New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-04-16
I PROGRESSIVE TORONTO.
ITS BUsINEssLIKE METHODS OF CARRY
ING ON MUNICIPAL AFFAIRS.
Toronto. April 4,


the expensive new structure. are spread upon the
walls OF the Mayors Office the following words OF
Scripture: Except the Lord Keep the city, the
watcbman watcheth but In vain" And indeed as
~ 10 give practical point TO this sentiment 'he fo-
lice Department has as part OF It's regular or
gan,zation morality branch" TO deal with the
more delicate cases. such as family quarres re-
oulrlng police discipline. Regular degrees are con-
ferred upon members OF the department for pro-
6ciency In the subject OF first aid 10 Inc injured
and an active Christian association OF poncemeh
IL voluntarily maintained within the force. Fur
thermore this force as whole IL probaoiy I'M
surpassed on the continent for intelligence ana
courtesy
The city itself challenges admiration In many re-
spects with its ST. James Cathedral In the very
heart OF the business district, surrounded VIII"
ample lawns free to the public; with only IL" sa
looms for its 100000 people with its frequent water
fonts for man and beast: with kndergartens IN
fory-one out OF It's foryfour public schools: win
an isolation hospital for contagious diseases; Win
only an example or two OF the aha'ch's"c eNs
scraper: with three city markets. WIN puo"'
employment bureau: with most careiuly u'a""
contracts covering Its various pubic Ira"c"'ses'
and finally. with the most brilliant ana complete
t.,arco ~ direct labor 10 be found N any Amer-
can city Toronto is town which. in active munic-
ipal spirit takes second place to no other on th's
side OF the water.
Its most characteristic venture In muncipai ac-
tivtty has consisted In the organization OF the WORK
OF the Street and Scavenging Department IN ac-
cordance with that old saw that me pes' way 10
get thing done is TO do II yourself For more
than twenty-fve years the city has employed day
labor in street cleaning and scavenging; out our
ing the early part OF that period much OF the WORK
was done by hiring carts and teams DAY oy oay
from private individuals. Eleven years ago re-
organization occurred and the present commas
s,oner John Jones. took charge OF this Work. as
~
du,,es as he saws determined TO maintain ana
extend the principle OF direct controi Oh al
branches of work as opportunity onereu'
NOT DEPENDENT ON HIRE.
Asa consequence the department is no longer de-
pendent upon the hire system but instead II mas
three stables in different parts OF the CITY, iIo
horses as many carts and harnesses III"
sprinkler. eight machine sweepers. SD regular EN-
Moves and what is most significant and interesting
Of all a modest but complete set OF department.
workshops developed during the last eight years
wherein the entire line OF appliances USED Is manu-
featured from the raw materials Here are haue
the carts used for garbage coiiecuoh' 'he street
sprnklers the machine sweepers' the sho"
scrapers all designed In these shops TO III the
local needs. Here the handcarts for the white
w,nes'' in the business district are produced Inc
blocks are sawed and the stone Is crushed here
for repairing the streets. Here the horses are
shod not with the pressed shoes OF the market
but with those forged at the anvil and AT the Darhs
the harnesees are manufactured direct from the
leather. A"Iut twenty men are 'hu' e'"p''N ~
manently
II Is found 10 be n great gain for the department
to be thus independent OF private shops 1t Is
never compelled TO take It's chances with rNai
cus;omers-a fact OF prime Importance IN the case
OF repair work. where delay often means idleness
NJ men and teams. II IL also a great advantage 10
have the services OF men accustomed 10 the pro-
duction and keeping up OF the particular appliances
used The saving In immediate cost-which the
Commissioner alleges to be material 'e" 60
pecially In repair works. only one OF the gains
realized Even the casual visitor to these barns
and shops is impressed with evidences OF interest
and inventive effort Nearly all the apparatus 10
snecincally designed to fit Toronto conditions
Having direct control thus of the entire force
md the circumstances OF employment the oep'lt
ment is also able to maintain without any uiin
Guilty standard conditions OF labor. The nine-houf
day prevails, Is cents an hour Is the minimum"
wage n considerable part OF the outdoor force re-
oo,,.a 81 70 n day. and positions are in the main
nermanent In the shops the entire present force
has been there for two years or more IL Is a'so Vi
interest to note that. by city ordnance the Hih-
imum wage named must be observed by Hi CON
tractors doing public work, and this requirement u
strictly enforced To prevent any undue raising OF
nrices by contractors on account or ths require
ment the City Engineer In some instances. par
ticulary In bids for paving puts In an estimate vi
the cost and II no bid approaches MS hgures hc
executes the work directly. Several miles OF pave.
ment have thus been laid by the City Engineer ana
with satisfactory results. The Street Commissioner
builds and repairs all sidewalks except those which
are eranolithc and executes all repairs on the
streets save In the of asphalt pavement lie
also cleans all sidewalks OF snow In winter where
they are n not coeeed from he lot with his
general taxes. This is an enecuVe ana Dusihess.
like procedure the object OF wn at ,he ne" Sidewalks
cleaned
OPPOSITION FROM PRIVATE INTERESTS.
The extension OF direct labor In Toronto has not
heen without strenuous objection from lines OF pri
vate business thus deprived of profitable trace
Nor according to the testimony OF wel-'niormeu
public official have there ever been wanting IN the
CITY Council friends OF these private interests. who
would lose no opportunity of crcising the work
of the department and who would CHAMPION mp Inc
people are somehow under an actual obligation 10
nurse these private interests has
still some life in II. but the citizens may be trusted 10
pplaIn demonstration that the present system Is SUI
perior from every point OF view , -,
waV company. entered into in 1891. has been much
written about and is from the point OF view OF the
It's sort ever executed in America. 1t regulates
conditions OF employment secures low iares ana
TO the public treasury was made for but twenty
years ard provides for the reye1sion OF the plant
valuation still on an investment OF about $500
400 and within half dozen years OF Its execution;
the promoters realized on this contract proht OF
about s3O0OOOo The recognition OF this fact by the
thrifty Scotchmen OF the town has led to feeling
surnrisinglv general that II would have been wiser
for the city 10 have retained the system In 1891
after acquiring II II did from the old company.
and TO have operated II directly as department
CT the city government.
The characterize OF local government In Toronto
as compared with cities in the United States is the
absence OF rotation" In administrative office:
Most OF the supervising stan In the street and
scavenrinr DEPARTMENT. for instance. nave been
in their places for years or the Board OF three
Police commissioners. one member has served for
seventeen and another for twenty-five years. while
The third Is the Mavor oficio. The City Treas
tirer has been in that department for twenty-five
wears and has held his present office ten YEAR,
II is his policy In turn to bring bright boys into the
office and train them up with view 10 life ser
vices there Steady tenure OF office during eff
cheney Is the general rule. and the result IL that
oficiaIs are familiar with the work and with the
histn OF their dena rtments and able 10 plan