Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page. It is also available as plain text as well as XML.

H<>W Til F. < IT\ MANAGER FLAX WAS IIAXDM \PPEI>. Ttoree Cora ?ut? on iIm? lusatUfw lory Ksprrtcmv of Sumter. S. C, With the I'nmmU ? i-Managvr Plsn Vndcr a Dtiffttlvc C harter. To the Editor of The American t'lty: Replying to your Inquiry regarding ?umter's city manager. I take pleas? ure In gtvtng yot the following Infor? mation. Sumter hea had no city manager eine? November 1. 1914, when Major W. P. Robertson, our last city man? ager, resigned. He went to Green rllle, S. C. from Sunder as manag? ing secretary of the Greenville Chamber of Commeroe. Just why Major Robertson resign? ed le not positively known. A great many people, the writer Included, be? lieve that he quit because he felt that the office of city manager In Sum? ter was not accomplishing what It cost, and that he was handicapped in different ways, chief among them be? ing the lack of money In the city treasury *lth which to do anything that required the services of a city manager at $3.300 a year. It was given out to the newspapers last November that there would he no city manager elected to succeed Maj? or Robertson before the spring of 1? 14, as there were no important pub? lic improvements to be made before April, 1*1 ft. The city had no money with .which to do anything until the abutting property taxation plan of paving our strssts could be decided by the voters of South Carolina under a eostltutloal amendment, and until af? ter the voters of Sumter could vote to settle ths question of Increasing Sum ter's bonded indebtedness fifteen per cent for street Improvements. This ?lection for the voters of Sumter has never been held. The Chamber of Commerce has Instructed the writer, as managing secretary, 10 circulate a petition to be signed by a majority of the freeholdere, authorising the hold? ing of this special election. I know of nothing thst was accom? plished under the commission-manag? er government in Sumter that really demonstrates the superiority of this form of municipal government to the old form of city government. Mr. M. M. Wortbington .our first city manag? er, had published a very lengthy ar? ticle setting foith some wonderful achievements of his administration; but why the City Council should have allowed euch a wonder at $2,400 a year to go and replace him with an? other man at $1.300 a year is hard to understand, The cltlsens of Sumter with whom I have talked?and I heard a great many express themselves?seem to wonder what a city with no money to accomplish anything but necessary re? pair work and ordinary municipal necessities, wanted with a high-priced city manager, anyhow. Major Robertson snd Mr. Worth Ington were very clever men. 1 feel satisfied that either of them, with money to do things with, could have scornpllshed a great deal. Rut while Sumter has had a city manager or two, 1 don't consider that Sumter ever really had the "city manager system" In fact What I mean Is this: I em convinc? ed that Major Robertson and Mr. Worthlngton didn't feel that they had any real authority or control over anybody or anything. The mayor and the other two commissioners never gave the city managers adequate au? thority to do things on their own Initiative. They didn't have proper control over the subordinates or de? partments. The city manager did what one or more commissioners told him to do. The form of government, by any name, is a matter of considerable im? portance, of couree; but. after all. the main thing le getting the right kind of men at the head?the mayor and councllmen. I mean. I rather like the Idea of cutting down the city council to. say. five men. Burnt* r has a may? or and two councllmen. I don't fancy three men. If two of the three have a great deal of private business of their own. they are likely to let the city's busi? ness wait and suffer OtJt <>f live nosj you can always count on a sufficient number of men to have a quorum and to Interest themselves in the < bv - affaire. Three men are too much in? clined to run the city along teh>phtsg and curb lines to suit me. I find that with only three men there are not regular no t rings of cm council. There Is no certainty as to when the council will meet. Meetings are postponed ag > i i. i n cause one councilman happens to b. out of the city. sick, or too busy to attend. Thus one man may* block the City's- alfsirs umler the tbn < men form of city council. Sumter depended for years on whis? key dispensary revenues of about flO.tOg to |fM?0 annually. Whei the dispensary was voted out, she didn't provide for this loss of rc\enu< bv estrs Intfa Ttssfsjfoff the alt) ha been running behind tinamially for several years. Ju?t whether Sumter will have an other city manager 1 don't know. I'm der the present form of novel nmen the city council seems to he remote fmni the masses of the people. Then is n.?t adequate publicity of the city's affairs. I think the City Council ought to meet at regular Intervals of, <as. once a month at least, and the citizen* should he encouraged to ap? pear before council with any requests. I believe, too, that city councJlmen should take more interest in the city's affairs than any other class of citizens. They should take the lead In matters' "! bonded indebtedness, street im? provements and other public works. I was one of the original leaders for commission government for Sum ter. But we didn't get the "slmon pure" commission government. Even now 1 am not prejudiced against com? mission government if it really is com? mission government. I believe fur? ther that, in cities with sufficient bus? iness to warrant it, a city manager who is competent, and who is given the right