Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-12-08
THE CAMDEN MUDDLE

TNliE commission form Of government
l. which has fallen out Of Il clear sky upon
camden. through the operation of a law
which every one in Jersey politics seemed
to have forgotten. IS not in itself a guar
antec of ideal or even orderly civic admin
istration. Experience has demonstrated
what the most ardent supporters of the
commission system might have known but
didn n't--that in any final analysis it is the
personality of executives and their moral
ana mental equipment that count, rather
than the forms which they administer
Lazy and Intellectual or dishonest COM
mtssioners can be quite as troublesome as
lazy, Intellectual or dishonest members of
the oldfashoned municipal council. A city
manager Of the sort provided for in the
original city commission systems can be- if
he Wishes quite as active and us potent in
questionable politics as those Mayors who
are often held UP as dreadful examples to
the young.
Under the commission system in its earlier
forms check was provided in the public
interest. The city manager could be re-
moved if he proved to BE- an undesirable
That is, he could be removed by a vote of
the city commissioners. There was no wait
ing for election days. This was an improve
mcnt on the older methods Of city govern
ment But lattery there has been a tendency
TO revise this advantage ont of the commits
sion law. and in New jersey the under
standing is that the Mayor, elected by the
people. shall rule cities with population
of more than 10000, and that he shall
function as sort Of city manager with the
assistance Of commissions and boards ap-
pointed by himself.
Those who first advocated the commission
system probably would see little to praise
and less to hope for in the Jersey system,
since it leaves ultimate authority In the
hands or the Mayor and in no way lessons
his responsibility while it greatly reduces
his power of initiative
Th" origin and purpose Of the law under
which for time ut least tn" whole admins
trative scheme in Camden will be changed
are something of mystery. Political pres
sure from the region of Paterson forced It
through a recent Legislative session. Pater-
son has political problems of an unusual
sort. 1t has a very large foreign born
population and a very large vacillating vote.
In the past it has had some ruthless bosses.
The Jersey Legislature, like the people in
Camden, seem to have learned with shock
that the law would apply elsewhere
Democrats will be disposed to believe that
their election of Mayor may have had
something TO do with the discovery Of the
Commission Law at this time, but that
assumption would be too ar-fetchcd for gem
eral acceptance. Yet Mr.. King, the newly
elected Mayor, is justified in his belief that
he cannot properly perform the work of his
office meet its traditional requirements
while actual initiative and the right Of veto
center in various disassociated commissions
functioning in place Of the usual heads of
departments.
Camden, which without warning has had
its governmental machinery shifted to new
and untred and unwanted fashion, seems
merely to be the victim of the clumsy and
mysterious politics practiced at Trenton. If
Mayor-elect King and the Acting Mayor,
Mr. Van Hart, can find expert and honest
men to function as commissioners over n
great variety Of city departments, at salaries
Of $500 n year, the city will have a good
government. Otherwise it won't.