New Britain herald., 1930-02-18
MILLER DISCUSSES IONN MANAGEMENT
Explains System at Meeting Of
 Property Owners Assn.

First steps by the Citizens Prop crty Owners association 10 interest residents in the city manager form of government were taken last night when Town Manager E. |. Miller of West Hartford spoke.
 Martin Kelly. vice president of the or%anlzation. presented resolution requesting that the mayor and com- mon council take steps to publish q 'o'hpict" list Of property assess h'ehtS al an approximate cost of $o.ooo which would he open to the pubic for inspection The resolution requests that tn" mayor and com- mon council include in the budget an appropriation to hire expert as Sessors to rcvaluato and rcaescs property in this city. The petition reads:
 "On more than one occasion. Mr. Mayor, Nou have indicated your de Noilon 10 the public welfare. Unlike ''dnE men you placed the public good above consideration of special privilege. Every movement designed 10 advance the common welfare has your sympathetic interest and sup port Committed, as We believe YOU arc to inc principles of ability to pay, as dominating f1ctcr in tat- universally opposed by men of wealth in this city. you have won me lasting gratitude of those who nave been fighting in this city for q SoClal order that will bring q large measure of Contcntment and happi- ness to q greater number of people.
 Hon. Mayor X. NJ. PHoncSsa and members of the Common Council, we hereby petition Nour honorable hody to provide an appropriation in the budget for the expense of the valuation and equalization of the taxable property of tn" city, by an outside organization of experts in lhis line Of work, which we believe will show more irregularities than Nour audit of the city's books. Nc shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free"
 NIr. MlIcr's Address
 Htr. Miller spoke as follows:
 In the first place want 10 make 1t perfectly clear that am not here 10 advocate any particular form Of government for New Britain nor to criticize your present form of gov "rnmcnt. hut 10 %iv" you what in formation l can about the council .l a. which was first adopted in Staunton Virginia, in 1908. and is still in use in that place. Since that time 1t has been adopted and is now being uscG in over loo towns and cities in the United States and Canada, and thcr. has been hut very few places tha, have ever changed back to some other form of government.
 Tt is generally known at the present time that in using the councll-manaccr form is merely placing municipal government on d business basis. A municipality is corporation and with the council manager form, the voters are fhp same as the stockholders and elect q council which functions similar To board Of directors. The coun- cIl elects q manager to carry out their plans, the same as q board of directors elects q manager 10 handle he business of q corporation, the council being the legislative body and thc manager the executive who is on the job every day where the people can come 10 him with their complaints and criticisms and bring before him any information thaj they believe will be q benefit 10 the municipality.
 Action on Complaints
 Jf the complaints that come to q manager are reasonable and come under his jurisdiction, they arc car. od for at the earliest possible time, and if inc has not the authority to care for them, he reports them 10 the department that has charge Of the matters under which the com- plant IS about, or if it is necessary. he would report the matter to the council for any action they deem necessary.
 Tn municipalities that arc un- der any form of government, the l officials in charge. in most cases, are not 10 blame for the criticisms that | they receive but it is the system un- der which they are working which IS at fault, and no one can expect e person who can give only d part or his time to his municipal work 10 giVc as efficient service as he would | if he could give his whole time to inc same work and make a business l of it.
 Purposes of Government
 There are many things that all 1 municipal officials arc striving for i but l have always felt that the | 'hrcc most important were con- 1 fort of the people, efficiency and | economy. and in order to produce 1, the first, Il manager has got to put i into actual practice the last two. | Can you lind q single person in any city who honestly believes that the !! officials of the immense manufactur- | ing plants. the large mercantile | or the prOpritor of ! small grocery store could manage i their business so as 10 produce q profit if they had 10 work in the 1 same manner and under the same |. conditions that the officials in the i average city do? No, it would he inn ! possible and any municipality ! should be managed in Il business . like manner with special favors 10 ! no one but profit to all, that ! profit to be the comfort the people !. derived from residing in q munich | pallty that is managed in an eff | cient and economical manner where | the taxpayers can know that they | receive a dollars worth of service i