The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-01-18
The Proposed street Commission.


will recommend, after reflection, that
we are on the eve ofscry stalking our affairs
into desirable form. l have argued
very strenuously for the conditions that
Mr.. Peters suggests, with this exception,
namely, that 1 would not transfer the
annual spring election fight and motive
for control of street com missioner to
that of city engineer in charge Of the
consolidated departments of streets and
sewers, but l would place the RESPONSE
bility directly upon the Mayor that he
should appoint a man eE2inently fitted
to discharge the duties of that office,
who in our form of government is more
likely to consider the whole welfare OF
the whole city, and less likely to listen
to the demands that private interests
might make for city engineer of their
selection? With sufficient responsibility
upon our Mayor, he will study carefully
the conditions under which his admin
jstraiton will serve the whole people
and raise him in their esteem.
This is the basis that is giving Boston
superior mayors; mayors, whose views
and actions we have been proud to
quote; mayors, that by the reformed
ial power of appointing all heads of de-
partments, and those heads the power to
appoint their su bordinates. 1t is
scheme of individual responsibility, and
near to the people. l might be quoted
from various articles where had fav-
ored this so-called one-headed commits
sion plan, and even quite recently l ar
gued for it as follows in the Lewiston
journal:
The administration of the modern
large city is, with its streets, bridges,
sewers, water, gas and street car service,
its public buildings, etc., chiefly All EN-
cheering problem, and may, according
to its size, require the services of several
engineers, each in charge of a depart
ment But our Maine cities are scarcely
large enough to warrant this, and l
have felt and argued in favor of placing
such departments under one engineer,
whose fitness has been attested both by
technical education and experience,
giving him the privilege of selecting his
subordinates. This, by many, is
thought to place too much power in the
hands of one man, but an executive
officer is entitled to power if be is to
be held responsible, and, furthermore, L
can conceive of no method that offers
bstter guarantee than the motive that
professional man must have to main
Eain or increase his reputation. He
knows very well that he cannot obtain
full days work from the man who has
already done, and is further pledged to
additional political hustling. and hence
political favoritism is not likely TO be
Dart of his method. The municipal en-
aineers' work is matter of record, and
subject to comparison with that of other
clJies, and ne must offer a satisfactory
EXPLANATION if he falls below the stand
ards of economy in work.
1t has been asked why I now urge
upon the city government the three
headed commission, and | am prepared
TO answer why. In the first place it is
not the three-headed commission OF the
tpye that Mr. Peters cites Mayor Curtis
and Mayor Matthews as invelgh1pg
against. Mr.. Peters quotes the Boston
mayors in regard to three and five head
ed commissions as follows:
"The street department in Boston is
already under the control OF single
head, SO it is not necessary to interfere
with it, but in the other executive de-
partments, like the fire department,
public institutions, and water board, 1t
Is proposed to abolI sh the commissions
and place each under single responsl-
BILE head "The reason for this Is given
By Mayor Curtis to the effect that, in
every commission of three persons there
is danger that some one mind stronger
tn an the others will govern, and yet the
responsibility is so divided that 1t Is I'M
posi- bic to hold one OF the three respon-
ST BILE for the acts of the whole mum Der.
"Mayor Matthews says, in colncIdIng
with this view: While it is more diff
cult to suggest the remedy than to point
out the evil, it is impossible IN my op!n-
ion, to dispute successfully the general
proposition that the work of depart
msnt purely executive in
character, is better and more economl-
caIly performed when Entrusted to SIN
gle head directly responsible to the may
or than when vested in a board of three
commissioners
The Portland plan, to large and
sufficient degree, l believe escapes the
criticism of both these mayors, or at all
events, I would accept either of them as
a board Of reference in the matter. Our
plan especially provides that one mind
shall be stronger than the Others, mas
much as he is required to be specialist
upon the subjects entrusted to this COM
mission, and he is one of them and also
the executive officer for carrying out the
pluns of that commission. The earnest
ness of the engineer, with his reputation
at stake, will certainly find his views
sustained by one or the other of the
commissioners. This feature of our COM
mission does locate the desired respon-
sibility, and it puts it upon the city en-
gineer, whose duty it will be to control,
and and whose opportunity, | believe,
to be sufficient for it. II he is voted
down as TO some policy or management
of work, by the two otner mem bers,
which come each from one of the two
dominant political parties, the chances
are that he may be wrong; but he has
simply to record his vote to locate the
responsibility, and the people can judge
and provide for the bouncing of one the
next year. .u
MayorMatthews, according to the bove,
cannot be fairly quoted as condemning
all features of commissions, and l be-
lieve he can be more safely quoted as
seeking a remedy, if possible, for some
of their bad features.
Another motive for my change of front
was out of Difference to the opinion of
men equally AS earnest as myself for
this reform, and who thought the peo-
pie would be better satisfied with COM
mission of three, one the city engineer
and chairman and executive officer, and
one each from the two dominant poiiti-
cal parties. I subscribed to it because
/ believe the practical working of it is
equivalent to my old plan for a CONSOLE
dation of the two departments under the
city engineer appointed by the mayor,
and the engineer empowered to select
his su bordinates.
IL Mr.. Peters and Mr. Randall and the