The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-09-19
being in one and about seventy-fye prt-

being in one and about seventy-five pri- vate uplift agencies in the other.
 What are these uplift conferences go- Ing to do? They have undertaken: CD, to know before they petition or protest CD, to make known to the public, and more particularly their own associates in church and charity, what they learn. by printed statements, conferences and let ters; (S), to ask the public to oppose bud get allowances for 1910 which will obvious ly do harm, and to favor allowances which will stop tuberculosis, ensure cor rect1on of tenement evils, furnish enough playground attendants, policemen, proba- tion officers, kindergartnes, school nur- ses, milk inspectors, etc. They are talk ing the stitch in time that saves nine by showing that a day of intelligent talk about city expenditures in October, be- fore the annual budget in voted, is worth more than a month of indignation the following January or July. They are harnessing the city's millions to their mites in the fight for health, cleanliness. safety and equal opportunity. What they are attempting for New York City can be done for any city and will be done, too, wherever few interested cit- izens ask officials to give them the know
 
 obtainabe in New York
 If you want to study in detail how New York Citys officials take our public into their confidence, perhaps your own mayor or comptroller or editor can tell you. The Bureau of Municipal Research, New York City, will be glad to answer ques- tions from officials or chambers of com- merce or editors. If you are a social trr,o tAa nf ont ciety you would do well to ask Michael M Davis, secretary, 105 East 22nd street, New York, to tell you how the 1910 Bud get Conference Is stirring up and express ing the interest of New York City's up- lift agencies.
 But in your own home. you can do more good by asking a few questions of your city officials than if you were to endow a private hospital.
 l. When is your budget, Or annual ex- pense bill, voted? It is surprising how many good people fancy that money is voted when they pay their tax bill. The time to settle the amount of your tax bill and the good and bad things it shall pay for, is before the budget is voted
 2. Do your city officials write out a careful explanation of the purpose for which they ask funds? Probably not. In many places they say miscellaneous or ''healthf' or schools" In New York City they say, ito stop tuberculosis in tenements-to cure tuberculosis in hospi- tals-to inspect dairies-to run the div ision of child hygiene-to maintain an out-of-door school for consumptive child ren. or children predisposed to tuber- culosis.
 8. Do your officials tell what was spent for each purpose last year? This is your short cut to Knowledge of new things undertaken or extensions of old work.
 f. Do your officials show salary in- creases requested? Probably not. You will never take much interest unless bud get estimates tell which salaries are to be increased. You can then ask why. When trying to get medical inspector for school children, you want to show that it is far more important to have this of- ficer to help thousand children than to increase the salary of ten clerks. Or you may be able to convince your town that cheap service In a tenement isn't necessary, if salary increases are re- fused for stenographers of the depart ments who are already receiving $160O or 5000.
 & Do your officials print budget es- inmates in advance? Probably not Only one or two citizens can study es- inmates if they are not printed. The two budget committees above referred to can get reprints of all the more important estimates to take home for study. They plan particularly to study the 'soclal service items. There will be no ex- cuse this year in New York for writing letters to officials full of guess-work, be- cause facts are at hand.
 G. Do your officials explain and de- fend their requests in public? In New York; the mornings of two weeks are given to this public answer and question, beginning the first week of October. Naturally, there Is the tendency not to ask for things which can not easily be defended; and to ask for things that will look progressive and honest and econ o1nical when the newspapers describe the hearing.
 T. Do your city's taxpayers have a pub- lie hearing on the estimates? After of ficials have said what they want, New York's taxpayers have all the time they need to say what they think of these re- quests. Until recently, officials consid- cred this hearing farce. But now that it is easy for citizens to know what they are talking about, these hearings are very serious opportunities
 8. Do your officials publish their pro- posed, or tentative, budget several days before finally voting on them?
 g. Is there taxpayers hearing on this tentative budget? Probably not This was done in New York last year, and is promised for this year. In fact, this is necessary. Citizens will not pay much attention to any wrong after 1t is too late to correct it. But they will take d very keen interest in wrong that hangs over them and that may be averted by timely protest. Officials, too, will be anxious to avoid step if it's injurious character is perfectly well understood before too late to change it. Surely your mayor will not vote money for provable waste If you offer him the al- formative of saving babies lives with the very same money.
 FOR RENT-1809 Second