Palatka daily news. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1919-1994, 1922-06-07
HOW AMERICAN CITIES ARE SEEING
NECESSITY TO CHANGE. METHODS
Or ADMINISTERING THEIR AFFAIRS
Politicians Fast Losing Out in Their Opposition to
System That Eliminates Graft and
Criminal Wastefuness

sents a gripping story of how and
why American cities are being forced
into more businesS-like methods of
administering city affairs, and the
progress that has been made so far
The article is too long for entire re-
production here, but will Gull the his
torical part Of it, showing the devel-
opment of the commission form-city
manager plan as related by Mr.
Palmer:
If business concern had been run
in the same way as our cities, it
would have been forced into bank
ruptcy. This could not happen to a
city. All it had to do to meet def
icit was to borrow more money or
city bonds. Eveyr city and town had
alternating party rule, the changes
being made under the slogan Of
"Turn the rascals out"
Now and then a crank" would
wonder what party divisions about
national policy had to do with city
government. Why should a man make
good head of the public works de,
partment of a city because he was
for a high or low tariff?
The crank even intimated that a
city ought to be run as a business
! institution without regard to party
lines. Party politicians just gave
this fellow one scorching look. II
the scornful look was not sufficient
then the party politician said: "This
| is un-American" If that failed then
he himself gave up hope in the future
! Of his country.
| Drives by good-government clubs
Iby citizens leagues and chambers OF
commerce, exposures by investigat,
/ ing committees, and thunders from
press and pulpit occasionally led tc
! the election of a business man fol
mayor on the platform Of appointing
1.-THE best-qualified men to office, anc
of maintaining business standards Of
efficiency, etc. (for further details
look up the campaign literature al
some period in the history Of any
city).
His intentions were good, his abiI'
ity might be equal to carrying ouI
his intentions under right conditions
but he was elected by some kind OF
combination which included old party
methods and line-ups. As he himseL
had been a republican or democra
at least an independent one-h'
bore a political partisan tag. Nc
sooner was he in office than he hearc
that old familiar whisper after
gunshoe approach to his desk
"Bil Ibid good work for you down
in the first ward. l feel we got t
look after Bill, especially after tn
promises we made him to give up t.
Tom for alderman for the sake o
marty harmony. Bill was 4 good as
SCISSOR, and he'd make a firSt-cIas
man 70 look after paving. Their
won't he anv kicks when Bill handle
things, All the boys like him, Ano
vonr honor, I'm hearing a lot Of tai
around about you for governor, an
from governor it's only a step to
But, of course, you'll have to nav
your party behind you
The mayor found that if he resist 81
ed this pressure he was ungratelV
and that he was setting influence
AGAINST ,,sa him which would hompe
him, especially in the board OF aI0s'
men. ,.,t, :
mt somebody out of office ratne
than to put somebody in; we 'o'
for something different from pFeSe'
misrule. Under the two-party Sys
: tem, one party or the other was a
vows GIN The bosses sometime
oon, nornicate this solacing truth I
oacb other with a wink.
In 1901, when the people OF cave. a. :.
ron looked at the wreekage Iel' ~ =
tTo M tidal wave, and considered Tn
ons+ .ns Of reconstruction and building
now sea wall which would NO nol
whether party lines held or not .,,, .ne
, concluded that they were IN as a sI'tt tt
tion where they could not afford ~ u
oId .lGI' way, They still adhere IN
; ; was the first step along the rOau
: tho nresent milepost of city mama no:
ers and proportional representa-. ,.
9'I Other her cities adopted the plan ,o,,
II spread, it was found that con
,,;ssion ~ might consist of lawyer,
, doctor. a labor leader, a meren",'
: and a banker, none of whom was i.
, aruert aru in paving, police or park ark
7 eApe,s e, ovt stem was to have the con
! mission mis- an overseeing body :, whli di
aDDointed a,,Dop experts in charge Of !. a !
ferent departments responsive y :