The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-01-09
Letters From the People.
GERMAN MUNICIPALITY.
Immense Practical Results achieved
fifth Limited Resources.


To the Editor of the San Francisco CaIt-sIR:
Mayor Phelan's timely address to the new
Board of Supervisors on assuming the respon-
sibilities OF his high Office has happily drawn
public attention to the anomalous condition
of our municipal affairs and suggested in
cautious and conservative terms possible
remedial measures Tor the abatement OF
| notorious and nsufferable abuses. The retir-
Ing Mayor, Mr.. Sutro, in much holder terms
poInted out methods for the recovery OF the
City from the control of the corporations and
the plumber OF booders-a legacy peTchance
OF his two years of experience as the chief off,
Ger of the City. Timidity will hardly be
charged as the cause of the conservatism of
the younger man before whom lie possibilities
for usefulness and distinction which rarely
come to young man so favorably situated as
Mr.. Phelan tor attaining the objects OF q
worthy ambition. wise caution rather than
weak timidity undoubtedly induced the in
coming Mayor not to awaken hopes which he
may not see clearly how to transform into
noble achievements. And yet the public ex-
poets much of Mayor Phelan
By all for ALL by the municipality for all it
stands for, is the higher law which has been
revealed through experience for the regula-
ton and management of public affairs in
modern cities AS Mr.. Bliss has said so aptly,
1--WE have minimized the functions of the city
AS the natural and inevita Bile result he truth
tully and fearlessly asserts that american
cities are almost universally disgrace as COM
pared with the cities of England and Germany
and France" Let US turn for brief glance
at the German municipality. Under one of
the most rigid imperial governments in recent
times city government in Germany puts to
shame pretensions of our American cities.
The cities OF Germany, like those of France,
and to large extent those of Great Britain,
are governed by general system of munich
with Or H.
dltlons in few localities. This municipal
code has grown up by gradual evolution and
mas finally become successful working sys-
tenn. Space will not permit me to analyze 1t,
though 1T is simple IN structure and readily
understood. The one great underlying prin-
clplc in all cases is the municipal management
OF all public interests, generally through
municipal ownership, and always by absolute
subordination to municipal authority of all
the public utilities, every one of which is made
liberal producer of revenues with which to
pay for public improvements and provide
salaries for officials and public employees Any
abuse OF the private corporate privileges either
in excessive charges for service, in debauch-
ing officials or failure to pay literally in return
Tor the use OF their franchise toward the sup
port OF the municipal government is sure 10
result in public ownership and the total ex-
tnction of the private corporation.
One OF the most distinguishing features of
German municipal government is the length
OF the tenure of office of the few elected officials
and the large number of important offices
filled by trained men under the civil service
system, which removes the administration on
municipal affairs almost entirely out of the
domain of poliues.. Albert Shaw, in "Munici-
pal Government in Europe" page 319, in
forms us that 1.-THE Mayors of Munich, Leipsic,
Dresden, Hanover, Stuttgart Chemnitz and
various smaller cities are life incumbents.
while those of Berlin, Breslau, Cologne, Mag-
deburg, Frankfort, Konigsburg, Dusseldorf
and numerous other places ere chosen for
twelve-year terms" There are no wild strug-
ges by ode push" and the corporations, as in
San Francisco every two years, In order to
capture the city government and use the law
10 plumber the public and rob 1t OF valuable
franchises which in a few years make the
holders millionaires at the expense of the
municipality.
AS stated by Mr.. Shaw, "There are no limits
whatever to the municipal functions in Ger
man conceptions of city government. 1t is
the business of the municipality TO promote
in every possible way It's own welfare and the
welfare of its citizens" 1t even ''holds itself
responsible for providing amusement and the
means OF recreation Indeed, municipal
life in Germany has been reduced to q
science" Utility is the watchword. On page
339 we learn that Berlin has even turned its
drainage works, like its water works and gas
works into productive enterprise "The
fertilizing value Of the sewage is so great, and
the administration of the municipal farms,
embracing an area of thirty square miles, is
so superb that within q very few years the in.
vestment, which cost 10000, 600 marks, will
have become enormously profitable" Con-
trast this with the enormously expensive and
wasteiul jobbing methods of San Francisco.
Page 343-"Au German cities, with few
unimportant exceptions, now own and operate
water works which earn profits OF 10 TO 10 per
cent on investments" Page 345-"As q rule
the streets OF German cities, with the new
smooth paving, are kept in state OF envlable
cleanliness. Berlin's thoroughfares are
scrubbed and swept continually at cost of
less than 100000 year." Does San Fran
cisco hear? cit has also become the prevail
ing practice in German cities to make the re-
moval and disposal of domestic ashes and
garbage a municipal function" Page 346-
$50 far as l am aware, Dresden is the most fas-
tidiously clean of all the German cities. 1t
extends the uniform daily cleansing to a large
area ''If / should name the small sums Tor
which Hamburg, Dresden, Bremen, Dussel-
dorf, Essen and other cities obtain these re-
Suits" says Mr.. Shaw. "Americans would not
believe me-" The housing problem comes
next in order. JOSEPH AsBURY JOHNSON.
IL Essex street, January 8. 1897.