The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-05-28
MUNICIPAL CONTROL
THE PROGRESS GERMANY HAS MADE
IN SOLVING THE PROBLEM.
Administration Put Into the Hands Of
Experts Who Arc Often Given
Life Tenure of Office.

II on purely business basis is gaining
ground surely, if slowly. and a few cities
in the country have made honest at
tempt in the new direction. DR.. Albert
Shaw presents timely apd interesting
study of THE Government of German Cit
les in the Century for June.
Municipal housekeeping" as a science
and an art, evolved out of the conditions of
life prevailing in the last half Of this CEN
fury, can be observed to better advantage
in Germany than in any other country,
says DR.. Shaw. 1t is true that the German
cities have been somewhat tardy in pro-
viding themselves with modern conven-
fences and improvements; but now having
fairly entered upon the task. they are ac-
complishing it III a more systematic, thor
ough and businesslike way than any other
cities, whether in Europe. America or
Australia
To this work of modern improvement, es-
pecially !n public appointments, the Ger
mans seem to have brought more of the
scientific spirit and method than any
other people Their habits of thoroughness
in research, and of the patient, exhaustive
treatment of any subject in hand, have
fully characterized their new progress in
the arts of civilized life
Above all, the Germans had already de-
veloped system of public administration
more economical and more infallibly eff
fective than could have been found else
where; and they were prepared, when the
growth Of their cities and the new demand
| for modern improvements made necessary
| a great increase In the number and variety
| of public functions, to do in the best pos
| sible way whatever 1t was decided to un-
| dertake. So confident were they, indeed,
fbn af7 ~Q xl@t~- <lx~~t1 s-&~~ S.x-~
| ganization that they dared to assign to the
municipalities spheres of action which else
| where have been left to private effort and
Municipal councillors in Germany, are, as
a rule, very excellent citizens. 1t Is con-
counc Member SH5 IS IS ps title e's Of dgniay
that merchants, professional men and
scholars stsl are usually eager to hold No sal
| atty is attached to refusal to serve If
| elected. The sentiment toward these posi-
Great Britain though stronger with men
/ of high education In German than in Brit
ish towns. The reelection of good coun-
countries. 1t would be difficult to esti-
mate fairly the influence of the class sys-
councils as regards their conservatism. in
| telligence and business ability. Undoubt-
edly the recent growth of the social democ-
the city Councils if the class system We're We're
abolished, and If the municipal franchise
Il
| hood suffrage that exists for purposes of
| representation in the imperial legislature.
| the Reichstag
| In addition to the magistracy and the
| Council, there is in Berlin body of about
| seventy-five so-called ''citizen deputies,
| who are selected by the Council for their
/ general fitness to serve as associates on
| committees charged with the oversight of
| various municipal interests. such as parks,
| schools the care of the poor, and the sani-
| tary service. They have no authority TO
| vote in the Council but they illustrate. at
| practice which is followed throughout the
| entire ramifcation of German city govern
| ment, of enlisting the cooperation of unof-
| fcial citizens in managing the ordinary con-
| Germs of the community.
/ BURGOMASTER AND MAGISTRATES.
| The burgomaster and magistrates are the
| most highly trained experts that German
city can secure. The burgomaster is an ex-
| pert in the general art of municipal ad-
ministration. Associated with him in the
| magisterial Council are experts in law, ex-
| perts in finance, experts in education to
| administer the schools, experts in engineer
| ing to oversee public works of every char
| aoter, experts in sanitary science, experts
| in public charity, experts in forestry and
| park management. experts in the technical
| and business management of water and gas
| supplies, and so on. The analogy would
| not be perfect, but it would answer rough
~ to compare the governmental structure
Of German city with that of a railway
| corporation, In which the board of directors
chosen by the stockholders appoint gen
eral superintendent or manager, general
passenger agent, general freight agent.
a chief legal officer. chief engineer, a
OF ana leave o bese ether
| salaried experts, drawn from the service
of various other transportation companies,
tion Of the road The shareholders repre-
sent the voters of Berlin, let us say; the
Gil; the general superintendent is the chief
burgomaster, and the general officers at
the head of departments are the magis-
trates.
The magistratsrath, or stadrath, of a Ger
man city is, then. body of distinguished
and honored, highly paid professional expert
sentatives, although experienced members
| of the body of citizen representatives may
be, and not infreduently are promoted T. to
professional civil service is vastly great
er and better established field of employ
ment In Germany than In England or
America, and 1t is particularly difficult for
an American to appreciate its position and
city is usually some well-known citizen who
is called temporarily from private life to
occupy the most authoritative place in the
municipality. The burgomaster of a Ger
man city is a civil servant-the permanent
head of a permanent body of trained Off
Gals. The difference between the two is
somewhat like that between our Secretary
OF War and the general commanding the
| army.
| ADMINISTRATION BY EXPERTS.
Inc Mayor or head or the municipality
in some cities called the oberburgermeister
and in simply the burgermeister-is
the general manager Of the whole mechan-
ism of administration, and usually the guild
ing spirit well in the economic policies
of the municipality. He may feel that sue
cess in the management of smaller city
will perhaps be rewarded by the prize OF
the mayoralty of a greater one Thus the
late DR.. Forckenbeck, Mayor of Berlin,
had made his reputation as Mayor of Bres-
lau, and was called to fill a vacancy in
| the same position at the capital. Many
cities appoint their Mayor for life, and
some make a trial appointment for term
of years. and then grant life lea
The tenure OF the paid magistrates in
genera lIollows that of the mayors, and
the chief of the municipality commonly
give them also TO the expert professional
| element among his associates. while limit
ing the unpaid magistrates 10 terms COR
responding with those of the popularity
| elected councillors. Duties so well dis
| tributed among the magistrates that there
results the highest type of executive eff
waste of energy, New departments of adj
ministration may either be assigned to the
| portfolios of existing magistrates or may
be provided for by the appointment OF adj
| dtional members. Thus the magistratsrath
is sufficiently flexible TO respond 10 the
/ changing circumstances of city, and the
presence of it's unsalaried citizen members
the spirit of the community. II should fur
Their be said that in the details of admins
| tration the magistrates have the co-opera-
ton in various ways of numerous unoffi-