One of the oldest and most ardent campaigners for a proportional representation, city manager system of government for Cambridge, Dean James M. Landis of the Law School feels "sanguine" that local voters will put Cambridge to a drastic streamlining at the polls next November.

As chairman of the Cambridge Committee for Plan E, Dean Landis was instrumental in placing the proposal for a new city charter before the Cambridge voters in 1938. Though he is playing a less active part during the present campaign, he still keeps his fingers in the municipal political soup, directing his organization and giving speeches before local groups.

Cambridge "Creaks"

Cambridge is wider awake than ever before to the inadequacies of its government, Dean Landis asserted in an interview yesterday. "The increased responsibilities that we have placed on the old municipal mechanism has made the machine creak. Regardless of the personalities in control, the Cambridge government is unable to handle present-day problems."

Expecting a large turnout of independent voters for the presidential election, Dean Landis hopes for a clear majority in favor of Plan E. In 1938, the plan was rejected by the slim margin of 1,760 votes.

The Plan E Committee believes that Cambridge's only hope of solving its fiscal problems lies in adopting the new charter. According to Dean Landis, "the only cities of substantial size which have shown improvement in their handling of municipal affairs are those which have governments similar to those provided for in Plan E."

Explaining the proposed charter's provisions, Dean Landis said that under Plan E a city council elected by proportional representation would hire a city manager who would be in sole charge of appointments and in running the city services. The mayor, whom the council would choose from one of their number, would preside at council meetings and would be the ceremonial head of the government.

Claims Republicans Disenfranchised

An enthusiastic exponent of proportional representation, the Law School dean charged that under the present system large numbers of Cambridge voters are disenfranchised. In normally Republican wards, he pointed out, Democrats are selecting the city councillors.

"Proportional representation tends to bring in men who represent city-wide interests" instead of party wheel-horses, Dean Landis indicated. Under the proposed system, the principal groups in a city are represented according to their numbers.

"But proportional representation without a shift in the other parts of government is like putting a super-charged engine on an old machine," Dean Landis asserted.