New-York tribune., 1894-10-29

cities with its clean and spacious streets. penti-
full parks and fine public buildings 1t is gov
erned by three commissioners. one or whom Is an
officer Of the Army. All legislation is done
bv Congress but the commission executes the
laws and manages all departments. II is the
best-pavel city in the Union. and the ordinances
o,o most excellent ana are generally enforced.
American cities are usually cursed with bosses.
governing through puppets for the benefit OF Their
noli,ical organization and not for the good oi
taxpayers and residents. A competent fearless
and honest man serving as Mayor Is wanted III
nearly every town. and without such an official
good government Is impossible. Homes; ana COM
netert legislators must also be substituted for
venal and boss-ridder boards OF aldermen ana
there is no hope for improvement until propor-
tonate representation is established in the inter-
est of minorities and citizens vote for the best
men without regard for party.
The abuse of municipal credit and the reck-
lessness with which Indebtedness is incurred by
American cities are cOntrasted with the con-
servatism with which the finances Of European
cities are ordered Leroy Beaulieu is quoted as
antic!pating a period Ia the near future when
the revenue of European cities viii be collected
from such sources as the rent OF puolc mans
and markets. slaughter-houses. waterWorKs'
gasworks public cOnveyances. etc The muihc!-
pal gasworks in German cities are an eXceIleht
investment about IS per cent Of the eXpenul' uies
or Berlin being raised from the sale OF gas. III
American cities the improvident olspoSaI oI
cra,cbises accounts to some extent for the enor-
nous municipal debts. In the city or NeW-h orh
alone If the franchises for surface railways
stages and ferries had been granted FOR an aue-
ouate sum. it would hardly he necessary al pres
ent 10 pay taxes for the support OF the ci'y gov
eminent MunicpaliZation is JudiciouSI! con-
sidered bv the author and the examples of Euro
pear cities like Glasgow are recommended as
soon as respectable cit!zena vote together III
sufficient numbers to ecc; a better class OF men
to office strong chapter on election laws ana
apother on various remedies for existing cVl.s
hiring this useful little volume to a close. II y
hardly nrobable that any reader will fird him.
self in agreement with the author in all detalis'
hut II is not possbe for any citizen TO study THIS
hook with celebration and painstaklnS care
without being deeply impressed with the maGhi-
,ude Of the educational work II be done before
the government of American cities can be raised
to as high level Of efficiency as European
cities.
The satire entitled The Boss can only he re-
garded as A foil fer the excellent Work "hch We
have been considering. 1t is labored attempt
TO rewrite Machiaveli for the benefit oi a New
York political boss. If there were WI III H. ue'e
might be justification for the performances p"'
stepped as II is in cyncism ana pesSihS'"' l.
has the flavor of bag Of salt after vinegar
bath Perhaps the most acute remark III Il -
that relating to the appointment oi N'Ilec'o' ~
Internal Revenue for New-1ork chafe'u WIN
the dutv Of imposing the new income tax: no
po,,an nroconsul or prefect no Persian satrap
or Turkish pacha. ever had such opportunities
! ,-olFa off cor
he could very easily make his revenue exceed
that of the boss himself. NO sacrifice can be
700 great for the boss to make in order to secure
control of this appointment; not mercy that ne
NAV participate in its emoume nts. but espe-
cially that he may avert the ruin that "ou'u
come upon him were he compelled TO reveal 'he
sources Of his revenue.