Palatka daily news. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1919-1994, 1922-12-20
PALATKA's NECESSITY
FOR COMMISstoN.MANAGER

Palatka Is overburdened-offlcially.
This refers only to the number OF
councilmen, who, if all should be
present at each meeting of the body,
would bring the cost of each session
to an extreme figure.
That there is no need of so bulky |
a membership is easily understood
when the statement is made that the
majority of the members are seldom
in their seats at any regular meet
ing.
Fortunately, when the determine
ton was made to have almost score
of councilmen, in order, possibly, to
see that every department was close
ly scanned, there was a ruling that
six should form quorum. Were it
not for that the meetings would
doubtless be few and far between.
The work of the body fails almost
entirely upon few members. The
work is done just as carefully by
these few as if each member respond
ed to the roll call. This proves that
the few, if comprising careful, even
minded men, can safely conduct the
affairs of a city precisely as we'll as
a small regiment. The fact that the
city is conducted by less than the ma
jority of the board of councilmen il
Illustrates the non-necessity for the
many.
Following along the same line of
reasoning, and there can be no sue
cessful dispute of the facts already
stated, were there three men elected
to conduct the affairs of the city,
each of the three to have supervision
over certain stated departments and
ready to devote considerable actual
time to those departments in the way
of supervision, and there was man
ager who was we'll informed and who
had at heart only the progress of the
city and nowledge of what was eX-
pected of a manager, is there anyone
who will think for a moment that the
city would be neglected in any de-
tail?
In a huge body of citizens banded
together for the gaining of any spe-
cial measure it always happens that
the bulk Of the work falls upon the
few. This is true in any organiza-
ton. The many will be active for a
brief time, perhaps; but when mat
tiers get upon business basis there
is a general scampering away from
the work bench. Consequently all
work of great moment is always ar
ranged and planned in "the commit
tee room" There is but little actual
work done in either the upper or low
er house of congress-more than the
approval of disapproval of a report
made from the few appointed to
"thresh out the matter"
In the government of city, be it
large or small, the line of action is
taken that has been adopted by all
great financial and mercantile insti-
tons. There is small body of men
to direct; there is the manager-no
matter under what title he may
serve. The manager is responsible
not to all the people, the stockhold-
ers, if that term is desired-but to
the heads of the institution who have
been chosen by the many stockhold-
ers. Below the manager there may
be many sub-heads, depending entire
ly upon the size of the undertaking
and he is responsible to his superiors
for the acts of those still lower. II
there is a wrong, an ill-timed move
an unbusiness-like transaction, it is
the manager who is hailed upon the
carpet; and unless that manager can
make good his explanations there is
an immediate vacancy.
When Palatka shall have adopted
the commission-manager form of
government and shall have elected
the three men in whom all have con-
fidence-or it may be there will be
five men, although there could be
some objections entered as now
stands with large number of coun-