The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-06-15
rhn Goycrnmcnt of Chattanooga.

",Tbe government of Chattanooga,
Tenn, furnishes an apt illustration Oh
the evil effects of state interference
with a municipality" was the opening
abatement of George w. Ochs paper on
the municipal condition OF the cNy lie
represented. "It also clearly Demon
strates that 1t is not so much the con-
crete law as proper spirit among the
authorities that produces the best re-
sults in a city administration. AT each
successiye session of the state legis-
lation for the past fifteen years the
citv charter has been changed so that
tt Is now little less than crazy-qulit
patchwork of enactmenltS. AL present
we have two state executive boards, the
no,ice commission and the board or
public works, both appointed by the
Governor. The city legislative body
consists of mayor and aldermen, the
latter two from each ward, eight beihg
chosen each year to serve 1or Two
wars Through legislative interfer-
ence the mayor is stripped of all execu-
tive power. having only suspensory
veto which can be annulled by ma
iortty of the aldermen. He has no ap-
nointive powers. All the city officials,
EXCEPT the engineer and street force
are elected by the aldermen annually.
"Public sentiment has been crystal
lizing for some time toward local SELL
government; an effort was made at the
racent session of the Legislature to
abolish the board of public works, but
II was defeated by interested partisans.
| The propaganda that this national as
| sociation has so brilliantly inaugurateo
can direct its energies to no end
| that will be of more practical good than
| to promote movement to stop all
charter rtinkerng by state legislatures.
| New York has started the ball rolling
| by giving the mayor fifteen days sus-
pensory vote, and classifying cities. III
charter changes were made general IN
each state, a local member or q squad
| of politicians could not mould charter
amendments like wax, for there would
he too many cities concerned
Mr.. Ochs next reviewed the baneful
effects of delegating to the board of
aldermen the election of city officers,
because in a close result politically, a
deadlock lasted for more than two
months. being finally broken only by
the courts. On all accounts he assert
ed that the appointive power should be
centralized in the mayor so as to Sc
cure strict accountability. Right
here" he remarked. "it should be noted
that true municipal reform can result
only from the good citizenship of good
citizens and not from legal theories, or
Legislative enactment. Put good men
in office and you will have good gov
ernment whether your municipal laws
he good or bad" This he illustrated by
showing that during the financial
strlngency of last year IS per cent. OF
Chattanooga's floating debt was wiped
out in the twelve months without rails
ing the tax levy and the actual ex-
| penses of the city were reduced q pei
cent per annum Moreover, In SIX
months next following the tax levy
was lowered, the floating debt wiped
out and a further reduction In city ex-
penses, amounting to over so per cent
in two years, was mades How was
this accomplished? BY those in au.
thority devoting personal, conscien.
tlous attention to the affairs Of the cor.
poration, by giving its business the
same scrutiny, the same thought and
consideration that they gave to pri.
waite and personal concerns In 1S9.
we had twenty-three officials to per.
form certain functions of the city's