The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1909-07-29
Assenblyman Estabrook Makes
Demand for Better Men in
Office in the Cities
URGES CIVIL SERVICE RULE
Interesting Papers Are Read Before
the Wisconsin Officials in
Session at Marinetta
This Week

Some very interesting papers IN re-
lation to the government of Wiscon-
sin cities were read before the Wis
consin League of Municipalities in
session at Marinette OH Thursday
among the speakers being Assembly
man c. E. Estabrook, chairman of the
committee on cities in the recent SEES
sion of the legislature, and Glenway
Maxon who has made a close study of
civil service as applied to cities:
"Good government is largely, if not
entirely, matter Of getting the right
man elected" said Mr.. Estabrook in
the course Of his address. "This will
not only eliminate the rogue, but the
purely good fellow tribe If the
right men are not elected, no charter
or constitution will enable the public
to get good results.
'EWhat percentage Of the electors
select candidate for the Council on
the score Of the Candidates ability
to discharge the duties Of the position
with efficiency? The real contest cen
ters around the candidate for mayor,
city clerk, attorney, controller and
treasurer. The fact is that it makes
little difference whether A or B is
elected. The Council is the lawmak-
ing body. The makeup of that body
determines largely the character of
your municipal government for effici-
ency. In my judgment the reported
phenomenal success of the so-called
Galveston plan and the Des Moines
plan is simply because the attention
of the voters was directed to the SUI
preme Importance Of selecting the
right men for membership in the Com
mon Council.
"What we need is change in our
law, so that the voter can concentrate
his efforts on election day to the Sc
lection Of the right men for the Com
mon Council elected from the city and
for the city, not from part of the
city. This ism It novel doctrine. The
experiences of the cities named fully
Justify the claims made.
After discussing city government
from historical point of view Mr..
Maxon taking up the civil service in
connection Herewith, argued that the
same etnclency demanded from appoin-
tees should be demanded from elective
/ officers
81 am firmly convinced that to OBJ
tain the best results under merit sys-
TEN, the higher administrative Offices
should be made appointive and select
ed from an eligible list he said.
The mayor, as in some European cities,
should be chosen from among those
who have proven their ability to per-
form TIE duties Of the Office without
regard to his national politics or form
er place of residence. The best re-
suits can not be obtained so long as
the great body of subordinates is re-
CURED to possess high degree of
ability and excellency and to observe
all the rules that are necessary to
maintain the service, while the heads
of the departments are left free to
play at their game of pontics, to de-
moralize the force and to ridicule and
embarrass the civil service commits
sion in the discharge Of it's duty. -
In this connection Mr. Maxon argu-
ed for thorough investigation by a
civil service board into the fitness of
each candidate for, the office he de-
sires to stand for to ascertain whether
his qualifications are such as to make
it reasonably certain that he can adj
minister the Office with efficiency.
"The plea that the absolute power
of removal is essential to prevent in
subordination, is not sound,' continu-
ed Mr. Maxon. cit rests upon the
hypothesis that there are two kinds of
public service and consequently two
kinds Of loyalty. Now the superior
\ officer and the subordinate officer are
co-employes of the same master. There
can, in the nature of things, be no
duty to the superior officer separate
and apart from the duty which the
subordinate owes to the public. The
performance Of this duty includes the
performance of every possible duty to
the superior officer upon the principle
that the greater contains the less.
Once admit that there is another or
different service, and there arises a
conflict of interests in the superior
officer; viz: his personal or party in
terests with that of the public, and
in this contest, as human nature is
constituted, the public interest will be
sacrificed.
IF the subordinate fails in the dis
charge of his duty, he should re sum
marily removed but he should at least
have the right to have this essential
and important question determined by
an impartial tribunal. There should
be no delays and no appeal, and the
doubts, if any should be solved in
favor of the removing officer.
"Rotation of Office in our large
#cities is out of the question. 1t leads