The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-04-21

Danville, Va, April 20.
Home Rule in English Cities.

American cities by Horace e. DEM
ing, of the New York bar, who liz
chairman of the executive committee
of the National Municipal League and
a high authority on municipal char
ter legislation.)
To citizen of the United States.
the municipal history of England is
perhaps more informing and sugges-
tive than any other of the countries
of western Europe.
In 1885 each English city had its
special charter. There was the same
hewildering variety of structural plan
that is found in the United States.
Misgovernment and inefficiency were
universal. Corruption was very pre-
valent. In the conduct OF city gov
ernmenf the will OF the governed
found little and usually no express
sion. To-day, more than one-half of
the inhabitants OF England and
Wales, exclusive of London. which
has a special government of It's own.
dwell In more than three hundred
cities, large and small, each of which
Is to a marked extent a genuine self
governing community that conducts
It's local affairs successfully under the
provisions of one general municipal
corporations act tpassed in 1885 and
revised in 1882.
This does not mean that each city
is exactly like every other in the de-
tails of its administrative organiza-
tion--each city arranges these in its
own discretion-bu 1t does mean that
the English system of city government
Is at once simple and comprehensive
that it has successfully withstood the
searching practical test OF daily ex-
perience under every variety OF cir
| cumstance for seventy years, and has
proved itself admirably adapted al
every stage Of their growth to the
needs OF cities of widely varying
characteristics, small and large. mari
time and inland.
In practice the members of the
council who render conspicuously
good service to the locality are sure
OF "A long tenure. They are elected
and Reelected term after term. In
stances are numerous of members
who have been in Office continuously
for twenty years or even longer. I" =
The men of ability and reputation
elected to these local boards and
charged with full responsibility to the
local electorate for the exercise of large
| powers that directly and vitality af-
ed local administrative organizations
based upon a thorough going applica-
| tion of the merit principle in APP
! pointment, tenure and promotion.
| The council of an English city
through it's committee directs the en-
tire city administration. 1t has com
| plete power to organize the city's ad-
ministrative service in any manner II
chooses; decides into what depart.
ments that service shall be divided
establishes the Jurisdiction of each
and fixes the duties. salaries, tenures
OF the department officials. There Ii
no administrative matter so large al
to be beyond the scope of the coun.
ellis power or so minute as to escape
| it's control.
The fundamental principles of de.
| mocracy have been applied to the So
luton of the problem of city govern.
ment with greater thoroughness III
England than in any other country.
| The central government In England
| has found 1t entirely possible to Sc.
| cure from the cities due recognition
| of its superior authority in proper
cases, and at the same time to pre-.