The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-01-15
SMITHS LINES OF REFORM.
nv FAvoRs THE CONsOLID ALTON
OF CITY DEPARTMENTS.

OF CITY DEPARTMENTS.
The Alderman Believes Superintend-
emit of Water Works and city En-
gineer Forces Could BE Directed
by Superintendent of Public
WorSS-other cities, He says, Have
Retrenched Along This Line-He
Doesn't Approve Present Method
of Making City Purchases, but He
IieVcS acquisitions ON One Depart
Inent the Better Plan.
Alderman ]. ". smith won't be in the
City Council to see the suggestion adopted
but he is strong in his advocacy of con-
solidating city departments. He was out
spoken in his views ON consolidation prior
to the election Of city officers, and be
lieves a reduction Of the increasing ex-
penses can only be brought about in this
way.
To be specific in expressing his views,
Alderman Smith said he did not see any
use of three or four departments where
one or two could easily do the work. He
says the office of city engineer, superin-
tendeut of public works and superintend-
ent of water works can be operated I'M
der one head, thereby effectng a very large
reduction in municipal expenses. These
departments cost the city from $500 10 500
a month, but. by putting them under one
head, he thinks better results might be
accomplished, and an immense saving
made for the tax payers. 1t is a matter
TO which the alderman has directed much
thought the result being that he expresses
himself with the confidence of conviction.
Look al Augusta and other Southern
cities" said Alderman Smith by way of
reference. The city departments there
are consolidated under the head of super
intendent of public works which places
the operation OF several departments I'M
der him and thereby increases his re
sponsibility The conditions in other
places as l have observed them, seem ap-
plicable to Savannah, where there IS am
pie room for Improvement In the arrange
ment i'm the branches of our city govern
ment. There is no reason for not putting
the three offices mentioned under the SUI
perintendeht of public works, who should
be authorized to call in the services of an
engineer WNtu Httttus HIS hlDWtEtAs1t VI
mechanics should also enable him to as
sumo control of the water works. There
is no question in my mind but city depart
ments are entirely too numerous in Sa-
Vannah not for office holders, but for tax
payers"
Alderman Smith says that his experience
IN Council has impressed him with the i'm
portanee of having some better method
for city purchasing. BY the present sys-
TEN il seems the departments buy what
ever they want, have the bill sent to the
city and approved by the chairman OF the
committee in charge. ITO tell the facts, ~
he said, bills have come to me certified
as correct by this and that person, and
while | did not doubt the city got the ar
ticles charged still l have many times
wondered if the things were really need
ed Where you turn few persons loose,
to buy things as they please and have
them charged, there is apt to be more or
less indiscreton displayed"
The panacea Alderman Smith offers for
the plan the city has used the past two
years in making its purchases, is along the
same line as that in use by railroad com
panies acquisitions are issued by the de-
partmenls for whatever is required, and
before il is sent out, the supply stores
know whether ii is needed. He says there
. is no useless or uncaAed for purchases
made by railroads, mainly because this
part of the service hns been reduced TO a
system which makes 1t next thing to i'm
possible to run up needless expenses. The
alderman is decidedly of opinion the requi-
sition should be made TO apply in the city S
affairs. This could easily be done, he
thinks, by putting the authority of making
purchases in the hands of one department.
LET a requisition be made on this depart
ment when any article is needed al the eX-
change, or in any other branch of the pub
lie service" he said, land in this way a
move toward economy will have been made
by striking direct at the useless purchasing
habit Without reference TO any particular
department, an win be more guarded in
this respect il they know an official is TO
investigate the advisa bility of making pur-
chases."
There is believed to be little doubt that
the carrying out of Alderman Smith 5
plan, at least so far as it applies to su-
perintendent of the public works and SUI
perintendent of wafer works, might be
practicable oaid one gentleman yesterday.
The opinion has been expressed that these
departments are sufficiently related TO be
operated under one head. while on the
other hand. il is opined the amount the
city would save by a consolidation would
be q loss, for the reason one or the other
would suffer The departments must be
separate and distinct, it has been urged
in order TO secure satisfactory service
Some think consolidation in this direction
would be retrogTessbon in the methods now
used In properly conducting the citys af-
fairs.