Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1921-09-30
HE STORY OF THE CITY MAN
AGER PLAN
Continued from page two)

Continued from page two
Aol a unified government than q COM
&licated one. For example the councll
the manager plan has power 10
,ise the taxes, and hence mas ths
over to yield to a public demand
Dr. better service; but at the same
PRne. it has power to reduce service
: nd yield to public demand for low
taxes. 1t cannot say in the mrs,
ase. I'VE have not the money Nor
the second case. "We cannot make
g administration economical. II
3 ust always accept the complete re-
onsibility, as there is no one else
- whom blame can be attached.
The advantages OF having city
anager are obvious to any business
an. For counsel, many minGs are
pedcd; for execution, single direct
he head is required. Universal Dust
ess practice demonstrates this. as
hes also, the superior success Wnicn
q have had with a typical public
4hool system where a school board
hes all its work through hired sup
8intendent.
II is essential to the plan that the
tv manager shall be appolntlVc.
6yen the freak feature of one city
Manager charter. which subjects the
Aanager to direct recall by the peo-
- is damaging to the prlnciple m
: lived, since it diverts responsibility
5om the council. He must be COM
atcly the servant of the council, else
cannot fairly be forced to take re-
,onsibility for his acts. He must IN
way be Independent Of it.
Making it possible to hire the city
anacer from out OF town, noT oniv
S been helpful in getting trained
= k.vice, but is highly important to the
Fowing-professio of city manage
ent. If city manager could not
ok forward to similar positions else
ere in case he is displaced or OUT
bwn his town, powerful incentive
~ ward the development of persona
kciency would be lost. The fact tina;
81 city manager is not necessarily m
Blved in local politics, or in disputes
matters of general policy, permits
Bmparative pcrmanence in the oti!cc
: the chief administrator OF the clf'
most important thing to the DC
klopment of smoothly running me-
g. anism.
For the first time the people have
tten their own corporation INTO sues
& APE that it can hold its own wit
: ivate corporations in competition
n competent executive talent, pro-
4 ding these attractive conditions
nure for a long as the man makes
&od," chance for advancement an:
: eofessional reputation and chanc>
achieve things by familiar straight
iward unincumbercd business meth
\ a generation ago reformers eXei-
Eed their wits TO devise compllca-
bns of governmental machinery II
$ vain endeavor to prevent pad gov
nment. Thereby they made govern
ut so complex and roundabout thai
one but professional politicians
8uld operate it, and the rank ana
= e of the citizenship were left al.
&st helpless spectators.
8roday the winning principle IS 70
- nplity and clarity the processes OF
3Bvernment so that everybody can
3 d will understand and take part Ct
&tively without special attention OF
PORT. Politics under the manager
In becomes so primitively bare and
nple that there is nothing Tor q
= lltician to be a specialist IN. Inc
sy ordinary nonpolitical citizen VINO
8nts for so little III the old poll
IS, finds himself exercising his full
LIRE Of control in the new plan. The
w government connects direct with
III masses who are usually ready 10
R#paud and reward those who serve
( Pm we'll, and, who at any rate are
best base TO build upon.
The first thought objection 10 the
$nager plan is that it is undemocra-
- to make its most important single
6cial appointi"e instead Of direct
- responsible to the people by ciec.
h." Democracy, however, consists II.
= ltrolling public officers, not neces-
Billy in electing them, and that way
most democratic which gives the
Dple the surcst control. The mos
: ective way for the people to get
Fn grip on the neck of the govern
ntal organization is by sending d
representative group of citizens down
= city hall to see what the executive
- doing, with power to fire him ana
another any day Of the week i.
~ is unsatisfactory or insubordinaj"
impaired with that method, dlrec;
- [ction and recall are crude, clumsE
- sufficient and relatively undemo-
tic.
Furthermore. :, capacity in govern
= INT for vigorous effective execution
policies is essential to true demo
- cy. A policy desired by the people
- obedicntly voted for their rep
cntatives may yet be defeated .,
y-fish inciiicicncy in execution. Ad-
Illustration by a trained manager i:
6reforc more democratic.
This new government is not a cure
: 1t is capable Of going in the
,ng direction like any other human
tanization. \ city charter is like an
IA on,ohila nothing mechanical can