The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-02-10
Ideal CITY GOVERNMENT.
Municipal Progress of Washington
Described by H B. F. mcfarland.
fPbiIaf7eTobia T0vses

philadelphia Press.)
The government of the city Of Wash
ingtOn and TIE satisfaction of the peo-
pie under it is confOunding to our ac-
cepted ideas of local government
Tor the residents of the national cap
ital. The people of the District of Col
umbia have ne vote on the question Of
/ their rulers. \ congress chosen wholly
from outside the district legislates for
! II, and the commissioners appointed by
the president and senate of the United
States administer the laws of the dis
trict and the municipal affairs of the
city OF Washington.
Yet it is true that this single I'M
democratic city is about the only one
in the country containing 100000 pop
ulation or upward in which loud and
almost continual complaint OF local
maladministratiOn and bad gov
eminent are not heard. The commit
tee on municipal progress naturally
wants TO hear about this, and Hon H.
b f. MacFarland, president of the
! board of commissioners OF the city Of
/ Washington, considered that phase of
the municipal question in his address in
WitherspcZn hall last night.
The privilege of voting for our local
rulers is a very great one, no doubt,
but it is diSconcerting and dishearten-
ing to find it results so frequently in a
government wholly irresponsible to
public opinion and regardless of the
public's real interests. Scandal in con-
nectiOn with municipal government IS
the rule rather than the exception.
and content and satisfaction with mu-
nicipal government on the part Of those
governed. are almost unknown outside
of the rule of the undemocratfc city Of
Washington. Thus says Commissioner
Macfarland
THE municipal government Of
Washington has gone on from year TO
year for nearly d quarter of a century
without suspicion of blackmail or jon
berry, bribery or corruption. It's execu-
tie officers have had the respect and
regard Of their fellow citizens. They
have usually served at a sacrifice and
have to go out of office poorer than
when they went in. Their subordin-
ates. appointed, retained, promoted or
denoted under a merit system main
tanned without sanction Of law, are not
political workers, do not levy or pay
political assessments. work hard for
their salaries and get nothing in money
on account of their offices but their
salaries. It's police department, for ex-
ample. from the superintendent down
to the last recruit. is as nOn-poiitical,
as honest and as efficient as the reg
ular army of the United States It's
members understand that no one can
hurt them if they do Nheir duty, and
that no one can help them if they do
not. Levying blackmail. even to the
extent of pilfering from peanut stands,
would bring swift punishment upon
the man who did il. The contractors
who deal with this municipal govern
do OF 70 off nY-ff, ali
of money or of influence to get con-
tracts. Indeed, that would be the way
10 keep themselves from getting con-
tracts. They do not have TO paw COM
missions or assessments or take part in
politics in order to get and keep con-
tracts. The lowest responsible bidder
gets the contract every time. In other
words, this municipal government is
managed by business men for business
purposes on business principles, with
an eye single 10 efficiency and econ
omy''
This seems to be an ideal situation.
VIII universal suffrage ever give it to
Philadelphia? We are lOath to accept
the conclusion that popular government
is a failure in cities Of this class and
character. Mr.. Mcfarland sees the
cure for local government in the elimi-
nation Of politics from the munIcipa,
business. This has been done in Wash
ingtOn by abolishing the elective fran
chise. The city government, though
undemocratic in form. is more sensitive
TO public opinion and more regardful
of the wishes and comfort of the peO-
pie than elective governments are as
a rule. This makes IL popular and the
people cOntented while chronic dis
content is the condition Of nearly every
other city large enough and rich
enough to tempt the cupidity of I'M
scrupulous and scheming politicians.