Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-31
City Manager Proves Failure.
Without Full Public Support

Removal Of William r.. Hopkins from
the post Of city manager Of Cleveland
and selection Of a successor has been O!
special interest TO the country, because
the Ohio city was the largest munich
patty In the United States employing
that form Of government. The press al
most unanimously assumes that Mr.
Hopkins was unable to cope with po-
litical machine, and that the position
public welfare only by special care on
the part Of voters In eieeting the coun-
Gil which passes upon the acts Of this
Official.
Reviewing the city managers vale
dictory, the Cleveland News states:
''Mr. Hopkins said, very truly, that good
government needs daylight, and public
business Is not well done in the dark
Then why, at the end of his career In
the city Hall, did he leave his city more
or less In the dark as 70 his experiences,
instead of telling Cleveland the whole
truth, with names and dates, as to that
experience which he said had taught
US the peril of private entanglements
and personal domination in public Of
fice?'" The news also says Of the
HOPKINS statement: 1.-THE carefully pre-
pared speech contained vigorous denials
of charges, extensive quotations from
campaign platforms and long lists OF
benefits Hopkins asserted ne had given
the people. But it told the people very
little they did not already know about
doings In the City Hall"
Referring 10 the selection OF Daniel
Z. Morgan as the new city manager, the
Cleveland Plain Dealer declares: With
out regard to opinions or sympathies
touching the Hopkins custer, the peo-
pie of Cleveland wish well for Mr.. Nor
gan. He is elected to NIL the biggest
municipal job-perhaps the biggest gov
eminent John Ohio. Being an intel
ligent and observing gentleman, he
knows the dificulties to be encountered.
Some of these difaculties are inherent
In the ONCE OF manager. Others are
due to the circumstances under which
eusly, the only reason why Maschke
would consent to Morgan in Hopkins
place was that the boss expected more
from the new man than he could get
from the old-more jobs, more favoFs,
more obedience or whatever It may be
9 boss expects In return for his sup
port. Mr.. Morgan says he has made
no promises, and the public accepts his
word for It, But, having cut his polit-
zeal eyeteeth some years since, he knows,
IS the public knows, that the little
Maschke clique and its couneilmanic
friends now expect . friendlier attitude
toward them than Hopkins had Of late
"Ths action against Mr.. Hopkins"
according to the st, Louis Globe Demo-
crat, SIS described as the fiFst great
setback the city-nanager plan has ever
received. so nearly uninterrupted has
been his Identification with 1t for six
years. However, as Mr.. Hopkins himself
points out, verdict against q particu-
lar ineumhent Of the city managers Of
nee Is not ct ell verdict against the
city manager charter. 1.-THE plan is here
to stay he Gays. gFheTe is no question
in ttae world that 1t win gain, not lose,
in favor and he presents showing on
the money II has saved for Clevelanders.
But with an incumbent in this power
full $4,000 once who owes his place to
opponents Of the eity-nlRnager plan the
next referendum on the reform charter
might be adverse. Besides, such an in
eungbept might so conduct the once as
to intensity the desire fog q different
charter"
It IS pointed out BY the New York
World that "the subject Is one Of gem
eral interest" and that Cleveland Is
the largest city that has adopted the
manager plan, but nearly 900 Of cur
that "the time when cities were most
rapidly adopting the manager plan Cow
ers the years from 1918 to 1925, and re-
cruits have rapidly diminished In mum,
beFs." The Great Falls Tribune holds
that "the weakness in the Cleveland
situation is that the city charter, when
rewritten to create the ONCE Of city
manager, left the city council Is part
of the local government. The alder |
manic system seatAusS tAAt paPss, |