The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1905-03-10
MAYOR HARRSON'S ADDRESS
MUNICIPAL PROBLEM DIS
CUSsED By CHICAGO EXECUTIVE

The Change That is in PrOgress-Re-
sponsIbiIity ana Authority In One
Man Gives Best ResuIts-Prineiples
for Correct Management Of Municipal
AfaIrs-EviIs of Commercial Poll
tics-ways to Get Rid of It-Appeal
to the Young Men.
Before a large audience in Hendrie
hall last evening Mayor Carter Harri-
son of Chicago delivered an interesting
and comprehensive address on Some
Phases of the Municipal Problen1." A
number of prominent citizens were
present.
On the platform with President Had
ley sat Dean Rogers of the law school.
President Hadley introduced Mayor
Harrison, who said in part:
In recent years the revival Of public
| interest in municipal affairs has been
widespread and genuine. For too long
a while the general attitude of the pub
lie towards the management of its own
business by it's own servants had been
characterized by a cynical indifference
| helpless dependency, which made re-
form take on the appearance of the i'm
possible. The situation, indeed, was
serious.
The strongest characteristic of the
American is the courage, the energy,
/ the splendid persistence with which he
| seizes upon desperate situation and,
1 from chaos, brings order. When the
management, or, rather, misnanage-
4 ment-of municipalities had reached its
/ lowest level, when conditions in the
eyes of the outside world had grown
almost hopeless, the healthy minded
American girded up his loins for a bat
tie of reform which, because of it's
seeming hopelessness, possessed only
the greater charm for him.
The change has been apparent. Con-
ditions which are the result of genera
lions Of popular indifference and official
| wrongdoing cannot, by human agency
be corrected in a fortnight; nor can the
great growth of municipal misgovern-
/ ment and corruption be uprooted in the
/ twinkling of an eye. x. 49,.
In formulating a scheme for good
1 government it may be well to begin
by the process Of elimination.
The ak of elimination should be laid
at the roots Of the recently developed
4 idea of local government by the aid OF
so-called advisory boards, as well as al
4 the roots of an equally fallacious idea
Of placing the responsibilities of an ex.
ecutive department, not under a single
individual, but under the divided re
sponsibiIity Of a board, often, indeed
appointed by a governor of state
rather than by a home and local au'
thority. 5r%
| In one respect the scheme Of govern
nent outlined in the charter Of Chica'
60 is perfect. Its trainers recog.
7 nized as imperatively necessary Thu
centralizing Of duties and obliga,
tons in one Individual And SO BY thu
!, charter the mayo; of Chicago possesses
II tremendous power and at the same
time has vested in him tremendous re
n sponsibilities. %, y
This leads to what should be lait
i down as an axiom in good n1unicipa
government. The best results may b
obtained by vesting all possible authori
! ty in the executive and by holding tn,
occupant personally responsible for thu
proper management of the citys affairs
A municipality may APPLY be compar
| ed with a great business corporation
Being a business corporation, pure AMI
simple, the first duty Of its officers ant
directory is to apply to the manage
ment Of its affairs, as far as they cal
be made to apply, business principles.
i Certain principles for the correc
management Of municipal affairs ma,
, be laid down as automatic:
i /. Public property is worth to tn
people dollar for dollar what privat
property Of the same character is wort
to it's owner.
2. The municipality is greater thar
any corporation to which it grant
| rights.
g. The demand of the individual
| whether it be a single man or the arti
, fetal entity known as corporation
must be subordinate to the require
; ments of the mass OF the citizens.
Il