San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1897-07-01
CITY TOPICS.
REFORM CITY GOVERNMENT.

RETURN Sl1l NONGn-NEhG->A
In cities where the most complete
municipal reform has been inaugural.
ed, mo civil service examination is
necessary for entrance into the cieri-
cal or labor force, appointments and
removals being made by their superior
officers or committees. All assign
ments to duty are temporary, and II
found untitled the men are dropped
without question. Laborers are taken
on or off as needed, but permanence
is the rule" We quote from maya
zine article descriptive of a model
European city. A city where the Off
Gals are elected by popular franchise.
While no civil service is required
to enter the clerical or labor force OF
our city, these employments are claim
ed as spoils of war, as rewards for
faithful service at the election. 1t has
been so and it is so today. The result
is that any deviation from the rule
brings down upon the devoted head of
Mayor Callaghan the maledictions of
his erstwhile supporters. Mayor Cal
friendship to his supporters, but also
for his independence when the public
good demands better service than given
by even his staunchest supporters. I'm
der our present condition of municipal
politics, it requires a stubborn execu-
tive to brave the storm raised by as
humble laborer as delves for the city,
if dropped or discharged from employ
ment. They all claim the credit of
making the mayor, and declare they
can unmake him when the occasion
arises. The rule quoted above should
be the one to guide a city government.
1t is a government created by the peo-
pie for the general benefit; it is not
machine to be kept in motion by public
patronage and public plumber. Mayor
Callaghan expresses a determination
to secure efficiency in the transaction
of the public business. That he has
gone outside of the ranks of his pOliti
cal supporters to secure efficiency,
may be cause for complaint on the
part of the faithful but the public will
not feel bad about it. An important
step in the right direction of reform
would be the divorce of all minor posi-
tons and employments from the shift
ing possibilities of our biennial cleo
tons.
No member has any privileges on
railway or public conveyance of any
sort, even on the tramways belonging
to the city, or admission to a theatre
or entertainment, and none is per-
mitted to vote on a question when he
has a personal interest. He is subject
to a fine of 80 pounds ($246.25) with loss
of office, if he enters into any contract
with the city, or sells an article OF
even the smallest value to the council,
or to any subsidiary or associated COM
mittee. So strictly is this observed
that a member of a committee, sus-
pected of a desire to sell eligible prop
erty to the city, was forced to retire
from public life" This is quoted from
an article upon the city government of
Birmingham, England. Our own city
charter provision reads: mo member
of the city council or any officer of the
corporation shall be directly or indi-
rectly interested in any work, business
or contract, the expense, price or con-
sideration of which is paid from the
city treasury, or by an assessment
levied by an ordinance or a resolution
of the city council nor be the surety
of any person having a contract, work
or business with said city for the per-
Torrance of which surety may be re-
CURED" Without collision or contact
we see that the principle of non inter-
est in the bushes of the city is the rule
the world over. Our charter provision
cannot be improved upon, but it seems
to lack the penalty clause attached to
the Birmingham rule, yet it can be
reached through our criminal courts
1t became a notorious scandal during
last administration that members of
the council and other city officials were
directly and Indirectly interested in
contracting with and selling to the city.
The clause in the charter was treated
as a dead letter, when in fact 1t is the
key stone to the arch of municipal in
tegrity. The use of aldermanic influ-
ence to secure employment or place for
persons dependent upon them, comes
under the inhibition. The temptation
is strong to use the power entrusted
by the people to secure individual ad-
vantage and pecuniary gain. 1t would
be we'll of section 246 of the city char
ter was printed and pasted in the
crown of every city officers hat, to
be a continual reminder that official
rectitude is the first requisite of the
public service.