The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-08-04
THE GOVERNMENT OF OuH CITIES.

THE GOV IIRAMENI OF OIH CITIES.
40 more serious question coufronts the
people Of .hl- country than that OF the
wise intelligent and economical sovcIn-
ment Of the cities There is 4 steady IN
crease in the costs Of city governments
and decrease in the benefits sic people
receive from thcm. There may ne few
cite which are wisely and economically
governed. bur il womb he n pretty hard
matter TO find them. Those who ret con-
trol of City governments seem 10 think
that they are responsible % nc5ulT, and
they levy taxes AMI spend tho revenues
with the view OF Necpns themselves in
power and of TAX ng care Of as many OF
their friends as they can.
Nobody can read The testimony which
was taken by the Mazrt committee IT, New
York city on last Tuesday without feel
ing that. assuming that the condition o.
affairs in other ciues is about what it is
there, The time is lose at hand when the
people of cities who have something at
stake must get together aui protect heir
interests
The testimony of tNqo mon, Morgan ana
Slaueriy. was taken 10y the c)nmttCe.
These men are the arch,te rs for the city
of New York They cot tie position they
hold through the Influence Of political
bosses il is 1ilcse1 thu. they were LAM
rupt tenement house builders, and were
uuheard of by reputable architects until
a few months ago Now they are the
architects OF the city In all matters in
which the services of an architect are
needed. They design the most expensive
! public buildings, pan all of the landscape
gardening and build the wharvcs and con
struct the garbage scows. Ii Is probable
| that there would be no complaint against
| them if their services were employed ex-
| cusively in building scows for carrying
10 sea the garbage of the city because
| their professional ability enables them to
do that class of work satisfactorily, but
the testimony they gave before the Mazet
| committee leaves very little room for
doubt that they are out of the field of
their usefulness when they undertake to
make plans for prisons and fine public
| buildings such as the projected new prison
for the city and the Han of Records.
The plans for these buildings We're orig
inally drawn by The best architects in the
city in their respective speciafues, but
as soon as the political bosses decided to
bring Morgan and satterly 10 the front,
their plans were disregarded, and am
mended plans, involving the city in great
er expenses, were substituted for them. It
is said to be the opinion of architects of
the highest standing that Horgan and Sat
terly have very little knowledge Of their
profession and that on political grounds
alone can it be explained why they have
been placed in the very responsible posi-
lions they hold.
| But if an examination of the condition
OF affairs in almost any city were made
it would be found that political heelers
and ward politicians manage municipal
affairs. and that their chief object is to
get out of the taxpayers all they car
and to give as little In return as possible
The interests of the public are never con
suited. Saaries are raised without any
legitimate excuse for so doing, contract,
are made that permit of very large prof
Is to the friends to those in power. ant
improvements are undertaken with the
view principally of giving the friends o.
the political bosses a chance to get theil
hands into the treasury. is il not time
that the property owners and business
men of the cities took charge of municipa
affairs of their respective towns?