New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-11-03

| passed at once without any human agency into q
mechanical continuance which counted and
recorded the entire vote, and preserved the cyl
indcrs and TALES intact for twenty-five years.
This gigantic machine was mathemntlcally perfect,
| and had been tested IN every possible way: The
entire vote of the city announced within an
hour after the closing Of the polls The introduce
ton of single unregistered vote, or Of vote
| from the wrong place, would cause the machine
| room. Any voter could give his number at any
time within twenty five years, and hear his own
| vote read off by the machine. The city had
printed on It's ballots the names OF all persons
! nominated by fifty or more freeholders The
voter merely read of the names of those he
! wished TO vote for and his photograph recorded
It, The voting-tubes and the machine were
securely closed at all other times of the year
except during the three voting hours. The
register of tho city was posted. page by page in
many prominent places. for weeks before the
election, and the city had standing offer of a
reward for the discovery Of any fraudulent entry.
After few years 1t became evident that ma
chinery had triumphed and horelessly broken up
home, after dinner, long enough 10 vote, and then
went 70 the theatres. libraries or art galleries,
returning in time to hear their monographs report
the results Of the election.
The organization of the city was said by the
charter TO be for the purpose Of carrying on as
cheaply and efficiently as possible the business of
the city' The officers were expected TO give their
entire time to the city's service, and all were
salared.
The head of the government called 4" The
Mayor, but with greater powers. He sent all
nominations for heads Of certain departments 20
the legislative body, which consisted Of twenty
seven members nine Of whom were chosen once
in every two years. They were elected not from
districts, but at large, and were termed the
city legislature
The officials nominated by the president, and
elected by the legislature, were those belonging
10 what was termed the Industrial Group Of the
City Departments chief forester, the sanitary
engineer the city architect the chief railroad
fhn hoph Of t1,o f1a
gas wells, and the sewage furnaces. These were
oil trained and educated specialists, for each de-
partment worked up to within certain test limits
of error Just as the United States minis now do
The heads OF the Governing Group" of officers
the city attorney, the school superintendent and
directors, the chief librarian the head of the art
schools the insurance, banking, and fire commits
sioners, head of the tax department. chief Of
police and similar officers were elected by the
people.
The judiciary were twice elected. once by the
people, and once by the president legislature and
other elected officers assembled in council on the
following day. Usually they ratified the choice
stances where they had reversed that decision.
This being veto power required two-thirds
vote In that case the people presented new
Taxes were arranged on the basis of the Unit
of Real Estate" This unit taxed at fixed
rate, whether improved or unimproved. A fixed
amount of water and gas was furnished free to
each house-ths amount being rated as " sufficient
for the use of one family" everything above this
amount was charged AT COST OF prOuuCtlOn Inc
sewage furnaces turned in large annual revenue
TO the city. The transportation department which
included all the freight and passenger traffic had
rates of charges fixed from time 70 time by the
city Legislature. The income from this source,
added 10 the revenues of the sewage department
and the small fixed tax on the unit of real esta te,
was sufficient TO pay all the expenses OF the city
government. The city had enabled its citizens
to escape most of the indirect taxes Of the ctles
of the nineteenth century and the result was most
astonishing in the tax department. II was not
necessary TO put q dollar of tax the great
buildings, for, the city grew, the added trans
portation. at rates that lessened each year, paid
all the expenses
The Legislature had the right to raise the tax.
rate on the unit of real estate and even TO levy
a graduated tax all buildings which cost more
than S. 900. but this q right which II never
exercised. The other sources of income suf-
icient.
AS Arachne grew from population of fifty
thousand to one of half million, and, before the
close of its first century, TO more than two
millions the wisdom of its founders became more
and more manifest. 1t WAS city Of homes. of
health, of happiness. individuality had It's proper
play competition had healthful activity. but the
sense of brotherhood cultivated. and. the
powers and duties of the city grew, the service of
the city increased in honor and responsibility, and
the organization of public life became more per
feet
The evils of cities like London and New York
never existed in Arachne; there were no Sums
cries no dives and 1ance-cellars and saloons. for
the spirit OF the community did not tolerate these
things.-(C. II. Shinn, in The Argonaut.