The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1907-09-21
Plans Discussed by League
Of municipalities
UNIQUE AND SUCCESSFUL
System in Washiugton--Gcod Lessons
for Us in Eroupean Countries-An
Intelligent and WeIl-Informed
Electorate Needed.

Norfolk, Vas Sept. 2l.-"American
towns as rule have simply been the
subjects Of exploitation for the benefit
Of seekers after political power or for
what we have come to call graft. We
have sat in grumhiing humor through
out this era without sufficient energy
or public spirit to free ourselves" Ad-
miral Chadwick, q. S. NJ, told the
League Of American Municipalities at
the jamestown fair.
4The situation which we are attack.
ing IS one Of unparalleled national dis.
grace. Until we shall, as a people,
stand on plane Of honesty and earnest
ness for the public good, our self-satis-
faction is but as dead sea fruit. The
living fact Is that our backwardness IN
city administration is due to our want
Of national backbone, and to want Of
that widespread intelligence which VIC
are too wont to boast as being ours in a
very high degree.
The main cause OF our failure Is in
placing city administration, a profess
sion which demands thorough knowledge
and experience, in the hands of haphaz-
ard. shortterm men. mayor with us
i the accident Of a day; the same may
be said Of all the rest Of our officials.
Their only real knowledge, as rule,
is the game Of politics, aud they natu-
rally play to keep in power A change
to a great permanently of Office among
our technical officials particularly is thus
our primal need
"The mayor in Germany is o mayor
BY profession, a highly trained and ex-
perienced city administrator lie may
be called, If he acquires reputation,
from city to city. He Is in fact an EN-,
ploye"
After discussing briefly the Galveston
and Des Moines systems, and eriticising
the former as au almost entire separa.
tion Of the people from their civic du-
ties, Admiral Chadwick continuedi
THE system adopted in Newport, r.
l., is in a great degree a return to pop
ular government Ii Is a system OF six
administrators who are completely re-
sponsible for the manner in which the
administration is carried on. But all
power of taxation. appropriation OF the
funds, appointment TO the more impor-
tant city offices, is in the hands of a
body Of IDS. which we call the Represen.
tatiye Council"
William II. Allen, secretary Of the
bureau Of municipal research, New York,
declared that the cities OF the United
States owe a debt OF gratitude to Gal.
weston and Des Moines for having caused
the country TO consider seriously the de-
fects Of existing city charters. But it
should not be forgotten that the advo-
Gates Of government by commission have
heretofore failed 20 recognize three fun.
damental facts;
8iisgovemment in a democracy Is due
primarily to ignorance on the part Of
the general public as TO official acts and
community needs.
Misgoyernment by commission Is pos
sible because the commission plan of it.
self does not insure intelligence on the
part Of the general public as to gov.
eminent results and community needs.
Hundreds Of communities in the Unit.
ed States, including New York city,
are now being misgoyerned by commits
sions.
J. NJ Head, former mayor of Nash
VILE said;
"An absurdity under which our city
governments have labored is the idea
that our cities are mere branches or
arms Of the state government, and have
and can exercise no powers except as
the state Legislature may from time to
time permit.
There is not an instance where city
officials have betrayed their trust, where
this rottennegs, incompetency and inef-
iiciency in the administration of city af.
fairs cannot be traced directly or indi.
rcctly TO the pornioious influence Of the
public service corporation"
Commissioner West presented an ac-
count OF the system under which the
District Of Columbia is governed. he
said
"masmuch as there IS no political in.
iluoncc to keep undeserving men upon
the force and as the proof Of wrong.do-
ing results in instant dismissal, the POI
lice department IS singularly free from
scandal, aud does its work in quiet
and effective manner"