New-York tribune., 1911-01-22

without the assistance Of city employees,
| the work being done by outside investi-
! gators. who. through Professor Com
mons. have promised to give the results
| Of their investigation to the city. Pro-.
| fessor Commons was engaged some
months ago by the city administration 10
| try to devise a unit system Of estimating
cost of purchases for the city along lines
which would make instantly evident the
waste of city money in any department.
| Much has already been done by the
| administra ton toward placing the city
! administration on a business basis. The
employment OF city purchasing agent
being the first such step. The purchas-
| ing agent has already demonstrated the
value of such an official by making great
changes I'm the manner of buying goods
for the city, especially standard require
ments. for ne now buys any required ar
ticle in bulk sufficient to supply all Of
the city departments
In times gone by the Fire Department
did its own purchasing. and So did the
Police Department, though the require
ments might be the same. The new pur-
chasing agent has already, by combin-
ing his orders, made a great saving by
buying in larger quantities. This was
the first step toward the unit cost sys-
TEN. but the system will be slow of de-
velopment, as it will require an entire
change in the present methods or oper-
ating all city departments.
Milwaukee's corps of housewife cops
will be a unique police body-nearly as
remarkable as the regular police force. II
the administration carries out It's plan
OF putting the finest" in shirt waists In
the summer months and Of deprtving
them of their bilies and guns. The ad-
ministration believes that the policeman
should be "the friend OF the public. not
the oppressor," and Mayor Seidel wants
to have officers taken off beats and sta
toned in certain frequented spots, like
the schoolhouses, so that when police
man is wanted every one will know
where to get him.
The housewife cop" however. will be
OF different order, and will be recruited
as soon as the Health Department can
have a civil service examination. The
women are to be used to inspect
bakeries. milk shops and such places at
the start, but later will be scattered
about the city to inspect households and
find if housewives have unsanltary
methods OF conducting their establish
ments.
The socialist administration has over
| turned so many historical political tradi-
| tions of the Milwaukee City Hall that !,
| was inevitable that there should be some
/ unexpected and some humorous results
This is the more likely because in the
City Council there is majority OF mem
? hers who are workingmen by trade
) The Mayor himself is a pattern make
1 by trade. though he had advanced to be
r come a manufacturer and an employe
= of labor before he became Mayor. q
< the socialist aldermen, who compris
= almost three-quarters of the Commol
f Council, nearly all are Workingmen
. Two are physicians, but the leaders ar
= nearly all men who are craftsmen o
| some sort or other, from printers to car
penters and masOns.
These men won prominence In thei
party during the years when their onl!
. public experience was in the socialis
meetings, where they are all known a
, comrades" So it was not surprising
the first meeting OF the new Common
Council when Alderman Melms, presi
dent of the body and state organizer TO
, his party. recognized one of his socialis
associates who rose to address the chat
as "Comrade." The word brought ;
, roar of laughter from the galleries, anC
; Alderman Melms flushed a little as h
. corrected his salutation to Alderman
: Berger"
I Berger led the last campaign in NOR
= senses than one. While it must be ad
| mitted that the socialists in many re
f spects are attempting great civic re
forms. they have made mistakes
| Though sincere, they are not alway
, wise. The hardest battle of the social
, lists in the last election was to meet an
, explain the charges against their loyalt
$ as citizens. At the last meeting befor
g the election, German imported speake
s declared: