The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-03-04


One of the greatest problems if not the
greatest one. brought over from the last
century is that of efficient and economi-
cal municipal government. OF late years
city political campaigns have been char
acterized by promises of retrenchment
and reform, and the resulting admins
trations have been characterized by
climbing taxation ana the creation of
new Offices to be filed by the favorites
of the dominant clement. There are ex-
tremely few cities in which the taxes are
not on the increase and the municipal
budget is not eaten up entirely year after
year.
One Of the exceptions is the city of Bal
timore, under its new charter and the
administration of Mayor Thomas G..
Hayes. Last year Baltimore not only fail
ed to consume its budget appropriations
but had a surplus of $4,000 left; and
there isn't any question but that the city
was just as well governed in every par
ocular as it would have been II this very
considerable sum had been expended also
The saving of this public money is so
notable an achievement that 1t Is inter-
esting TO have Mayor Hayes tell how he
did it, which he does in an article in a
late number of the Independent
In nutshell, his policy was. and is, to
put the city on a business basis. lie APP
Piled to the public service precisely those
rules and regulations which careful
affairs Where he found useless offices, as
he did in the water department, he cut
them Off, saving a considerable sum. The
same rule was applied to the fire depart
ment, which suffered no loss of efficiency
therefrom, and had left a surplus of 500
o~ to its credit at the end of the year
The street cleaning contract was let out
10 private contractor, who gave bond
to perform the work in a satisfactory
manner, under city supervision, for up.
wards of $4,000 a year less than the citv
mad been in the habit of doing it on its
own account. Consultations were made
IN the public lighting department. result
ing III a saving of 5000 year without
detracting from the service
Wherever city is to have a business
administration" says Mayor Hayes, "po-
htical patronage, as it is termed. mus:
be thoroughly eliminated" The BaIti-
more street cleaning department. with
Its hundreds of employees, had become a
great political machine more Interested
IN electioneering than in keeping the
streets clean; and there were continually
new places being made in the force for
political workers. Now the contractor
employees his men, exacts efficiency Of
them, and politics does not enter into
the consideration. Mayor HAYES doos NOT
condemn municipal ownership of street
railways lighting plants, waterworks
etc, but he points out that conditions in
European cities where municipal owner
snip has been tried are radically differ
ent from what they are in this country
Glasgow, he thinks, is no proper Drece-
cent Tor Baltimore, because of the differ
ing social conditions and environments.
But he does assert positively that Amer
lcan cities can be, and should be. govern
ed ike business corporations. and that
the application of business rules to CITY
government is the proper solution of the
problem of such government. 1t depends
upon the voters to elect men who will
opply such rules and principles to public
affairs and not run the city as If its
ehlef reason for existence was to furnish
snecures and soft berths for a lot of
politicians.