The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-10-12
GOVERNMENT OF CITIES THEME
 OF DISCUSSION 5. E. Vincent and s. Arthur MetZger Talk to Business
 Mems Association MT. Vincens Describes Splendid City Governments He Saw |.
 on Trip Abroad


 field. With over 100 in attendance, all of whom proved themselves to be in- tensely interested in the many live problems discussed. the dinner was de- ciared to be a great success and it is probable that more affairs on a simi- lar plan will be arranged in the near future.
 President Frank w. Bolande of the association rapped the gathering to order after a very excellent menu had been disposed of. He briefly out lined the purpose of the meeting and then introduced Mayor Edward T. Buckingham
 Mayor Buckingham declared that he was interested in the question of com mission government, but not commit ted to it, and was one of those who are waiting to be enlightened.
 II shan't take up much of your time in speech making tonight" declared the mayor. for I know you don't come to hear me, and anyway, you'n probably be tired of hearing me be- fore I get through speechmaking in the next four weeks"
 Mayor Buckingham then compliment ed the Business Mems association very highly, both on the important part it had taken in the enactment of the Public Utilities legislation at the last session. and on the spirit shown by the members of the association and it's energetic president in holding such ''get together dinners as the present one and devoting their time and ser ious attention to the municipal prob lems of the day. .
 President Bolande then introduced Samuel E. Vincent as the next speak CT. MT. Bolande referred to MT. Vim cents active personal service in pror rmoting the Public Utilities legislation. He hailed MT. Vincent as a coming vice president of the State Business Mems associa tion a remark which was received with applause.
 Mir. Vincent in opening told with what pleasure he had received a ca blegram in London from the Bridge port association, telling Of the vic tory achieved in the passage of the Public Utilities bill. He explained that the receipt of this bill was one of the little things of life which loom up big on ones mental horizon. He then launched into an exceptionally inter- esting account of his travels abroad as a member of the committee of 100 representing the various business bod ies chambers of commerce, board of trades. of New England and some of the other states.
 Owing to the mass of facts which he had compiled by careful study dur ing his trip abroad MT. Vincent felt obliged to touch upon each point as briefly as possible. He first outlined the wonderful receptions accorded to the visitors by their European hosts. and the splendid spirit of hospitality and brotherhood that seemed to pre- vail in the big European municipali- ties that received the American visi- tors.
 He then touched upon the various systems of government. particularly municipal government showed the ad- vanta ges of the European system, cit ed the results accomplished, and then, quoted the European criticisms of the American system, most of which ap- peared unanSwerable.
 Devoting some considerable time to the wonderfully efficient city govern ments of Germany, Mr. Vincent said that the ~ German economic students declare that the root of all good gov ernment lies in interesting the masses of people in the government The only way in which this interest can be aroused. it has been found, is in mak- ing the taxes as direct as possible through income taxes, etc, so that the people can tangibly see the tax money leaving their pockets. Then they take powerful interest in it's disposal. and the result is the elimination of graft and the beginning of scientific and efficient city government. He COZ trasted this method with the taxation system in vogue in this country in which all of the taxes are taken so that the mass of the voters never realize it and consequently are indifferent as to the disposition of the tax money.
 The political awakening which has followed this system, MT. Vincent showed has produced wonderful re- sults Every department of govern ment in a German city is managed by s>.1 but hired for their efficiency. Most of these experts are men tre ned for the purpose and advance from one city to another accordingly as their services grow in demand. While man. hood suffrage does not exist, as it does in this country, and the voters are divided according to the amount of taxes paid it is found that this does not result disadvanta geously to the workingmen, for Germany was the first country in the world to enact a Workmen's Compensation law. old aged pensions and similar legislation.
 Mr. Vincent dwelt several times upon the importance of awakening the political consciousness of the mass of the people, as a means of good gov ernment. He then cited the Europ- can criticisms of our American Sys- tems of the city government. He said he had been unable to answer
 
 in the audience to attempt the task, but no one responded.
 MT. Vincent also spoke of the Eng fish systems of city goVernment and particularly of the police work there. of which he was delegated to make special study. He was high in the praise of the police there. He said that in appearance and physique the English bobby does not compare with the American officer, but on the other hand that the police methods in England are superior to the methods in vogue here, and the fact that the police of the United Kingdom form practically one great department, in- stead of countless separate depart ments as in this country, is a great aid to police efficiency.
 In conclusion, MT. Vincent said that while he listened to the criticisms of America, he decided to give his friends "the devil' but at the same time made a reservation that the next time he prayed he would get on his knees a little lower than ever and thank God that he Nas born an American
 He urged the earnest co-opera tion of all public spirited citizens and the forgetting of party ties hnd lines, to aid in bringing about a betterment of governmental conditions in this colin- try
 President Bolande next introduced J., Chamber of Commerce, one of the men who were instrumental in bring ing about the present form of commits