The San Francisco call., 1896-12-25
Letters From the People.
MUNICIPALITY OF PARIS.
Our Oscn City Government Ferry Crude
in tonaparis0n.

Our OsUn Ctfy Gorernmont teTD CTHue
ia 6omparisOn.
To the Editor of the San francisco Cdlt-sIR:
formidable barrier to progress in the de-
velopment of good and equitable system
which will insure the comfort of the people
and the security of life and property In our
American cities is the astonishing Ignorance
which prevails in every community or the
vast achievements made in recent years In the
management of municipal affairs in european
cities, though our conceit is great barrier,
too. But l hope we are outgrowing our con-
ceit and may displace our Ignorance Dy can
did study of the methods in use in such cities
as Glasgow and Paris London and Berlin,
where the pro blems which confront US to-day
were old when San Francisco was rude adobe
pueblo.
"Municipal Government in Continental Eu-
rope" is the title of book of sos octave pages
by Albert Shaw, published by the Century
Company, New York, in 1895, which is des-
tined to exert widespread influence in mold
ing and developing the character OF American
cities. "Paris: The Typical Modern City," is
the title of the first chapter, which taxes up
145 OF the ample pages OF this DooK. In the
compass OF few newspaper paragraphs can
only point out some of the most notable OBJ
jects IN such broad field OF inquiry In the
hope that it may spur the public-spirlted men
and women OF San Francisco who are now
alive to the fact that municipal government
is the vital problem before our country ana
demands thorough and comprehensive solu-
ton to make close study of this book
Mr. Shaw remarks in the preface, p. b, that
municipal Government, from Scotland TO
Hungary, is exalting the bacteriologlst ana
the sanitary inspector, fostering the kinder
garten and the technical school, and fnqu1rfng
anxiously about the housing of the people"
In other words, "municipal government In
Europe is no longer synonym for brute
force applied to the repression OF the iaWless
elements, but has become a humane influence
for the elevation of the unfortunate under
stratum of society, and Is growing more hu-
name as added years OF experience more
clearly demonstrate the wisdom and value OF
such course in securing the best results botn
in the repl ession of crime and in eliminating
the criminal element. 1t is probable that
Paris leads all the cities of the world In the
multitude of Its deft and delicate methods OF
appealing to the sympathies OF the more fortu-
nate and prosperous to use the agencies OF the
city as a fos tering providence to improve the
condition OF the poor.
1t is not possible to give even an outline
here of the complex but wonderfully efficient
police system of Paris, deservedly famous the
world over for its ability to detect crime and
protect life and property; nor to set forth the
marvellous work OF the city In the manage
ment OF the streets, the boulevards and the
parks and the means OF transit; nor to deal
with the educational system, which EN- braces
the kindergarten, the grammar and high
schools, the technical and night schools, the
colleges and art schools, the universities and
the libraries, and l must confne myself to
some of the most notable results of these null
titudinous agencies which go to make up the
municipal government OF Paris. But may
not pass unnoticed what Mr.. Shaw regards as
"the most essential factor in the municipal
life of Paris,' which he says sis not the project
who wieIdS the executive authority, nor the
municipal council, with its power to control
policies and 10 pass upon the details OF O min
utely analyzed financial budget. There can
be nc apprehension, however faint, of the
government of Paris which does not take into
account the superb permanent organization OF
the civil-service system" "Prefects may come
and go, ministries may change with the sea-
sons and municipal councils may debate and
harangue, but the splendid administrative
machine moves steadily on" "the real unity
and continuity OF the Paris municipality"
The school system of Paris, as Mr.. Shaw ex-
plains, with its almost unrivaled adaptation
to The demands OF real life, furnishes con-
slant stream of suita pie applicants for places
in the lower grades OF the municipal civil SER
vice." and "the higher grades and branches of
the public service draw upon the splendid
series OF municipal and n ational technical
and professional schools, which train men for
every special department of municipal activ-
ity. Removals from the service are not made
upon arbitrary grounds and political consid-
erations have nothing to do with municipal
employment, while faithful continuance in
the public service is rewarded ultimately by
retirement on life PENSIONS" One result is an
almost ideal public service.
With a few brief notes l must close at the
very opening of my story. note in passing
that Paris has police force oil q bout 5000 men,
all of whom entered the service after special
training and thorough competitive civil ser
vice examination, with thirty or forty candi-
dates for every. vacancy. Large revenues are
derived from the water, lighting and street
transit service. "For ten years past the annual
payment to the city by the gas company for its
franchise privileges has been about20, ,000, 900
francs," or $40, 600, 900 in ten years. and the
price of gas to consumers is rigidly fixed by
the city and is supplied at cost for puDlic use.
What does San Francisco think of that?
pass the water service, the street service
and the wonderful sewer service to refer to
the schools promising that Paris covers 49,.
which is a population OF 2,500,000. The
rescue, maintenance and proper instruction of
friendless children is perhaps the most re-
markable function OF the publlc-school sys-
tenn, in which the State as well as the city par
tcipates. A special fund is provided for this
purpose, a tax of 10 per cent on the cost OF all
theater tickets and the gross revenue Of ali
places of amusement yielding yearly income
OF three or four million francs and the munici-
pal council appropriating anaverage of20 ,000,-
900 francs toward this fund. The physical and
mental development of these friendless chill
dren is the special care of the municipality.
"Education between the ages and Ia has
1881, and also perfectly free, including books
and all other materials" Moreover, there are
about 200 free "maternal schools" in Paris
with from fifty to sixty thousand little pupils
in them under years OF age. In addition to
this there are ''garderies" for small children
during the day, some OF which take charge of
the children from morning till night In the
public schools generally the city provides
warm noon meals at school for poor children.
But lay down reluctant pen. Let us learn
something of Paris.
JOSEPH AsBURY JOHNSON.
San Francisco, Dec 20, 1896.