The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-09-19
MADE HIM ASHAMED.
Admiral Chadwick Compares Euro
pean to American Cities.

jamestown, Va, Sept 19-At today's
session of the League Of American
Municipalities convention. Rear Ad-
miraI French E Chadwick. United
States navy, spoke in explanation and
advocacy OF the Newport, R. L. system
of municipal government. and also de-
voted a portion of his address to a COM
parison of American and European
forms of city administration. declaring
that the American people had much TO
learn in this respect
The first need in an understanding
of this subject of municipal admins
tration." declared Admiral Chadwick
is realization of the iTnmersfty of
our backwardness in nearly all things
which go to make the we'll organized
well administered town Though We are
all agreed that our municipal conditions
are IN general bad, I do not think that
it is at all generally understood how
very bad they are in compari with
those OF Well ordered. cities in other
countries. l have lately been abroad,
and tried to keep my eyes open as to
what IS doing in Europe. and I must
say that the resulting feeling was one
or deep modification when 1 called I'D
a recollection of some of our own CON
dftfons- Germany in particular does
for the public. in gardens. parks. orna-
mental waters and other means OF en-
5oyment for the mass. what, we. with
a Few exceptions. scarcely attempt
American towns as rule have s;mp-
through a long series OF years for the
benef1t of seekers after political power
or for what We have come to call graft
thto, have sat IT.. in grumbling humor
energy or public spirit to free cur
selves
The situation which we are attack
Ing is one OF unparalleled national dis
grace. Praise of our supposed inteIIi-
gence and energy is wholly MISPLACED
until we shall produce a change. Char
acter Is the first of products and IN
III we shaI. as people, stand on a
plane of honesty and earnestness for
the public good, our self-satisfactiou is
but as Dead Sea fruit The living fact
IS that our backwardness in city ad-
mtnistration is due to our want of ma
tional backbone, and to a want Of that
widespread intelligence which we are
too wont to boast as being ours in a
very high degree.
After such study as I have been
able to give the subject. I have be-
come convinced that the main cause
of our failure is in placing city ad-
mlnistratioH- a profession which de-
mands thorough knowledge and ex-
perience, in the hands of haphazarO.
short-term men. A mayor with US is
the accident of day; the same may
be said of all the rest of our officiaIs
Their only real knowledge as a RUE
is the game of politics and they natu-
rally play to keep in power. A change
to a greater permaneney of office
among our technical officials parti-
cularly is thus our primal need This
necessity is everywhere else recogniz-
ed Taking English procedure, we
find the actual administration wholly
in the hands of technical experts,
who, I would also add. are called
from any part OF the country
But 1t is Germany which recognize
ed In the greatest degree the business
aspect of municipal administration,
and it is to Germany that We must go
to find its highest and best develop
ment The mayor in Germany is a
mayor by profession, a highly trained
and experienced city administrator.
He may be called, If he acquires a
reputation, from city to city. He is in
fact an employee
After discussing briefly the Calves
ton and Des Moines systems, and crit
licking the former as an almost entire
separation of the people from their
civic duties. Admiral Chadwick con-
.aThe system adopted in Newport,
r. l.. and very successful thus far In
its operation, Is in a great degree a re-
turn to popular government 1t is
when analysed system of a small
body of administrators, six in all, who
are completely responsible for the
manner in which administration is
carried on But all power of taxation.
appropriation or funds. appointment
to the more important city offices is in
the hands of a body Of 1s5 which we
call the representative council. In
principle the system is not unlike that
of Washington. where there is an
executive commission of three men
appointed by the PRESIDENT and sub
jeet to congress There is no analogy
whatever between the Washington
usage and the Galveston plan. The
Washington commission has not pIen-
airy powers any more than has the
board of aldermen at Newport Tho
latter as well as Washington is the
Galveston or the Des Moines system,