Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1907-09-20

into law.
81 sincerely trust and believe that this
form Of city government will prove that
in fact as we'll as in theory<'a govern
ment of the people, by the people and for
| the people can be sustained, that under
it human liberty will be preserved and
that such government will not perish from
| the earth"
An address was made by Rear Admiral
| Chadwick, who took a decided stand
against municipal government by COM
mission.
Admiral Chadwick spoke in explanation
and advocacy of the Newport, r. l., sys-
tenn of municipal government, and also
devoted portion of his address to a DOM
parison Of American and European forms
| of city administration, declaring that the
American people had much to learn In this
respect.
Europe Better
1.-THE first need in an understanding of
this subject of municipal administration"
declared Admiral Chadwick, lis a realiza-
ton of the immensely of our backward
ness in nearly all things which go to make
the well organized, well administered
town. Though we are all agreed that our
municipal conditions are in general bad
1 do not think that it is at all generally
understood how very bad they are in COM
parison with those of well ordered cities
in other countries.
ST have lately been abroad, and kept
my eyes open as to what is doing in
Europe, and 1 must say that the resulting
feeling was one of deep modification
when called up recollection of some OF
our own conditions. Germany in particu-
lar does for the public, in gardens, parks,
ornamental waters and other means of
enjoyment for the masses, what we, with
a few exceptions, scarcely attempt.
American towns as a rule have simply
been the subject of exploitation through
a long series of years for the benefit of
seekers after political power or for what
we have come to call graft. We have
sat in grumbling humor throughout this
era without sufficient energy or public
spirit to free ourselves.
National Disgrace
1.-THE situation which are are attack
ing is one of unparalleled national dis
grace. Praise of our supposed intelligence
and energy is wholly misplaced until we
shall produce a change. Character is the
first of products, and until We shall, as
people, stand on a plane of honesty |
and earnestness for the public good our
dissatisfaction is but as Dead sea fruit.
The living fact is that our backwardres s
in city administration is due to our want
of national 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 1 have. been able |
to give the subject, 1 have become con-
WINGED that the main cause of our failure |
is in placing city administration, a pro-
fession which demands thorough knowl-
edge and experience in the hands of |
haphazard, short-term men. mayor
with us is the accident of day; the
same may be said of all the rest of our
officials. Their only real knowledge as a
rule Is the game of politics and they
naturally play to keep in power. A change
to greater permanency of office among
our technical officials particularly is thus
our primal need. This necessity is every
where else recognized. Taking English
procedure, we find the actual administra-
ton wholly in the hands of technical |
experts, who, would also add, are called
from any part of the country.
Look to Germany
''But it is Germany which recognizes
in the greatest degree the business aspect
of municipal administration, and 1t is
to Germany that we must go to find
its highest and best development. The
mayor in Germany is a mayor by pro-
fession, 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 Galveston |
and Des Moines systems, and crticisipg |
the former as an almost entire separation
Of the people from their civic duties,
Admiral Chadwick continued:
1.-THE system adopted in Newport, r. l.,
and very successful thus far in its oper-
alton, is in a great degree return to
n0nYl1Qr mo lie rvh on zad /
a system of a small body of administrat-
ors, six in all, who are completely re-
sponsfble for the manner in which adj
ministration is carried on. But all power
of taxation, appropria ton of funds, ap-
pointment to the more important city Of
fees is in the hands of a body of 1876,
which we call the representative council.
In principle the system is not unlike that
of Washington where there is an ex-
ecutive commission of three men ap-
pointed by the president and subject to
congress. There is no analogy whatever
between the Washington usage and the
Galveston plan. The Washington COM
mission has not plenary powers any more
than has the board of aldermen at New
port. The latter as we'll as Washington
is the Galveston or the Des Moines sys-
tenn plus large popular supervising |
BODY
Vital Defect
Admiral Chadwick declared the Des |
Moines charter to be long step from |
the crudity of the Galveston system. Its
vital defect. in his view, is in leaving |
the whole money power in the hands of |
one small body of men. He continued
''The essential difference between Des |
Moines and Newport is that in the latter |
there is an entire separation of the |
spending power from the power authoriz- |
ing expenditure. This, however, is deep
and vital difference; a difference the ne
cessity of which has world wide recogni- |
ton. The whole evolution of government |
has been toward such check"
William H. Allen, secretary of the |
bureau of municipal research, New York |
declared that the cities of the United |
States owe debt of gratitude to Gal |
weston and Des Moines for having |
caused the country to consider seriously |
the defects of existing city charters, but |
that 1t should not be forgotten that the |
advocates of government by commission |
have heretofore failed to recognize three |
fundamental facts: Msgovernment in, q |
democracy is due primarily to ignorance 1
on the part of the general public as to