The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-06-21
Necessary Conditions for Munich
pal Management.

Il p . II 81 Z
we had something to say recently in
lavor Of municipal ownership but not,
X municipal operation, Of public utilities.
The subject continues to attract wide.
spread interest and is one of the burning
questions of the day. .5 @
The ideal condition Is where such public
utilities are not merely owned. but 5opcrr-
1 ated by perfectly honest and capable,
4 municipal management. No one denies
thatS,if men of the present day went
into public service, that is. held Office,
from the lowest to the highest, municipal,
K state and national with the same spirit
Il Of self-denlnl and Of patriotic duty that
animated and inspired the Confederate
soldier an Ethiopia of municipal manage
ment would be at hand. u
But what are the facts? The average
oficeholder regards his posi- ton moro as
a personalfprivilege and a perquiste than
as post of public duty He is not in
the business for his health. IT, as in
case of officers who get fees, he is paid
by what he does. then he wants to make
all he possibly can. If as is generally
the case. he receives a mere salary. then.
with many honorable exceptions, the.
Inevitable consequences are that his de-
sire is to do as little as he can to earn
his salary. If the salary is smaller
than he thinks, he deserves and he is an
honest man. he will try to get it raised,
and If he is dishonest man, he will.
be tempted to make 1t larger by crooked
methods. or by what is commonly called
graft, and this latter is the bane Of
American politics.
Where it Is understood that public Of
4 flee is not paid, there is often the com-
pensation Of the honor Of doing the
work from sense of public duty. and
in the respect for the Individual service
which such" uhre~arded service brings.
The spirit OF graft or public plumber has
gotten into municipal affairs SO widely
than even where an individual member
gets unjustly nothing for himself, he
X sometimes considers 1t legitimate to throw
a plum to a friend at the expense Of the
public, and this makes municipal man
agement of public utilities SO incompe-
tent and so expensive.
OF course, We do not apply these re-
marks to all oniceholders AS we have
said. there are many honorable excep-
t!ons--men who serve the government
honestly, faithfully and efficiently. Bu!
4 the case Is too often MS we have stated.
or the success in Glasgow, which Is
( MA ! hafn y Z, NIL NJ q n i1pnl n.
nGement of municipal street railways, a
recent writer says, that lin Glasgow It's
progress in civic affairs has never been
furnished by the taint Of po,,,ics The
ward boss is unknown. Citizens COM
mittees take his place, civic patriotism
runs strong, and the difference among
The members OF the City Council are not
30 much on the principles OF progress
as on the pace at which they should so
forward"
Is 1t surprising that with this condi-
ton the Glasgow gas works ars furnish
ing gas to the people now at SO cents
per thousand cubic feet? Another writ
cr says in The Outlook: "rhe recent
act Of the New York Legislature IN
taking from the New York Board Of
Aldermen y the ppwer Of granting
franchises and comforting 1t upon the
Board of Estimate and Apportionment.
is step in the right direction. But 1t
is only a step. What is really wanted
is the abolition Of municipal councils,
which are elected by wards. and sub
stitution therefor of small board of
not more than fifteen nor less than
nine, who shall be elected on general
ticket--and shall represent The entire
city, Experience has proved that ward
representation lends 10 ward politics.
the bane of our municipal system
~. And 1t has also been proven thai
st is possible 10 get small board Of
competent. honest and public spirited
men. The work of a City Council Is adj
ministratiys and not legislative, and Tor
such work q small body. not a large one,
y is needed.
I'd MS these statements appear the
asioms of municipal management, and
until the management of the municipal