The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-01-14
They Say
Terre Haute Star
(Republican)

Almost 400 American cities have
adopted the city manager form Of
government since this innovation
in municipal affairs was first
adopted a comparatively few years
ago, and where the new form has
been tried, there has been no re-
turn to the old Federal system.
That is an important fact; partic-
ularly an important fact for Terre
Haute, which is just now being
called upon TO consider making
the change, and which sooner or
later must decide the question by
vote.
All these American cities, that
have adopted the city manager
form-among them such towns as
Cleveland, Ohio; Cincinnati, Ohio,
and Indianapolis-are not in
habited by insane persons; most of
them are progressive communities
that take advantage of any in
strumentality at hand to help
them go forward. Therefore, it
can not be gainsaid that the city
manager form of government has
merit; it deserves at least to be
given weighty consideration, and if
Terre Haute citizens can see that
it offers hope for improvement in
their town it deserves to be tried
here.
The matter already has been
placed before the public in more
or less modest sort of way, and
many of the leading citizens have
become interested. 1t behooves
the people of Terre Haute gener-
ally to become interested; at least
to learn something about the new
system that they will be called
upon to accept or reject. There
are arguments on both sides of the
question, of course.-otherwise
there would be no question. Most
voters and taxpayers are familiar
with the present federal" system,
perhaps not as familiar as they
ought to be for their own good, but
they at least know something
about its operation. The average
citizen, however, knows about the
city manager system only in a
vague sort of way, and he must
seek enlightenment on it in order
that he can know what he is do
ing when his vote helps to decide
the matter.
A good beginning in learning
something about the new system
would be to go down to Temple
Israel tomorrow night and hear
Rabbi j. Marshall Taxay speak
on it. This will be the second and
most important part of Rabbi
TaXay's initial lecture on the
subject, and one of the
first public lectures in the city on
the question. Last Friday Rabbi
Taxay discussed the failure of the
federal system of city govern
ment; how it has led to corrupt
politics and kept the most capable
citizens in American cities from
taking part in city affairs, and adj
vising his hearers to inform them
selves on the new system. Tcmor-
row night he will tell something of
how the city manager form oper-
ates. He has made study Of the
question recently and is we'll pre-
pared to present a comprehensive
sketch of the city manager system.
BY hearing such lectures and by
reading literature that is available
on the subject the citizen can de-
termine whether he wants a city
manager here or wants to con-
tinue with the old system as it
now stands. The citizen owes it
to himself and his community to
consider the matter with an open
mind-with mind that can yield
to the better argument. The po-
litical organization of city gov
eminent can have much to do
with the city's economic welfare
and with is progress. The city
manager idea is not a passing po-
litical fad as has been proved by
its success in other communities,
and any community that refuses
to make an inquiry into its merits
or which waves it aside as worth
less without an intelligent study Of
its methods, is merely displaying
conversation that amounts to
tit1oidifu