Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1905-04-27
Or. |. S. ROWE BEFORE NATION.
AL MUNICIPAL LEAGUE.
CITIES OUTGROWO OLD IDEAS
Political Thinking Has Not Kept
Pace With Changes in the condi-
tons of City Life-Administrative
Efficiency Will Be Combined With
Democratic Control.

New York, April 26.-Prof l.. S.
Rowe spoke on The Trend Of Munich
pal Government in the United States,
Are We Drifting Away from the Older
Democratic Ideals, before the National
Municipal league Yesterday afternoon.
He emphasized the fact that our
American cities have outgrown the
political principles upon which their
government is based. The political
thinking of the American people has
not kept pace with the changes in the
conditions of city life In the course
of the address the speaker said:
Our inherited notions of democrat
ic government have dictated a form Of
city organization in which the local
representative assembly or city cOun-
Gil occupies an important position.
The same political traditions dictate
that the higher administrative officials
of the city, no matter what their
functions, should be chosen by popu-
lar election. 1t is a significant fact
that this tenacious adherence to what
is regarded as the essentials of dem
.
with a totally different movement in
other branches of administrative activ-
ity The management of great business
enterprise is being concentrated in the
executive heads of industrial corpora
tons.
"The responsibility for the conduct
of the affairs of great industrial and
charitable institutions is likewise
drifting from the board to the single
executive head Even where the form
Of board management is still pre-
served, the actual control and respon-
sibility is vested in one individual,
whether he be called the president Of
the board or the chairman Of the eX
ecutive committee. However we may
regard this tendency there is every
! indication that it is not merely trans
/ lent and that the immediate future
will witness strengthening of its in
fuence. 1t should not require lengthy
argument to prove that tendencies
which are so clearly marked in Amer
can business and institutional activ-
| ity are certain to exert a marked in
| huence in the administration of public
affairs We cannot hope permanently
/ to preserve the illusoa tfat by some
occult force political organization can
4 be kept free from the influences which
are dominant in every other branch of
our national life.
'"rhe failure TO appreciate this fact
! involves great waste because Of the
loss of effort in attempting to reach
i the mattainabe, In those commune
ties in which the council has been
/ shorn of its most important powers no
amount of effort will arouse popular
i interest in cOuncilmanic elections
! Efforts for municipal bcttement can
not be productive Of the Lest results
when they run counter to manifest
tendencies in national life,
IF the concentration CT power in
! the mayor represents a permanent
/ tendency in American administrative
policy the question Immediately pre-
SCENTS itself whether we cen reconcile
these changes without views of dem
1 ccracy.
mo one will deny that the increase
Of executive power as well as its con
centration has been accompanied by
/ marked increase in efficiency. The
choice, therefore presented to our
/ American communities takes the form
of a seeming opposition between
democracy and efficiency. Presented in
this form there is little doubt as TO
what the ultimate decision of the
! American people will be. Above all
other people Of western civilization We
are worshippers Of efficiency. The
establishment of harmonious relation
| between democracy AMI efficiency both
in thought ana in action. becomes
necessary requisite for the mainte-
nance of American democracy.
If this analysis Of the present situa-
| ton be correct, the outlook for the
couraging. The analogy between a
business and a municipal corporation
while faulty in many respects is of
real value when viewed from the
standpoint Of the organization of city
departments Whether or not we
agree with this anology we cannot dis
regard the fact that the popular view
with refereroe 10 the administration
of the city's executive departments is
moving towards the standards which
have proved so successful in the man.
] agement of great corporate enter
prises This means that the people
are prepared to accept the same adj
ministrative standards in municipal
affairs as those which prevail in the
! business world. The recent proposal
to give to the police commissioner of
New York term Of ten years or pos
sibly life tenure would have been
received with scorn and indignation
so years ago Today it is regarded by
many as the best means Of securing an
| efficient administration of this service