amount of latitude, can save a lot of money, do away with extrav? agance and "graft" where graft exists, and also increase the efficiency of the j city departments. Sunder has not the commission form of government as contemplated by the Commission Government Act of 1912 of the South Carolina Legis? lature. Florences. C, has such com? mission government without a city manager. Sumter's plan of alleged commis? sion government eliminates some of the best elements of the Commission Government Act. For instance, Sum ter has no civil/service commissioners or civil service requirements as Flor? ence has for city employes. I consider the civil service essen? tial to the safety of any form of gov? ernment. Civil service protects the taxpayers and protects the city em? ployes, besides Increasing efficiency through the merit system of promo? tion. Under Section 20 of the Commission Government Act, eliminated by Sum ter, the Civil Service Commissioners examine by physical and mental .com? petitive examinations all applicants for city subordinate positions, and designate a list of ellgibles for the City Council or Commissioners to se? lect from. No city employe may be dismissed without the approval of a majority of the Civil Service Com? missioners. If the City Manager was elected-by Joint selection of a Civil Service Com? mission and City Council, and was not under the domination and politi? cal control of the City Council, the City Manager would not hestitate to take action, if it became necessary, for neglect of duty or any other act of th? City Council or any of its mem? bers. The same advantage would be with all subordinates of the City Council under civil service rules. Politics are not eliminated by SumUr's alleged commission govern? ment. Under the three-men form a political ring Is more easily formed, because with only three men any one man has only to get one more coun? cilman with him and the ring is formed. This is not so easy with five or nine men on city council. A City Manager ought to be free to see that all laws are obeyed by the City Council as well as subordinates and citizens. E. I. READON, Managing Secretary, Sumter Cham? ber of Commerce. Sumter, s. C. May 1, 1916. From a Charter Expert. To the Editor of the American City: I have read with great interest Mr. Reardon's statement In regard to the Sumter situation. From what I have been able to gather from correspon? dence, from a visit to Sumter and a long conversation with Mr. Worthing ton, the former City Manager, 1 should say that Mr. Reardon's com? ments form a correct analysis of the case. Perhaps the chief difficulty in Sum? ter is that the modus operandi of the city manager plan was not thoroughly understood In beginning, and conse? quently was not defined in charter as it should be, I am for giving com? mission complete responsibility, but that responsibility should be oxercis ed through certain well-defined chan? nels. Commissioners should under? stand that their function Is to legislate and net eolleetlvely only. I under? stand that it bus been the praotloe In Sumter for the Individuaul commis? sioners to assume personal respon? sibility fof various detail , w hielt were properly the sole business of the City Manage i I am Inclined to agree with Mr. Reardog that Sumter would be better off with ji somewhat larger council, SO 111 it Individual members would not be unite so much inclined to take them? selves too seriously. 1 fully acres with Mr, Reardon si lo tin- desirability of having employes of the city eleeted on a civil service basis. However, in a city as small sunder the absence of euch er? rangements should not be en Insuper* this barrier to good lovornment, If the commlssioers p|a\ polities and ippoinl then friends lo office, it may be simpiv because the eltlaenehlp of Sumter li got aiive to the insidious ?v?| lurking In that sort ol thing One remedy, thereforoi is ? better Inform od and more sensitive public. It has been well said many a time that the people of a community never got any better government than they deserve. Under the typical old style of govern? ment a good many cities got worse than they deserved. In the long run the best that the city manager plan will do will be to see that the people get what is coming to them. Hut 1 do not believe that all of the difficulty in Sumter is due to civic con? ditions. It is undoubtedly partly due to the defective mechanism of the charter, as I have indicated above. Let me repeat that Sumter will never get the good out of the plan of gov? ernment until the charter itself and the citizens Insist that the elected board of commissioners confine them? selves absolutely to legislative mat? ters and act not as Individuals, hut as a group. Sumter's experience will probably be duplicated in other cities to some j extent. It is not easy to change the habits formed during generations' ex? perience under a radically different I form of government. The hard knocks that the city manager plan gets in the beginning of its career are part of the adjusting .process. No one need give them any anxious thought, but the cities which adopt this plan must realize that there is a world of ex? perience and knowledge of munici? pal affairs outside their own borders which are easily available and from which they may be able to derive ad? vance information which will forestall some of the kind of difficulties which have been met with in Sumter. My impression of Sumter is that, like many American towns, it is frightfully provincial, but it is a good town for all that. H. S. Gilbertson, Executive Secretary, National Short Ballot Organization. New York, May 3, 1916. from Sumter's Last City Manager. To the liditor of The American City: My reason for resigning