The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-09-13
SOME NEW BOOKS.

SOME NEW BOOKS.
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Our Governmental system
The outcome Of careful and useful study
of our mixed State and Federal poity Is set
forth in a text book for secondary schools,
entitled American Government, by ROSCOE
LEWIS ASHLEY (Macmllans). The author,
vbo has made himself known to many read
ora nv previous book, THE American
Federal State" has undertaken in one sec
tion of the present volume thorough ex-
amination,of the Constitution OF the United
States in connection with the work OF the
Constitutional Convention held at Phila-
delphia in 1887. The purpose OF this ex-
animation is to bring out sharply the dis
tinction between the constitutional and the
extra-constitutional features of our Fed
eral Government. Our author is quite right
in thinking that this distinction ought to be
continually kept in view. though 1t shouid
not he overemphasized. We add that' IN
the volume before us, due attention Is given
to county and municipal government, no
fewer than six chapters being devoted to
the subject. We shall note here what the
author has to say about the necessary work
and business functions Of city before pro-
ceeding to consider his account Of the gen.
esis Of the Constitution and OF the Constltu-
tional changes that have been witnessed
since 1887.
IL il true, as Mr.. Ashley says. that, al
though there has been observed OF recent
wears decided tendency on the part OF our
municipalities to undertake duties formerly
discharged by private citizens. American
cities still do much less for their inhabitants
than is done by urban centres in the most
nrooressive European countries. The day
seems distant when street railways will
become public property, or when pa"nshops
will be maintained at the public expense IN
our cities AS they are in some foreign munic-
ipalities. The duties at present performed
by American cities are classified in the book
under review as either necessary or business
functions. BY necessary duties are meant
those which are invariably discharged by
American municipalities. The business
functions include those enterprises which
are prosecuted sometimes by the cities
themselves and sometimes by private par
ties with the consent of the municipal
government.
The necessary duties of a city may be
very briefly described. Chief among them
Ia the suppression of disorder. 1t is
matter Of common observation that there
il more crime in cities than in rural dis
tricts. The comparative frequency of
crime ia not so much the fault as the mis-
fortune of great aggregations Of population.
which become the haunts Of hardened
characters, principally because it is easy
for them to escape detection in a multitude.
By reason of the attraction exercised on
criminals by density Of population, each
city is compelled to maintain police force
that will be large enough to preserve order,
keen to detect crime, and eager to bring
offenders to justice. Among the ordinances
that policemen are expected to enforce are
those relating to nuisances, street obstruc-
tions and excise laws. A city may wish 70
have Its saloons closed promptly at mid
night and ell day Sunday, but 1t will find
the attainment OF the wish impracticabe
without an incorruptible police force fully
supported by public sentiment 1t is also
obvious that when people are crowded
together in large cities extra precautions
will be needed to prevent the introduction
and spread Of disease. Accordingly, a
health department, equipped with inspeo-
tors and physicians, must assume charge
of all cases of contagious or infectious
maadies, and must isolate them carefully,
no as to guard against propagation.
Precautions of different order are
taken by milk inspectors, to make sure
that the milk sold liz free from preventative
fluids; by meat inspectors, who condemn
meat and fish unfit for use; and by fruit in
spectors, who perform a similar task for
fruits and other perishnble foods. In addi-
ton TO these direct measures, all large cities
find 1t needful to employ other means Of
preventing disease. Impurity in the water
supplied an imperfect or inadequate sewage
system, or the accumulation of rubbish
and filth in streets, would manifestlv have
a bearing on city's death rate. Hence
a water commission. street department
and a sewage commission have important
sanitary functions to discharge. Then,
again, to plumbing and building inspectors
falls share of the life-saving work. In the
slums of large cities the enforcement of
building laws making airshafts and light
shafts obligatory has proved a blessing
TO the poor.
There is no doubt that cities ought to
have better public schools than country
districts, because a more perfect system of
grading is attanable. and because greater
pecuniary inducements may be offered to
teachers To what extent the facilities
afforded by larger financial resources are
turned to account will depend, of course,
on the intelligence and public spirit of
school boards. Mr.. Ashley points out that
In this direction most American cities have
gone further than the laws required. AL
most all of them have established free
kindergartens. and high schools that offer
many different courses Of study Some
cities provide manual training for the
higher grades Of grammar schools, and a
few have established technical high schools
We need not point out that few of our large
cities are destitute of public libraries, from
which books and magazines go into thou
sands of homes We observe, finally, that
nowadays a park system is account ed in