Page:The Name of William M. Tugman Added to Honor Roll.djvu/2

338 stitute of Technology. After his graduation in 1914 Mr. Tugman crowded in a lot of reporting experience on the Providence Journal, the New Bedford Standard, and the Springfield Republican. After a stretch in the artillery during World War I he prepared himself still further for his leadership on problems of government by covering city hall and public affairs on the Cleveland Plain Dealer from 1919 to 1927.

Brought here as managing editor from Cleveland in 1927 by Alton F. Baker, editor and publisher of the Eugene Guard, also from the Plain Dealer, Mr. Tugman began a critical study of tax and debt structures of city, schools, and county. This study became a continuing project, which he has never abandoned, with the result that he is a recognized authority in that field His leadership in public financing is recognized as vital in the long campaign which has pulled Eugene, in particular, out of the deep slough of debt into which the city had been plunged—as it seemed, hopelessly.

Mr. Tugman's tenure as managing editor in Eugene began just eight days before Charles A. Lindbergh first emphasized the compact smallness of the world by making the first solo flight across the Atlantic.

In his first year the new editor indicated the breadth and depth of his journalistic leadership. In that period he: 1) barged right into a difficult and dangerous personnel situation which was reducing seriously the efficiency of Eugene's city schools; 2) urged passage of $240,000 school budget; 3) suggested cash basis to schools to eliminate high warrant interest ($9,000 in annual budget); 4) pointed out, in advance of budget election, that the school board was justified in interpreting an adverse vote as a mandate to curtail service; 5) supported school board in proposed "housecleaning" to eliminate warring elements in school administration; 6) supported $1,250,000 bond issue to expand city power plant; 7) opposed issuance of bonds for small city bridges; 8) took a stand against endangering city credit by haphazard financing; 9) waged campaign against "bancrofting" which left city with $1,500,000 in Bancroft improvement bonds on its hands; 10) warned against overlapping of local governmental agencies; 11) wrote repeated editorials explaining city-manager plan and calling attention to municipal