The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-01-06
AMERICAN And BRITISH CITIES
Differences in Methods of Govern
ment Here and Abroad.
Honesty I'm English municipalities,
but Dead Hand Of FeudaIism
Heavy Burden.

FROM t1- E.ualelt4ls Ledger
An interesting aHd a stimulating com
parisoH Of The American and the Brit
ish City" is contributed to the current
number Of Scribntr's Magazine by Fred
eric {. Howe. The writer aims 10 show
that while the corruption and iueficiency
chaTacterizins the average American mu-
nicipallty are as bad as they are painted,
and that while IN many important re-
spects our cities will not bear COMPARE
son with the cities of England and the
Continent, the American recognition of
existing evils, the freedom of American
cities from the burdens of medieval ira
dition and class control the superi0. ply
steal conditions surrounding them and
tho breadth Jf view and generosity OF
American democracy combine TO assure
TO them much brighter future than
can possibly be hoped for by the cities
Of the Old World.
Contrasted with the spirit with which
Americans received the criticisms and
sibes OF foreign critics Of a generation or
two ago their present attitude is one OF
depression and OF pessimism. The num-
Der who see only failure in our institu-
tons mas increased immensely and there
Is spirit of revolt In the air tiat. rightly
viewed, is "a sign Of the vitality and not
the weakness of our democracy More
over, in looking to the exa mples Of eff
cheney in the Old World as we do CON
sCantly, We are showing willingness to
learn which bet0keus a fexibility and
adaptability fun Of promise for the
future OF the struggle against that class
which. as Mr.. Howe says. is seeking TO
control the agencies of government for
na Gri rn of .zsg
ference I'm this respect between our own
country and England, for instance, is
that in the latter conditions are accepted
against which We are vehemently REBEL
Ing
As it is beginning TO be recognized here
that the cities must be reformed before
much can be hoped for from the Com
monwealths,' Mr.. Howe has marshaled
the facts as to the differences between
American and British cities, wherein the
latter excel and wherein they fall short.
For one thing, the British cities have long
passed the constructive period in which
most American cities Of the day are living
They are not swamped by the newness of
things, by the necessity Of supplying ele-
mental needs; they have the time to de-
vote to cleanliness and thoroughness. and
20 those spectacular phases Of municipal
life which delight the eye. Furthermore,
deprived of the local power over fran
chises which lies at the root CT corruption
in America, the British city commands the
services Of her best men, and it POSSESSES
traditions and a pride which are almost
totally absent from the American munich
patty.
The total separation Of municinaI cleo
tons from national political contests
makes It easy to build up purely municipal
parties in England. Voting for a single
official, q member Of the council. the Brit
lsh ratepayer can pay attention solely to
questions Of personnel and policy, and as
a councilman is not required to live In the
ward he represents there is 10 obstacle to
the selection of the best men. As q conse-
Quence, the average British city is free
from corruption, and its servants are able
to give to their employers the most eff
cient service. The ward heller is IN
known. and the public pride in the we'll
being Of the municipality holds the admin
istration Up to Il high standard
So much for the advantages. The other
side of the picture is usually neglected
but as Mr.. Howe has drawn it for us Il
is not pleasant one. Owing to the fact
that only taxpayers vote. the average
municipal government is reduced to a
commercial and cheeseparing basis. and
to an absence Of enterprise in trying new
methods, and In adopting imprOvene nts
that would not be tolerated by the more
generous American democracy. As be-
tween our methods and the democracy
that is always subject to the curb of the
taxpaying class. the former is much TO
be preferred, for we can more easily I'M
prove our personnel than the British can
break away from the sordid and mean
conceptions of duty and policy that have
grown up
Perhaps the greatest disadvantage I'M
der which British cities labor is the
escape OF land from taxation. The plac-
ing of the entire burden upon the cen
ants accounts in part for the unparalleled
poverty and misery of the English city
and this burden appears to be Fixed
irrevocably by ths land-owning class, VINO
control the legislation OF the country. In
Mr.. Howe's opinion, all OF the corrup-
ton Of our councils, all Of the losses to
the public service corporations, all of the
millions which go to excessive street rail-
way fares, gas, and telephone and cleo
tricity charges, are insignificant IN com
paT1sGn with the cost of the dead nand
OF feudalism which casts a blight On the
English city, and throws all of he bur-
dens of taxation upon the tenant and
the poor" 1t is the American free ION
from feudal abuses and the tyranny of
WORKOUT ideas that justifes MS hope
that the American city of the next gen
Grafton will not be the worst, but the
best governed city Of the world.