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(By the Press Committee of the Sedalia City Manager Organiza tion—Ira E. Melton, Chairman, Miss Jessie Blair and EF T Behrens.) City Manager Plan Will Win. It is exceedingly gratifying to the committee for the City Manager form of government to be able to report that each day brings scores of new recruits, and Tuesday was the greatest day since the campaign started. Dozens and dozens phon ed to headquarters that they have not only decided to vote for the new plan, but are going to work for the same until the last hour of the day of the election. There is no doubt in the minds of the committee that the vote on January 25 will be so very strongly for the proposition, that those vot ing “no” will be lonesome. This statement is based on reliable facts revealed to the committee from several sources within the past three days. We have had numerous inquiries from people all over town, who heard Mr. Collins in his speech at the high school, wherein he stated that he voted in the senate for the bul giving cities of the third class a right to adopt the city manager form of government, and since that time have read in a dodger over Mr. W. A. Collins’ signature that to adopt this plan would be a “dan cer’, and affords “rich picking for grafters.” Why has Mr. Collins so changed? If the law was an good one when he favored it in the senate why is it so harmful now. It is hoped that Mr. Collins will be at the Liberty theater Friday expenineg, January 20, where both sides of the question will be discussed, that he may answer these inquiries in per son. If he can not attend it is greatly desired that others who are opposed to the plan will attend and have the courage to come out in the open and give their reasons for opposition. Many citizens have said they are tired of the dictation of the political bosses and are heartily in favor of adopting the new plan, as it af fords a government for the people by the people. From all reports received from cities where city manager form of government has been adopted, not a single one has reported an in crease in taxes, but many have re ported a decrease, further mention ing that more public improve ments have been made and the cities indebtedness has been reduc ed. Many of the most substantial men and women in Sedalia regard less of their vocation, occupation or political affiliation are enthusias tically pushing the new plan, and most of the possessions of these same people are in Sedalia. Would it be reasonable to suppose that they would advocate a system of government that would not be for the best interests of all the peo ple within the city? We are trying to change the con stitution of the state of Missouri be cause it has become inadequate for present day needs. For that same reason we are trying to change the form of government for Sedalia wherein all of its inhabitants may have a voice in its government. Down with the political bosses! Let's give Sedalia a government like 259 other progressive Amer ican cities that are doing business on a big scale. Go to the polls on January 25 and vote “Yes” and be with the majority. On last November 8, a remark able civic campaign terminted in the magic city of Cleveland, Ohio, wherein a majority of over 15,009 was given the proposition to adopt its Manager form of government after a Very strenuous Campaign in which the opponent Pilt up the strongest field they could organize. Dr. Augustus Ek. Hatton of the facul ty of Western Reserve University of that city, practically managed that campaign for the City Manager advocates and was the chief speak er in its behalf and at his appear ance at the Chamber of Commerce noonday luncheon at Liberty hotel at noon on Thursday, January 19, he will tell something of his exper ience there, also in scores of other American cities in which he has helped along similar lines. The next day after that wonder ful victory a reporter for the Cleveland Plain Dealer thus pictur ed Dr. Hatton who he characteriz ed as “the central figure in Cleve land's City Manager campaign.” “Call him a reformer if you like, Ife doesn’t mind. Any man who been as successful as he has at ‘re forming’ city governments, if you term it that, doesn't have to mind. Seek him out and you'll probably find him sprawling in an easy chair. Ask him, ‘are you that Mr. Hatton, the famous municipal reformer?’ probably he will tell you: ‘“We-ell, no, Ima Hatton but I have never attempted to reform anything—I leave that to someone who isn’t quite so lazy. I'm just a plain, sim ple politician.” A. R., as this reformer is most popularly hailed, isn’t lazy as he tries to make out—that’s just his inherent modesty. Three hobbies singularize him: One is municipal government in theory; another is municipal government in practice, alias, politics; the third is city boosting. The length of his sinu ous legs comes from his trailing a plow over the roadh clods on a southern Trioane farm as a bar. A. Rh. says that to the county seat of that county there was only one un dertaker, a democrat. Then a re publican landslide caused the in stallation of a republican under taker so that republican families could have an orthodox burial. “Hatton was the central figure here in the fight for City Manager and Cleveland owes to him, more than to anyone else, her great vic tory won yesterday. He crystalizes the whole subject of this new form by saying: ‘The business-like meth od of running your city and state decently and efficiently so every one has the same benefits, the same chance.’ ”
Newspaper Details
Sedalia Democrat
Sedalia, Missouri, US
Wed, Jan 18, 1922
Page 6
Full Page
Clipped by
Charity W.
USA 24 Jun 2026
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