The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1939-1949, 1948-01-08
The Sidewalk
REPOR TER
by The
KENNEWICK COURIER
soUAWK CLUB


soUAWK CLUB ,
with an eye toward bigger and
better complaints during the New
Wear the Amalgamated Associa-
+ion of Lower Valley Complainers
This week met in its annual meet
mo and elected new officers. The
now president was picked because
of his dispeptic appearance ana
his overhanging eyebrows winch
gave him an undue. advantage.
The TONS of two bottles of bromo-
seItzer showing in his breast pock-
Of also aided in his chances. Sey.
eraI detectives were pointed out
&C q basis for the years program.
One however, received more at
tention than any of the others.
This was an attack on our city
government. "We have no COM
nlaints against our mayor and
co,,ncilmen." summed up one
snokesman. s'In fact, under the cir
c,,mstances, we think we have
s done very well. Our complaint is
E,gainst the system whereby ma
ior business, such as that OF the
CITY of Kenrlewick, is operated on
a volunteer basis. 1t amt right
IT AMT .-..-....
We are inclined to agree with
the above mentioned grousers.
Certainly no corporation, doing
quarter of a million dollar annual
business, wuld expect its execu-
tiyes to operate for practically
nothing on volunteer basis. But
that is what is expected of our
CITY govrnment. 1t is right that
it ein't right.
ANSWER
What is the answer? Many COM
munities are finding the answer
in the establishment of city man.
ager form of government. There
NAV be flaws in that system, too.
But generally speaking it is a
sound plan. That is the way some
of the biggest and most success
full corporations in the United
States operate. They pick board
of directors who in turn hire
general manager. And usually that
manager earns a fancy salary. He
also is the fall guy when things
don't work out quite right. Then
he either has to mend his ways or
get canned.
RESPONSIBILITY
Right rf5W who is responsible II
things don't go just right? It can
be the mayor, or the councilmen
or one or more of the paid depart
ment heads. It is easy to find
fault with the work of the mayor
,and the councilmen. Many people
do. In number of cases, when
we have heard people complain !
about the action of cOuncilmen,
we have suggested that they run
for the council themselves. "Too
BUSY couldn't possibly take the
time" III
TOO BIG
There was time before the war
when volunteer council could do
a fairly creditable job with little
time involved for the individual. (
That time has passed. When the {
new housing projects are COM
pleted this year they will house a
community almost as big as the i
pre-war KenneWick. Still we ex-,,
pect volunteers to do all of the ]
multitude of jobs required in the t
sensible operation of the city. 1t :
isn't in the cards. +
s ~ $
Who starts the job of repairing
this situation? Certainly not the
present councilmen who are al q
ready overloaded with thankless
job. Chamber of Commerce? Per-
haps. Other Civic organizations? =
They could help. But to do the job 6
right, to make complete study of :
all phases involved to make pro-
per presentation to the community
at large it is our belief that it {
should be undertaken by city :
VIDE committee, representing all
interests within the community.
we nave asked the boss and he
definitely promises to put the full >
welght OF the columns of the KCR
oenlno the proposition. In fact he ?,
yen volunteered to gather more y
-adormation and write a page one n
on the subject next week. "
Bet it will be a dinger! "
STORY OF THE WEEK m
Inc last atomic bomb had ex- IL
Devastation was complete "
,nd 1t seemed there was no living
hing left on the face of the earth Is
FINALLY monkey moved On a &C
imo OF one of the few trees left az
Soon he espied another &
mo smaller monkey on a limb re
Dove him. He moved to her side us
mo they looked out upon the If
'a a:a lands. Finally he said: ar
should we start this all over
in