in Sumter was simply this: The city was entire? ly handicapped on account of the lack of funds. When the European war began and the slump in cotton came, the outlook was most discouraging. The various departments were in good running order, and as no improve? ments could be made for some time, 1 did not care to draw a salary when I could not render the service. Part of my stock in trade is my knowledge of municipal engineering, and this was valueless under the con? ditions. I therefore accepted a place where I could render active public service. I believe that the leading business men were well satisfied with the com? mission form, and I am sure that such busy men as Mayor Jenninga would have too many duties to serve under the old form where mayor and coun ulmen are called upon for consider? able exocutlve work. The government was represented by the mayor and two councllmen. It is but fair to these gentlemen to say that two of them did not interfere with my work, but with wise advice were very helpful to me. The other member, I am sure, did not wish to be "perniciously active," but was a seeker after knowledge. However, the laws establishing and directing the city manager form for Sumter needed two essentials: first, the re? sponsibilities and duties and authority of the city manager should be clearly set forth; second, It should be a mis? demeanor (or possibly a felony would be more effective) for a commissioner or councilman, except in official ses? sion, to interfere in any way with or assume in any way the authority of I the city manager. Sumter will yet, I believe, make a great success of the city manager form, for her people have a brave spirit and are not easily discouraged. This form* of government has so many virtues lacking In the older forms that it is well worth the consideration ol most American municipalities. William F. Robertson, Secretary, Greenville Chamber of Commerce. Greenville, S. C, May ?J, 1915, Sumter, S. C, June IS, 1915. To the Editor The American City. II Nassau Street, New York, N. Y. Dear Sir: An article in your pub? lication concerning tHe operation of the City Manager plan of commission government in Sumter, S. C? signed by 10. 1. Renrdon, Managing Secretary of the Sumter Chamber of Com me roe, has Just been called to my at? tention. This Article seems to have excited gome comment, and, as mayor ol the city of Bumter, ami one of the proponents Of the City manager plan of government, 1 take pleasure in giving my views of the matter, which I am satisfied are the views of the \ast majority of the cltlxeni of sum? ter. The fact that Mr. Ucnrdon signed bis letter as managing secretary of the Chamber of Commerce herd might have led your readers to be* Hove that Mr. Reurdon spoke in an ofllclal capacity, expressing the views of the body of which ho is secretary. However, i ben to mate that, In my opinion, Ibis is not the fact, Mr. Iteardon, III my opinion, spoke merely as an individual, and 1 am confident that his opinion meets with the dis? approval of most of the members of the Chamber fo Commerce. Locally, where Mr. Reardon is well known, his expressions are correctly guaged, and 1 wish that your readers had the benelit of the light of Mr. Reunion's local busines reputation in considering his letter. It is true that Sumter h.*s had no official city manager since Major Robertson's resignation in November, 1914. Major Robertson resigned, as stated in his letter to you, because tb^e city had no funds with which to make permanent improvements at that time, and, without funds, the ser ; vices of a high priced executive in this I connection were not required. Major Robertson felt this, and tendered his resignation. Shortly afterwards, how? ever, City Council employed Mr. L. E. White, a man of large experience in street construction and repairs, to j look after work on the city streets, j and to attend, in general, to details of j I the work of the various city depart? ments, which might require his atten? tion, at a smaller salary than Major Robertson received. His services as city manager in fact, though not in name, have been all that the circum? stances required, and have demon? strated the efficiency of the principle of our plan of municipal government. As to City Council and its operation, its advtanages over the old method should be apparent even to Mr. Rear? don. We find that with three men in charge of the city's affairs, not only is the responsibility centralized, and the people of the city able to put their finger, through the ballot box, on any weak spot in their government, but the mayor and councilmen themselves feel that the matter is "up to them" and give more and better attention to the city's affairs than was the case with a large council and divided au? thority. Furthermore, it is a fact in contra-distinction to Mr. 1 Reardon's theory, that a council of three mem? bers is a more pliant body than one of eight or nine; they are able to hold their meetings witn more convenience, business is more quickly dispatched, and there is less friction than with a larger body. With regard to the meetings of City Council, which are held on the second and fourth Tuesday's of every month, I have found that they are very regularly attended, and that the proceedings of council are made pub? lic the day after each meeting in our r ally newspaper. During the tim that I have been a member of council since the inauguration of the commission form of government here, the regular meetings of council have been postponed, for good causfe, only a very few times, and at every other meeting night during the period of three years, meetings have been reg ularlly held. I wish to further state that any citizen has the right, and it is