St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1908-01-01
How British Cities Man
age Public Utilities
The Municipal Ownership Lies
the Unimpeachabe Honesty and Civic Zeal of City officials
By FREDERICK UPHAM ADAM
Copyright 1904, by Frederick Upham AdamsI

TdlStu W lis pluCe anu new one tleCt-
ed. There are twenty-six wards, and
each one has three councillors and an
alderman, making a legislative body Of
104 members. Elections for councillors
seldom that a man is opposed who has
shown himself a capable representative.
The changes are so slight that the coun-
Gil is to all intents and purposes a per
manent assembly.
The scope of the work relegated to
the council is family indicated by the
titles of the standing committees, which
are as follows: Art gallery, baths
and washhouses cleansing, electricity,
finance, gas, improvements and build
ings, markets, parks and cemeteries,
paving, sewering and highways, public
free library, rivers, sanitary, town hall,
tramways, police and waterworks.
There are also special committees on
technical instruction, aided institutions,
ALLEGATION of gas profits, collection Of
rents, electrolytic action upon pipes and
mains, Manchester Bnyal infrmary,
MaarrsE3G To cesG5 eeass4ssescs Ind
venkHl9aeA q @%@A
Each Of the standing committees has
from three to twelve subcommittee,
the vast work Of the council being thus
divided among the 104 members, each
one being held responsible for the
faithful performance of one or more
specific duties. The plan in its entirety
is in almost every particular superior
to the prevailing organization of kin
dred bodies in the United States. do
not believe that there is an elective
body in this country which can com
pare with the city council of Manches-
ter in the matter Of organization and
in executive capacity The plain truth
of the matter is that, compared with
Manchester and Glasgow, our Ameri
can cities are the merest noyices in the
science and practice of municipal gov
eminent.
| had an interesting talk with our
American consul in one Of the larger
cities of Great Britain Our conversa-
ton was confidential, and his name and
station are not material.
what is the secret Of the success of
municipal ownership in this city| l
asked.
"The unimpeachable honesty and civ
lc zeal Of the members of the city coun-
Gil and back Of them an honest and
Jealous body of electors was his I'M
hestating response. THAT Is all that
is secret or mysterious about it. So
far as a system Of checks or of book
keeping Is concerned there is nothing
to prevent the officials from stealing
the city blind. Any Of the cliques in
our great cities would loot this town
and drive it into bankruptcy in year.
1t would be like handing the keys Of a
safe to a burglar and promising him
immunity from arrest. But the citi-
Zens Of this place elect men whom it
century suspicion has never been di-
rected against a member of this city
council Public ownership is a success
here. but that does not imply that it
would be one in the United States.
The conditions a~e entirely different"
"By which 200 mean that the stand
ard of morality and Of civic conscious
ness is higher here than in the United
StatesF' | ventured
"You may draw your own cOnclu-
sions." he said Most of your readers
will not believe your statement that
there is such an institution as an hon
est and patriotic city council, and, new
er having seen one they are not to be
blamed for such unbelef"
From this gentleman and from others
l learned that with the increase in the
responsibilities assumed by the vari-
Gus cities there has occurred a CORE
spending change in the personnel Of
the municipal councils. The acquiring
of street railways, gas works, electric
light and power plants and the cree
ton Of dwellings for the working
classes have caused the electors to seek
as councillors men whose life work and
business interests have been along the
same lines. Vacancies are filled with
architects. manufacturers, mechanical
engineers and others familiar with the
enterprises in which the city has In
vested millions Of pounds.
The statement has repeatedly been
made in the United States by certain
writer's that those who have the direct
management of these municipal enter
prises serve without pay This is not
true. The aldermen and councillors as
well as the mayor and other officials
do not receive penny in compensation
for their services, and their duties de-
mand large share of their time ut
the general managers and superb nd
ents of tramways, gas plants and other
undertakings receive the same or more
pay than would be awarded to them
were they employed for private rather
than public corporations. The council
committees select these men, and they
search the world for the most capable
experts and exc 'utlves at the COM
mand Of salaries. Not the slightest
preference is given to local ability Sc
lections are made on the same principle 4
which guides private board OF direct
ors in search of manager who Is
capable of increasing the efficiency of
a plant and of adding to the revenues
The active heads of the great repro.
ductlve municipal departments In