a competent manager to have
fu,l charge of running the business ard the d.
rectors look to him to make the business a pay
ing proposition. II he fails they Dust him and
hire another in his place.
This is exactly the plan of the city manager
idea for municipalities. The people. who rep
resent the stockholders in the municipality
elect a commission which functions as the
board of directors. These directors hire a
general manager who takes full charge OF run
ming the city and he is responsible to see that
the city is run SO as to return DIVIDENDS 10
the stockholders in the way of reduced taxes
and efficient service.
Perth Amboy is far from being run as d
successful business institution may be run. NO
matter how good Mayor Wilson'S intentions
NAV be, he will find that, under the present
form of government, the city cannot be run
along the lines of a business institution.
The city manager plan does not provide easy
berths for party workers who are unable to
earn a decent living otherwise; it does not
create jobs and I'LL them with incompetent
lust for the sake of taking care of some one
who must be provided for. But the city man.
ager plan does give the taxpayers an efficient
government it makes possible improvements
without increasing the tax rate; in short. 1t
makes a real business proposition out Of the
city administration.
, Although Perth Amboy has twice rejected
the commission form of government perhaps
some day, it will realize the advantages of run
ming the city in a real business-like way and
will adopt the city manager plan.
In these days of high-priced hooch, desttu'
ton follows the jag.
Mich is said about common honesty" How
common is honesty?
Usage Indians have been awarded $3S,000,o0'
by the government, making 1t hard to believe
that the only good Indians are the dead ones.
.Io+hfr1 costs Iess +he girls NAV veal