The Topeka state journal., 1922-12-26
TO COUNTIES NOW
r.
CIamOr for Manager System Be-
fore Legislature.
Just Anything for a Change,
Seems To Be Sentiment.
SOBER THOUGHTS COMBAT IDEA
III Right Man Gets Job Every
thing WIN Work Out.
Otherwise Fat Salaries VIII Eat
Up Usual Taxes.
SOBER THOUGHTS COMBAT IDEA
By A. i. sIIULTZ

BY A L. SItOLIZ
In a clamor for an expert system OF
government. efforts are likely TO he
made before the legislature this win
ter to extend the city manager plan to
affect counties as we'll as towns ,Sedg-
wick county is aready considering
adoption of the county manager sys-
TEN while a number of towns operat-
ing under the commission form of city
government are now looking over the
manager method of running local gov
ernent-
There hasn't been much lacking in
the city manager idea that would add
attraction for the better government
boosters AS an ideal theory of the
proper way TO run the old home town
the plan looked like a bale of tax eN-
empt bonds. Persons who persist IN
believing in the theory that a town or
state can run its business as efficiently
as the santa Fen railroad or John
namaker's stores took one 1ono
glance at the city manager plan anG
knew the millennium was Just AROUND
the corner Hence a lot OF towns are
considering employment of some per
son with a fine line of conversation
some endorsements and political pulls
and anxious to manage the town ar
fairs at three to ten times the retiring
mayors salary.
The mere expense OF a few extra
thousand dollars a year in running a
big town is small matter 1t is a fine
inSestmeqr when things go well and IN
the DAYS when dreams come true
Then when things begin to sag back to
normal the big manager job remains
with usually a return to the old loose
methods OF doing public business
-aIany Campaigns On.
I. is probable that the next year
will see a number OF campaigns for
adoption Of the city manager plan IN
kansas. The idea has more talking
points than an electric sewing ma
VnrrA of 10
folks are disposed to look the burned
thing over with almost as much sus-
picion as awe
The legislature which passed the eity
manager law a few years ago gave
the idea a = x shove because support
ers of the bill were certain that it
would be Il wise investment to hire
one man to take over city commission
crnment. The same lesislature, tho
voted down a resolution to submit to
the voters a proposed amendment 70
the state constitution which would IN
crease pay of legislators from 50 to $40
a day They cOntended that persons
really interested in good government
made the sacrifice to come to Topeka
for a legislative session. while a good
paying job would attract the profes-
sional politician and job hunter
Pointed With Pride.
Fact is. the kansas legislature Itself
furnished all the argument against the
city mana ger theory when they voted
against any move to increase salaries
of members of the house and senate.
They pointed out that pride in state
affairs prompted the most able men
10 serve as law maker or as mayor
or commissioner of his home town. a
good rat salary. tho, would merely
make the place attractive to the poll
ticians and dazzle the wire pullers
without arousing concern of men
~ hose service would be of real value
70 the community.
Announcement of plans to extend
the present law to affect counties has
aroused general political interest in
the mOve- The same argument which
put over the city nlanaS ger plan will
be presented this winter IN behalf of
the county system
In spite OF the ideal argument be-
hind the manager plan, II is certain to
meet much hard earnest opposition.
An extreme government results from
the mana ger plan. according 20 the
opposition. which asserts that a town
is either Well managed or very poorly
mana ged in accord with selection of
the Individual mana ger. Into the
fight Will also be carried the argu-
igent that the best public service is
not based on the salary which attracts
pubic job hunters. Had the matter
Of salary controlled Kansas with a
legislature drawing SO a day for a
fifty-day session, might never have
had the score OF laws which attracted
nationwide attention in the last dozen