Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1894-10-05

A PROBLEM SOLVED.
PROGRESS MADE BY GERMANY IN MI.
NICIPAL GOVERNMENT.
Councillors Are Excellent Citizens and Serve
without Experimentation Put Into
the Hands of Experts, Who Are Often
Chosen For Life.
Municipal housekeeping as a science
and an art evolved out of the conditions
OF life prevailing i'll the last half OF
this century can be observed to better
advantage in Germany than in any 9th
er country. It is true that the German
cities have been somewhat tardy III pro-
viding themselves with modern conven-
fences and improvements, but now nav
ing fairly entered upon the task they
are accomplishing it in more system
attic, thorough and businesslike way
than any other cities, whether i'll Eu-
rope; America or Australia.
To this work of modern improve
ment, especially in public appoint
ments, the Germans seem to have
brought more Of the scientific spirit and
method than any other people. Their
habits Of thoroughness in research and
of patient, exhaustive treatment Of any
subject in hand have fully characterized
their progress in the arts of civilized
life. Above all, the Germans had already
developed a system Of public admins
tratiOn more economical and more in
fallibly effective than could have been
found elsewhere, and they were prepar-
ed when the growth of their cities and
the new demand for modern improve
ments made necessary great increase
in the number and variety of public
functions to do in the best possible way
whatever it was decided to undertake.
So confident were they indeed in the
efficiency of their administrative organ
ization that they dared to assign to the
municipalities spheres Of action which
elsewhere have been left to private eff
fort and control.
Municipal councillors in Germany are,
as rule, very excellent citizens. 1t is
considered a high honor to be elected to
the council. Membership is title of
dignity that merchants, professional
men and scholars are usually eager to
hold No salaries are paid to the coun-
cilors, and penalty is attached to re-
fusal to serve if elected. The sentiment
toward these positions is much the same
in Germany as in Great Britain, though
stronger with men Of high education
in German than in British towns The
reelection Of good councillors term after
term is common in both countries. It
would be difficult to estimate fairly the
influence Of the class system in Prussia
upon the character Of city councils as
regards their conservatism, intelligence
and business ability. Undoubtedly the
recent growth of the social democracy
would have sharper influence upon
the city councils if the class system
were abolished and if the municipal
franchise were made identical with the
simple manhood suffrage that exists for
purposes of representation in the i'm
perial legislature-th reichstag.
In addition to the magistracy and the
council, there is in Berlin body of
about rs SO called 'tcitizen deputies, -
who are selected by the council for their
general fitness to serve as associates Oh
committees charged with the oversight
of various municipal interests, such as
parks, schools, the care of the poor and
the sanitary services. They have no
authority to vote in tho council, but
they illustrate, at the center of admin
istration, the excellent practice which
is followed throughout the entire rami-
fication of German city government, of
enlisting the cooperation of unofficial
citizens in managing the ordinary con-
Germs of the community.
The burgomaster and magistrates are
the most highly trained experts that
German city can secure. The burgomas
ter is an expert in the general art Of
municipal administration. Associated
with him in the magisterial council are
experts in law, experts in finance ex-
perts in education to administer the
schools, experts in engineering to over
see public works of every character, ex-
perts in sanitary science, experts in pub
lie 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 roughly 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 a general
superintendent or manager, a general
passenger agent, a general freight agent,
a chief legal officer, q chief engineer,
superintendent of motive power and
other general officers and leave to these
high salaried experts, drawn from the
service Of various other transportation
companies, almost the entire manage
ment and operation of the road. The
shareholders represent the voters Of Ber-
lin, let us say, the board of directors
are the municipal council, the general
superintendent is the chief burgomaster,
and the general officers at the head Of
departments are the magistrates.
The magistratsratb, or stadtrath, of
German city is, then, q body of dis
tinguished and honored, highly paid,
professional, expert employees and not
body of citizen representatives, al
though experienced members of the body
Of citizen representatives may be, and
not infrequently are, promoted to mem
bership in the magistratsrath. The pro-
fessional civil service is vastly greater
and better established field of employ
ment in Germany than in England or
America, and it is particularly difficult
for an American to appreciate its posi-
ton and significance. The mayor of an
American city is usually some well
known citizen who is called temporari-
ly from private life to occupy the most
authoritative place in the corporation
The burgomaster Of German city is q
civil servant-the permanent head Of a
permanent body Of trained official
The difference between the two is some
what like that between our secretary o.
war and the general commanding the
army.-Dr. Albert Shaw in Century.
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