Durango semi-weekly herald., 1905-04-20
METHODS OF MUNICIPAL GOV.
ERNMEkT.
g.


II lie often said that the municipal
ownership of public utilities must
fall In this country on account of the
electoral system that prevails and the
low standard Of city politicians. Dis
trust Of any part OF the American peo-
pie to conduct an honest and efficient
government. deserves no considera-
ton The whole theory of free insti-
tutions is that the people as II whole.
are sound in morals and capable I'm
der all circumstances OF regulating
their public affairs. Where politicians
are corrupt or incompetent they can
be thrown out Elections are fire.
queut. and the betterment necessary
rests in the hands of the masses. Yet
nearly all foreign observers take the
superficial view that municipal gov
ernment in the United States is hope
lessly bad. A well known English au-
tbori,y on city government Robert
Crawford, wrote, after visit to the
leading American cities: Before
came 10 this country / saw no reason
why Its cities should not adopt munici.
pal ownership. and wondered why
they had not done so. Success in that
great undertaking is out of the ques-
tiou no long as party politics figure
In municipal elections and so long as
city Offices are used to reward polit-
cal work" The spoils system is held
to be fatal bar; but the American
pehple have never been convincAd
that popular government has any in
herent weakness.
The cities of this country are grad
ually struggling toward better munici-
pal conditions, and the question of
municipal ownerArip is decidedly
more prominent than at any former
time. One OF the needs seems to be
a greater degree OF centralized author
ity and responsibility. Another is
genuine devotion to the general wei
fare in all the action taken. Admin
istraiion for the benefit of any special
party is, of course, abominable, a.
degradation of free government, not
its illustration. Berlin is regarded as
one of the best governed cities, be
cause the public good is the sole OBJ
ject not because of the monarcnial
background. Tne council of Berlin is
composed of 126 members, elected by
the voters of the city for a term oi
six years. This body chooses the ma
yor and deputy mayor, and thirty OF
its members to be special working
force, known as magistrates, one-half
OF whom give all their time TO mu-
nicipal duties, at salaries ranging
from 1850 to $3.50 year. But the
council is the supreme body. and upon
Il rests the supervision OF spending
320,00O.000 annually on the police,
scnools. streets, hospitals. sanitation.
lighting. water supply, markets, care
OF the poor and other departments.
Various students of city govern
ment, such as Shaw and Blackmar,
put Berlin at The head of all cities in
municipal efficiency. Blackmar
writes that, 'Inquiring into the causes
OF Berlin's success, it will be found
that the theory which American mu-
nicipal reformers have been urging,
that the city is municipal corpora
uon ana Snoulu De conducted on DuSi-
ness and not on political principles, is
everywhere in evidence When An
drew ID. White was minister to Ger
many, Berlin WAS formulating its mu-
nicipal system, and Mr.. White had
mucn to say in praise of the effort in
all that was done to serve the com.
mon welfare of the 100000 citizens. |
The cleanliness and other sanitary |
conditions in Berlin show a vast i'm
provement in thirty years, a period in
which the city's mortality has been |
reduced from 5000 TO ls.47 per 1000, |
typhoid fever showing decrease
from TO to 90 per 1000. American |
cities are not to be convinced tnat
they are unable TO cope with any OF
the problems connected with getting |
the best municipal resuits.-Globe-
Democrat