The San Francisco call., 1897-01-04
Letters From the People.
GERMAN CITIES.
american Ignorance of Their Gro,cth
and PrO0ress

american Ignorance of Their GrosctJ
and Progress.
To the Editor of the San Francisco Call-SIR
"Municipal Housekeeping" as a science ano
an art, evolved ont of the conditions of lif,
prevailing in the last half of the nineteenth
century, can for various reasons be observed
to better advantage in Germany than in any
other country. German cities, having fairly
entered upon the task of providing themselves
with modern conveniences and improvements
are accomplishing it in a more systematic
thorough and business-like manner than any
other cities, whether in Europe, America OF
Australia. To this work of modern improve.
ments the Germans seem to have brough
more of the scientific spirit and method than
any other people. Their habits of thorough.
ness in research and of patient, exhaustive
treatment of any subject in hand have fully
characterized their new progress in the arts OF
civilized life.
The words of the foregoing paragraph are
taken as they stand from the opening chapter,
page 289, of Albert Shaw's mastery survey of
municipal government in Germany, occupy
ing the second half of his Invaluable book on
"Municipal Government in Europc,' and l
most earnestly commend this book TO our
publie-spirited citizens who are studying the
subject of municipal government with view
to the adoption of a new and progressive char
ter for San Francisco. In the limited space
allotted me here it is my present purpose to try
to open the eyes OF Anne ricar Ignorance 10 the
fact that we are in our most advanced cities
tagging far behind the progress made in
German municipal government, for l still
hope that we shall lay aside our conceit and
try to learn the lessons taught by the work
done in European cities
Mr. Shaw assigns plausible reason for our
singular Ignorance of the progress made in
European municipal government: 1.-THE
guide books are all made on the supposition
that American tourists are painfully eager to
see everything OF antiquarian or historical in
terest ana that they care nothing Whatever for
Europe as the present-day home of progressive
peoples, and we fail to appreciate the force
and significance of the immense modern inn
petus that is transforming the European
cities. Most of them have an ancient or me-
dieval nucleus, but otherwise they are as new
| as our American cities, and in many respects
they are more modern and enterprising. IN
deed, there seems to be an almost unconquer-
able deluson in the popular mind that our
American cities are the only ones which show
| the phenomenon of rapid growth, and that
their newness excuses their failure TO provide
well for the common necessities OF urban life.''
In order to try TO dispel this almost uniyer-
sal delusion Mr.. Shaw devotes nearly four
pages to an exceedingly interesting compari.
| son between iorty-two German and American
| cities OF nearly equa population. from which
| select few. In 1870 New York had popu.
| lation of nearly $4,000, while Berlin had
barely SOC, 900. In 1880 Berlin had outgrowu
A
1913, ,794 to New York's ,515, ,30l and Berlin
| in the past twenty-five years has added as
many actual new residents as has Chicago
| phenomenal as the growth of Chicago ha:
| been. Mr.. Shaw next compares Hamburg and
| Boston. In 1875 Hamburg had 348. 600 popu
| lation and Boston had 342, 900. In 1890 Ham
| burg had $50, 260 and Boston 448, O0O a gain
| in fifteen years of 100000 for hamburg and
| 100 900 for Boston. Baltimore is sometime.
| likened for wealth and prosperity to Ham burg
| In the early seventies they were of equal size
| In 1890 Hamburg had 569, ,260 and Baltimore
! 434 439. Leipsic had 127 900 population ir
| 1875 and in 1890 it had 355, 600. 'It has now
well distanced San Francisco. which was con
| side erably the larger in the seventies" Mr.
! Shaw remarks. At the close of his forty-twS
| comparisons he says: '1f the figures were re
vised to extend the comparison to the yeal
| 1895 the exhibition of swift growth in the
German cities would appear still more remark
| able"
l feel constrained to give the concludins
| paragraph entire on this subject. for Mr.. Shaw
| shows so much candor and clearness in 1t tina
he is entitled TO be heard: "When one ven
| lures to suggest that the American cities ars
| mesgerly provided with the best modern fa
| cil1tes and make but sorry snow in com
| parison with Eupspean cities there comes the
unfailing reply that ours are in their infancy
| while those Of Europe are venerable with age