Evening star., 1909-06-18
thority should be clearly located. defined
and limited"
Extension of Eligibility.

Extension of Eligibility.
Continuing Mr.. Reynolds said a salary
of $4,000 year for a governor would
not be too large, in view of the Official
and semi-official reuirements of the po-
sition. AS to the extension of eligibility
to enable the President to appoint a man
from another city than Washington, Mr.
Reynolds said this plan was followed by
German cities. which chose for their
mayors men who had successfully con-
quoted the affairs of smaller cities; by
business concerns who imported men to
run their affairs, and by educational insti-
tutlons. with marked success. He would
not urge such extension of eligibility, he
added. as an essential change. but he fav-
ored II strongly. AS notable instance in
american municipalities, he cited the case
or COL George E. Waring as street clean
ng commissioner of New York.
A man coming from the outside, Nj.
reynolds remarked, comes free fIom pre-
JUDGES and makes up by the FRESHNESS of
his viewpoint what he lacks in knowledge
of local conditions. The District of Co.
lumbia. he said, might do we'll to have
FOR Its executive head man who had
successfully conducted the government
of some smaller city in the capacity of
mayor.
Organization Of Departments.
With regard to the organization Of the
various departments, Mr.. Reynolds said:
This plan proposes seven commission
ers. each the clearly recognized head of
a department in place of three commits
sioners having partial authority over two
or more departments. The following de-
partments would thus be created: Depart
ment of health. department of police and
fire. department of street engineer, de-
partment of charities, department of cor
rectlons, department of buildings and
public works, department of housing and
labor. These might be reduced to five.
but the reduction would involve some un-
desirable and incongruous combinations.
When the present form Of the District
government was made permanent in 1878.
the total population of the District was
100000. In 1880 the population of the Dis
trict of Columbia was in round numbers
177.OO0: in 1890. 23O 900; in 1905. 323, 600.
1t is now probably not less than 100000.
The governmental machinery of a city
whose population has increased by over
1UO per cent certainly needs unbiased ex-
animation to determine whether in the in
terest of efficient administration and Of
the public welfare fundamental changes
are not needed in the governmental ma
chinery to adequately meet it's enlarged
responsibilities. OF course this service if
established will be somewhat more costly
than the present machinery, but / sub
init to you as business men that the
proposition is not disposed of by that adj
mission.
"The main question is whether the eff
f1ciency of the service will be increased
by such changes, and whether they are
warranted by the enlarged amount Of
the business to be handled. 1t is my
belief that the increase in business Of
the city government does demand a
thorough reconstruction of its machinery
and that that machinery should take the
form which, on the whole, has proved
most satisfactory in the cities Of our
country of similar size.
"The increase in the work of the city
departments and the increasing impor-
tance and seriousness of the problems to
be solved demand a proportionate in
crease In the salary TO be paid to their
executives. And such chiefs should re-
ceive adequate authority to administer
the affairs of their departments