Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-01-09
SOME. QUERIES ANSWERED.
Effect of the Swiss Town Hall System on
Public Affairs.


A reader who is in search of information
propounds the following:
To the Editor of The Dispatch:
The published statements of the reformed poll
tician, Buckley, regarding the indifference OF
voters in public affairs, has suggested considera-
tiOn of tile town hall system'' for cities. By
answering the following questions many readers
would feel obliged:
/. What is the modus operandf of the Swiss town
hall system?
2. What is its effect on public affairs?
3. Can municipality recall franchises granted to
street railway companies?
4. Can municipal ownership of street railways be
inaugurated in cities of Pennsylvania without
special legislation? x.
PITTsBURG, january.
The questions open tolerably wide field
for discussion, but one capable of being mar
rowed by the suppositio1 that our hetero-
geneous population might not respond to
the same influences that make bleak
Switzerland prosperous and happy. That
our people would not is not an argument
against the system, however. The differ
enceS in population, resources, climate, area,
etc., should be kept in view. The Swiss have
always been celebrated for their jealous
love OF liberty, and have given more force
to the motto of West Virginia, Montani
semper 1beri, than any other modern
people: When one considers that a state
one-third the size of Pennsylvania has an
export trade of about 500 COO 600 and imports
very nearly as large; that agriculture and
manufactures are both remunerative; that
schools are good, education of children COM
pulsory; that religious toleration is as freely
granted by all sects as in our own country,
and, in fact, more freely, and that though
the people speak four or five different Ian
guages yet are almost homogeneous: that
they have no standing army that the largest
city in the country is not one-fffth the size
OF Ptttsburg, counting all the immediate
ne1ghbors. Allegheny, McKeesport and
the boroughs contiguous. and finally, that
the debt of the whole country is not more
than half that of Pittsburg and all the Swiss
are usefully employed, it will be seen that
the Government which renders them pros
porous and happy might not fit Pittsburg
at all.
The canton corresponds to our city, but
ranges in size from IA to 2,744 square miles.
The cantonal constitutions are pure and
representative democracieS. In the first
the rights of sovereignty are exercised by
a general assembly of all citizens, which
meets once year, votes on lawssfiXes the
tax rate and elects cantonal officers. The
executive is called the Landroth and consists
of the cantonal officers and councillors
elected by the several political communities.
In the represen tative democracies the people
elect legislative assembly called the
Grand Council which chooses from its own
members the executive, which is called the
Little Council. In many of these cantons
where representative democracy prevails,
the people have the right of vetoing every
bill passed by the Grand Council.
1t will be seen that in the Swiss canton
the people have much more self government
than they have in Pittsburg and they use it
wisely. Would they do so here?
AS TO the third question it is tolerably safe
to suy that a Municipality cannot recall q
franchise from street railway company SO
long as the company does nothing to forfeit
the right granted. If it refuse to comply
with the conditions annexed to it's privi-
leges it may be proceeded against and char
ters. may be forfeited but the proceedings
must be legal and formal.
Regarding the fourth question, it may be
stated briefly that powers conferred on cities
and towns by their charters are merely
those necessary to empower them to govern.
The right to collect taxes, enforce necessary
laws, keep strets and sidewalks, ETC., in
order--in brief, to do what is necessary to
accomplish those objects and others not
specified in the charter of corporations
are ultra wires, and the power of corpora
tlons. such as common carriers, is sufficient
to prevent cities from getting charge OF
anything of this kind worth having, though
why city might not get power
by securing 4 controlling interest in a street
railway company's stock is not apparent
If it had control it might dictate terms.
Cities have subscribed to the stock of rail-
ways, and there seems to be no reason why
they should not get enough to control, pro-
vided they could go about it in a manner
that would prevent suspicion. 1t is needless
to say that the latter would be next to an
impOSsibili1y