The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-08-31
CITY RULE IS
Prize AS WAR
CLOUDS LOOM
Control Of Election Under
Manager Form by
Bosses Feared.
ISSUE TO LEGISLATURE
Faith Held Council Will Aid
Fight for Clean
Government.

Rumblings of the next big battle
between the forces attempting to
install real city manager govern
ment in indianapolis and politicians
who desire to keep their fingers in
the pie we're heard this week.
The battle is expected to be
fought in the session of the State
which opens in Janu-
airy, upon the issue of who shall
control the machinery for the cleo
ton of the commissioners who will
replace the present city council and
name the city manager. This cleo
ton will be held late in 1929.
Old Faction Feared
City manager leaders already have
sent to candidate for State Senator
or Representative from Marion
County text of a number of amend
ments to strengthen the city man.
ager law which they desire passed
in the 1929 session in time to be
operative when the city government
changes form in January, 1880.
These amendments, it is UNDER
stood, do not include provision for
control of the commissioner cleo
ton. At least one lawyer, however,
has advised the manager leaders,
that unless something is done to
clearly define the process for the
commissioner election, professional
politicians will have an advantage
in their expected effort to elect a
slate of commissioners who will
name a city manager amenable to
the same crowd which civic lead
ers sought to GUST when the old
Duvall administration was over
thrown.
Some lawyers contend that tho
manager law set up a system Of
control of the election in which the
city chose the manager form last
spring but did not specifically out
line the election Of commissioners
either next year nor in succeeding
years.
With this in mind professional
politicians quietly have been prepar-
ing to contend, in courts if neces-
sary. that the law being such the
regular city election machinery is to
be used. In the present form Of
city elections the Republican city
chairman chooses a commissioner,
the Democratic city chairman chooses
one and the city clerk serves ex-
offcio. Theoretically at least. this
would give the political profession
control, since the chairman named
two members, regardless Of how the
city clerk stands.
The election commission passes
upon disputed points in connection
with the election, fixes dates of the
election and performs other impor-
tant duties.
Manager advocates have pointed
out THAT they believe they have
one safeguard under the present
eelection system, should it prevail.
This, they say, lies in the COM
plexion of the present city coun-
Gil, all of whom we're named upon
recommendation of civic leaders,
many of whom were identified with
the manager movement.
Election Boards Key
Under the present form the city
council passes upon precinct cleo
ton boards, nominated by Repub-
lican and Democratic city chairmen.
Manager form friends do not believe
that the present council would poll
ticians get away with naming cleo
ton boards of the caliber of some
which we're disclosed in the prose-
cutor's investigation of the primary
last May.
Precinct election boards hold tho
key to fair or unfair elections, in
frequently have dis
closed and the manager leaders feel
that the present council would at
least see that the manager slate for
would have an even
break with the slate of the proc
fessional politicians.