The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1927-04-05
Sign Those Petitions

Every citizen who gets the opportunity should
sign the petitions for an election on the city man.
ager form of government.
The nresent system has produced politics, ex-
travaeance. government by favor, rule in behalf
of the few.
II is no accident that changes in the head OF
the government has not changed, greatly the cnarac
ter of the government.
Every mayor under the present system goes
into Office with political debts to be PAID WIN
demands upon him by the politicians OF mis- own
party with the necessity if he wishes to remain IN
politics of thinking about the success OF mis-
yn party than he does of the pocketbooks and con-
nience of the citizen
1t is true that some mayors have been better
than others. But there is no mayor who could not
and would not have given better government had he
OF been the creature of purely political system
The city is paying rather heavily for its poitl
al mast It is paving also for it's political present.
The condition of streets, the handling OF i'm
provements the management of every public enter
prise bring home to the citizen who wants nothing
from his government but dollars worth of service
for dollar paid in taxes the high cost of politics
The fact that rumors gain circulation that politi-
cal "bosses" are being changed is its own common
tary boss lives by politics The people pay.
The city manager government is designed to
take politics out of city affairs and make the man.
agement of citys business purely matter OF
business.
There is not private enterprise of any kind
that could stand the sort of management which the
biggest of all business enterprises, the city itself
receives.
large share of the evils be traced direct
" to the effect of national political politics in purely
local affairs.
No one contends that man is better equipped to
direct the improvement of city streets because he
gives allegiance to party that believes in high
tariff than one who sees in the tariff a menace to
prosperity of the consumer,
No one would say that the head of city gov
eminent ought to be selected because he believes in
world court or the league of nations. 1t would be
absurd to select them because he had red hair
bald had one cork leg.
The entire system is based upon the theory
that the city government is owned by the political
party which gains power and that it is perfectly
legitimate to divert its activities and plan it's organ
ization for the benefit of that party.
The city manager movement is now, under
way. The petitions for an election in circulation
True, the present mayor found it necessary to
secure legislative license for another two years
and helped to secure the law which prevents the
actual change until his term of Office expires.
The fact that such law pushed through the
politically controlled legislature is evidence that the
mayor believes that the people want change
at once.
y In that he probably has accurate view Of the
peoples wishes and desires. He undoubtedly knows
that majority would change the system tomorrow
if they had the power His attitude in aiding in the
enactment of the law is the final evidence Of the
viewpoint of the products of the present system.
The city manager form of government is de-
signed to Danish partisan politics from city affairs
1t is designed to operate city business on a business
basis. 1t is the way for the citizen who does not
need boss to become free