Palatka daily news. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1919-1994, 1922-10-04
REPUBLICAN SENATOR
BUCKS OUT OF TRACES

Final proof tina 1.-THE FordneyTe a
Cumber profiteers' tariff biTf a. tbe
the husk to agriculture arto details
mel to the big industrialme. IF anv
monopolies has so anges quickly de-
Cameron, republican, In short, the
he not only refusedty manager plan"
measure, but thE. powers.
against other powers to he vested
HARDING admlnoup of elective officers
program Tor th:ouncil or commission.
claI interests of powers is essen
senator Cam' avoid confusion of re-
when he behelThere should he M
1erees one6eed officers in the city
ricultinment.
If Every power of the city should be
possessed by the commission. This
makes it impossible fors the commits
sioners to lay the blame on any other
officer if things go wrong. If there
is no one no can hinder the commits
sion in its work, the commissioner is
robbed of every possible excuse and
is obliged to face the music" in
times of public criticism.
Unification of powers is a basic
merit of the commission plan and
must not be departed from in the city
manager plan.
In town or city of this size, there
should be not less than three or more
than five commissioners, elected at
large, and subject to recall They to
select from its members a chairman
who fulfills the duties of mayor.
The manager to be apb pointed by
the commission, subject to release
without notice at any time. The
manager to have the exclusive right
of employment of all persons serving
the city in any capacity, from and in
Guiding the heads of all departments
down to the day laborers, subject to
dismissal by the city manager at any
time without notice.
The commissioner being subject to
recall in case of malfeasance in Of
flee, or adoption of any policies not
concurred IN by majority of the
electors. They are subject to custer
for misconduct in office. The man.
ager being legally subject to the
will of the commissioners, must re-
fleet the character of the board If
the board is weak, unless by acct
dent or error they employ a strong
manager, the government would be
weak. If the board is strong, with
integrity and character, they will I'M
ddabtedly employ a strong manager,
or, if by error weak one should be
employed, he is subject to immediate
dismissal
The practical workings of the COM
missioner-manage plan of municip-
al governments throughout the coun-
try, appears to have been accepted |
by the public press and the majority |
of the cities who have tried it as be-
ing the best.
Palatka is being operated under
the most Anticipated system. Being
governed by eighteen aldermen, a
mayor and other officers, which are
elected by the council, under fifteen
to twenty charter amendments. This
situation, obviously, needs remedy
ing, and much Of Palatka's future
progress depends on the form and eff
fectiveness Of the new government.
The cOmmission-manager form of
municipal government is the appli-
cation Of business methods to the OPP
GRAFTON of business methods to the
operation Of city. Under this sys-
TEN the elected commissioners are
simply a board Of directors; they do
not concern themselves with depart
mental detail as is the case under
our Freseu. system. That function
they leave TO an appointive chief ex-
utive, who IS known as the city man
hger This official is expected to be
N expert and need not be a resident
t the ciyy at the tive of his appoint
lkent.
~ IN behalf Of this plan it is claim
: S<5at the commission is a more
.n -sssRody than is pos
t,,..,s> ASsst system