often exercised, of coming before council and making any request of it that he sees fit, either by petition or in person. In support of these facts, I refer Mr. Reardon or any other per? son interested, to the records of the city. As to what the Commission-City Manager form of government has ac? complished in Sumter, besides the ex? pediting of all forms of business, and the greater facility in the man? agement of the various city depart? ments, I mention the following mat? ters: The operation of the City Water Works was a'tered by changing the power used from steam to electricity, after an investigation commenced and carried through by City Council, at an annual saving to the city of from $1, r>00 to $2,500, enough to pay the city manager's salary having been saved on this one item alone. Liberty Street in the city of Sumter was, for a portion of its length through the business center of the city, paved with vitrified brick, at a cost of $16,000 out of the city's ordi? nary current funds. Never before in our city .either before or since dis? pensary times here, has any such sum been expended In permanent improve? ments on the public streets without incurring a bonded indebtedness for the town. The county's interest in the opera house lot in Sumter has been pur? chased from Sumter county at a cost of $10,000, $0,000 of which has been paid in cash out of the current funds of the city. And yet, after this expenditure of $20,000, without creating a cent of bonded debt, the city, in my opinion, is not in worse financial condition now than it was before the commission form Of government was organized. And, I believe that under the old sys? tem, the city WOUld not have been able to make these expenditures, which have all resulted, in my opinion, for the good of our town. The streets of the city are now in better condition under the supervision of Mr. White than they have been in many years. The police department Is being run on a more economical basis, com? paratively, than ever before, and is better administer* d. Mr. Reardon would apparently ques? tion the efficiency of city council by stating that he had been instructed by the directum of the Chamber of Com? merce to circulate a petition lor holding a special election to author? ize the issue of street paving bonds. In explanation Of this, I beg to state that several months ago, the Chamber of Commerce applied to council for an appropriation of Five Hundred dol? lars, the greater portion of which, I am informed, was to pay Mr. Roar* don's salary as secretary of the Chamber of Commerce. I might fur? ther add that when Mr. Reardon be? came secretary, the Chamber was in a flourishing condition, and was able to pay itB expenses, but, under Mr. Reardon's management, if not by reason thereof, the Chamber has now practically ceased to exist, except as a means of furnishing support to Mr Reardon. When .Council was asked for this appropriation!, however, after some investigation of the matter, and a hearing before Council, it was decided that before giving this money, the city must have some guarantee of value to be received for the same, and therefore, it was given upon the express condition that the secretary of the Chamber of Commerce circu? late the petition he mentioned, and have the same signed by a sufficient number of freeholders to authorize the election upon the question of the bonds. Up to the present time, I re? gret to state, the secretary of the Chamber of Commerce has failed to I have the petition so signed, though I am confident that there is very little opposition to the movement, and the only reason a sufficient number of [_ persons have not signed the petition, 1 assume, is bees use they have not been approached. A portion of Mr. Keardon's letter seems directed toward the personnel Of City Council, and the fact that the city is not run to suit Mr. Reardon. This, In my opinion, is a fact upon which the people of Sumter have a right to congratulate themselves. However, if the personnel of council is not suitable to the city at large, an easy method of altering this defect is lound in the ballot box. As to politics in the city government, I take pleasure in denying any impli? cation Mr. Reardon makes that the city of Sumter is governed by a "ring" of any sort, and I beg to state that upon Mr. Reardon's establishing by any competent and reliable proof, i that a single appointment has been made by City Council since the com? mission government has been in op oration, for political reasons or pur? poses, I will personally donate to the Chamber of Commerce of the City of Sumter the sum of Five Hundred dollars. Very respectfuly, (Signed) L. D. Jennings, Mayor of Sumter, S. C. TWO KILLED, OTHERS INJURED. Philadelphia, June 22.?Firemen Jones and Hillman were killed and a dozen injured today, when a chem? ical exploded at the Potter & Sons oil cloth works and were buried be? neath the falling wall. The fire loss it. estimated to be a hundred thousand dollars. LOSS OF EMPLOYMENT OR ILLNESS Causes wages to stop, but Expenses keep on. * 4 The wise man or woman has a bank account for such a time?Are you WISE ? 1i If not 4 per cent interest and SAFETY await your savings at our Savings De? partment. ' ? The National Bank of Sumter ESTABLISHED 1889 "SAFEST FOR YOUR SAVINGS' SUNDAY EXCURSIONS TO THE SEASHORE Round Trip Fare From SUMTER to CHARLESTON ?175 Tickets sold only for trains specified below days, limited to date of sale. Schedule Going-Leave Sumter 6.30 A. M.t Charleston 10.30 A. M. Schedules Returning?Leave Charleston 8. Arrive Sumter 12.05 A. M. For futher particulars, tickets, etc., O. V. Player, Ticket SUMTER, S. C. K.J. CRAIG, Pass. Traf. Mgr. WILMINGTON, N. I AtlanticCo i The Standard Railroi