The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-10-25
Sentiments of Prominent Citizens on
the Subject.

the desirability Of administering city affairs
by a permanent board instead of by con
stahtly changing committees Of the city
council; but as property owners objected t.
the idea, and as no one stood up for 1t, tht
matter was dropped; and for this reason the
interests of the city had suffered. Hence hi
believes in commission now.
| AS those present wished to hear deserip
tion Of the proposed commission by Its
friends, Councilman Stevens read the
following plan. which Is based on the scheme
adopted by the city of Lowell. Mass:
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS OF PUBLIC WORKS
| FoRcnY OF PORTLAND.
To consist of three members appointed BY
Mayor ana Aldermen, or by Governor of State, OF
One member appointed for three years, one fol
| Two years and one Tor one year. subsequent ap
| pointments for three years ensuring always tive
| experienced members of the board.
First member appointed for three years to be
| chairman OF commission; to devote his whole
time to the work and TO be paid an adequate sal
| sry. Other members such salaries as may be de-
Board to have full control of all public works
ouly authorized by City Government, such as lay
sTectoS as 1enar o SPbc
construction and regair OF sewers, drains, side.
walks, bridges ETC., location and erection of
grounds, squares. parks and prom -nades.
Board TO have powers now given to the various
committees OF the City Government OF the de-
partments ofpublic works.
Mr.. Stevens further stated that such COM
missions as this one have been adopted by
number Of Western cities. st. Paul has
commission of six and Duluth and Provi-
dence each have one with four members.
He heartily favored the idea.
Alderman McClutchy wished to know II
n unn hoA hnnN rfrrar. L..
the newspapers, whereupon the chairman
read again the advertised call.
Mr.. Corey rose again to suggest that part
OF the duties OF commission should be to
within the fire limits, to which the chairman
answered that the joint cOmmittee wished
TO hear what duties the citizens would want
a commission to perform.
Mr. l.. A. Goudy then gave his views on
the subject, speaking from an experience of
twenty years as citizen of Portland. IL,
during that time the city had had a commits
sion Of public works Ii would be better off
now. He could show this by reference to
the history Of the administration OF other
cities. notably Philadelphia. That city,
which formerly entrusted its business TO
committees, now has single director Of
public works His report for 1889 shows
that under the new system very large re-
ductiOn OF expenditures has been made. Seth
Low, too, when mayor of Brooklyn. instl-
large sums, for instance, 25 per cent on grad
ing, paving, cleaning the streets and collect
oifal, $1,000 in one year on the latter Item
alone. We know, Mr.. Goudy said, that more
business when IL is conducted by few per-
sons than when II is conducted by
many; the fewer the heads the
better the results. So II one or two or three
men, properly paid, should be given the
charge Of our public works we should get
better results than we do now.
Mr.. L. ). Laughlin saw no reason why the
city would not be benefited under commits
sion for public works.
Alderman McClutchy. from lack of time,
had not given the question much thought,
but he believed 1t would be good idea II a
commission, acting as agents of the City
Council, should attend to public works, pro-
vided, however, that It should not have pow
er over the awarding OF contracts.
Councilman Gallagher, when requested to
give his views. stated that he had come to
listen, not TO speak.
Councilman Jordan deemed the move ad-
visable, as 1t would place the affairs of the
city on a true basis of economy, putting
them outside OF political influence. Though
he gave good deal of his time 10 committee
work he realized that at best a councilman
could not find enough time outside his own
business TO attend carefully to all details of
public works assigned to him. Streets and
sewers could be attended to more advau-
tageOusly by board than by CO nmittees OF
the City Council, as technical knowledge Of
ten not possessed by them Is required. Re-
ferring to compensation for such superln-
tendence rs Is given by committees, he said
that what time he had devoted to his special
departments would be worth in any other
business $1,000 year. He himself could
hardly afford without pay to do so much
work as In the last three years he had done
for the city.
City Clerk Burgess who was asked for his
opinion. said that every year the auditor
sent to other cities $50 reports, In return for
which he received about the same number.
ln looking over these reports MIR. Burgess
had noted great changes in the administ "a
tion Of other cities. For Instance in Port
land the mayor has the power Of vetOing
bill and Of appointing certain officers while
In Quincy, Mass, the mayor appoints almost
every officer except the city clerk. Smaller
cities like Waltham have dispensed with the
common council and are trying 10 transfer
work from committees to permanent COM
missioners, such as those in vogue in the
West.
To show the advantages Of commission,
Mr.. burgess read an extract from the recent
Inaugural address Of Hon. Chas. ID. Palmer,
mayor OF Lowell, Mass. 1t is as follows:
The principal fe e,ture OF this bill [proyiding for
a commission1 was the placing the departments
OF streets, sewers. public buildings. ana eommOus
de- control of three commissioners. who should
be responsible TO ihe Council for the proper dis
the legislature of 1889, referred to the legIs-
lature OF 1890, it might be advisable for mem
ize themselves @ WIIh the suSIrct and deed. what
action II any, should be taken by the City Coun-
Gil. There are many reasons why change OF
system Is needed in the conduct OF municipal
business. Some OF them, briefly stated, are as
follows:
First-Under the present system. the working
departments of the city are never entirely free
| from political control. Necessary work Is oeca-
slonally neglected, while work less pressing Is
authorized by department committees. In re-
spOnse to political or sectional pressure. Aud
this pressure Is so strong and so powerful that to
ignore 1t Is practically impossible. A board OF
public works, responsible only to lhe City Council
uld b, less susceptible TO partisan and to sec
tional influence.
Second at present the work of one depart.
without reference 10. the others. and instances
have been known where one department
undoes the wVrK OF another. For Instance
the street department may repair a street, and 4
short time atterward The sewer department. viii
tear up that street to lay sewer, ana the street
surface, but lately so carefully repaired Is only
incompleIely restored. The consolidation OF the
departments would render such occurrences i'm
possible
Third-This lack of cooperation between The
departments causes the city unnecessary expens,
IN the matter Of employing labor and of obtaininI
.sp .supDIi,ss. consolidation would effect economy ii
| FOURTH There are occasionally cases of vex
/ allouS procrastlnati0n, and sometimes Of open
Dppos,on oy suoordinates in carrying OUT Ihe
Il sRf.g
Inls would be less likely to hap en under board
whose authority would be prOportonate 10 its
| augmented responsibility. "a.
fdth-Cummittees often devote TO the eltS
more time than they can really afford, yet tsSSs Ss
are sometimes unable 10 give the Guys Mi MoLn ~ ny
| time IL absolutely requires. cOhhlsg,iiogn sg,igtne
honest, experienced, intelligent men, u
them OF their executive funelous woulJ ,,b sd
Them more time for prudent Legislation, WI II i.
vantage TO both departments. No ranr,st
hardly judleiuus thai the body wheh apPi a. "a
money should also be tine one 10 eApenu ~ ~, o. ot
for this reason as well as others, the d he
ne legislative and executive functions Woui" O0
| beneficial to thecny. ..,,,..s ho,vave,.
Sixih-AJ present our eohn1iviT eo1,is ins,xnsy,enced
aud always temporary bodies, Naturally ye,ss sasy
tbon 90 future needs, and inevitably
saopt a makv-shlit policy dnassSso instead :. vi y,
| ,SS,,.,', ~ work board Of public works. DelhB
Comparatively permanent and soon ACQUIRING ,sI, sns
| ,,,is.r ~ an1 better business methods than tempo
raTy ana inexperienced committees.
To illustrate the benefits OF commission
~ an