Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-02-09
DISTRICT GovERNM EMIT
A TEXAS VIEW of THE LOCAL AD-
MINISTRATION.
Regarded as an Ideal Method of Con-
Quoting Municipal
Affairs.
From the Galrestou Tribune.

The first impression the city of Washing
ton makes upon a visitor Is Its majestic
beauty. Travellers agree that there Is no
handsomer capital city in the world IL
is fast realizing the dream of its founder,
the immortal Washington, in all except the
element of commercial greatness. though
as business town it is not small. But
in this behalf IT is overshadowed by the
greater cities of New York, Philadelphia
and Baltimore Perhaps it is just well
that there is one city where commerce is
not the chief aim of existence.
The next impression the visitor receives
is the cleanliness of the city. The broad
streets are speckless. There are no I'M
slightly alleys noisome byways- The
asphalt paving muffies the sound of traf-
fic and the atmosphere is free from the
slightest offense to the nostrils or the
health True, there is more or less ma
laria in the Potomac, but everything that
sweeping, cleaning and sanitation can do
to overcome the local environment is done.
and Washington is wholly clean If not al
together godly.
But the most important and the deepest
impression comes upon the visitor AFTER
a few days or few weeks he Is sur
prised to hear no talk of local politics, TO
read nothing in the papers OF ward meet
ings or council seances, or ponce scanaais.
or public jobbery, and ne wonders IL II
is possible community can become so an
sorbed in national politics as to forget It's
own public affairs. He reads of board OF trace
meetings, street improvements ana extern
sions and the other things of healthy mu-
nicipal life. and once a month, on Mondays,
the House of Representatives leglslates 1or
the general welfare of the District OF Co
lumbia, the national reservation Wnere
there is no state, territorial or city gov
eminent in the ordinary sense. But SO lar
as the common talk of a city of 23I,0o0 peo-
pie CTS 900 in the DISTRICT is concerned
the talk of municipal politics, with all Its
contentious and schemes and vices and re
FORMS" there is absolutely none. Appar-
emily the city is a great machine or autom-
atom wound up for a century, and there
is not much as creaklng Oh parts u
remind the observer that it is artificial.
And this is precisely the status of the
city government.
There is government all right enough,
as witness the perfect order, the clean
streets and the other comforts for which
city governments are supposed TO exist
But it is not palpable. obvious, offensive.
The average citizen is no more cognlzant
of the government than healthy man
is cOgniZant of his liver.
The commission is purely executive Con-
gress is both legislature and city council
But since the executive department. Oh d
city comprehends all the vital functions OF
administration, the commission may De
called the whole thing There Is sep
arate school board. but all other depart
works health, etc-are directly and exclu-
sively under the direction of the COMMITS
sioners. The merit system prevails IN all
departments. There Is no change OF ponce ls,,,
men firemen or other employees with
changes of Commissioners. The assessor
has been in office twenty years. NO clerk Is
disturbed so long as he does his duty NO
policeman loses his job because he 1alls 10
carry his ward. No heeler is put upon the
force for work at an election or because of
the friendship of Commissioner or con-
gresham. Though the present national ad-
ministration is republican in every depart
ment, 80 per cent of the employees of the
city of Washington are democrats.
And in all these years, since 1874, when
the commission was permanently estap-
Iished, there has not been a breath Of sus-
pcion against the integrity and scarcely
criticism against the efficiency OF TINS
agency of municipal government.
There are those in Washington who would
return to popular city government. Some
are doctrinaires and theorists, but most of
them are persons who have observed the
profits Of bOssism and are AMBITIOUS TO Try
their hand at the industry. The substantial
people, the good citizens. with or without
wealth, are content to be governed. and
indeed an attempt to revert to the old Sys-
tenn would raise riot.
And the commission, independent Oh pop
ular suffrage as it is, is yet absolutely an
swerable to public opinion. For example,
for the last three weeks there has been
great stir among the people over the method
or the time of paying taxes. The commits
sion had been collecting taxes semi-an-
nually, and wished to make change and
collect annually in order to save book
keeping. Many small taxpayers objected TO
the change, because they found 1t easier to
pay one-half every six months than to pay
the whole once a year. The commission
listened to all petitioners and held public
hearings. The business and civic organiza-
tons discussed the matter and passed reso-
lutions. Finally the Commissioners hit upon
the happy compromise Of giving the tax
payer his option of paying semi-annually
or annually. as he chooses.
So, after all, the citizen Of Washington is
not without voice In public affairs.
In some respects. Of course. conditions at
Washington are exceptional. But the main
point Is that the city is economically and
efficiently administered by a commission.
and that after more than quarter Of a
century of experience the great mass of the
people are entirely content to live under a
government not directly Of their own choos-
ing.