Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-01-16
his FAME ENDURING HAS MODEL C|T|ES
Frankns Honors Second Only Germans Municipal Govern
to Those Of Washington. merits Simple and Practical
BIRTHDAY IS TOMORROW RUN IN BUSINESS WAY
How the Occasion Was Celebrated No Politics Selecting Mayor and
Years Ago. Members Of Council
BANQUETs AND SPEECHES CITIZENS DO THEIR PART
Park Profession Strive
PleaseC
No Politics in Selecting Mayor and
Members Of Council.
CITIZENS DO THEIR PART
Burgomasters Make Their Work a
Profession and Strive to
Please Constituents.
BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS.

| BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS.
Written for The Star and the Chicago Record
Herald.
! New York, Boston, Chicago. Minneapolis
and other great American cities might
do we'll to adopt the German system of
municipal government. which is much
| simpler, more centralized and practical
than the commission plan. 1t is very
! much the same as the system Of manag
| ment of great railways and nanufactur-
| ing corporations, and consists of board
| Of directors Getty counciD elected by the
| stockholders daXpayers), who appoint a
general manager (mayorl, general super
| intendent, division superintendent, chief
| engineer, treasurer, auditor and other
executives to carry out the will Of the
stockholders as expressed through the
| board of directors. The latter is composed
of business men representing the most
| important interests in the city; the gen
| cral manager and his associates are pro-
fessonal administrators, who have spent
their lives preparing themselves to per-
form their duty, have begun in low ana
unimportant positions, and have been
promoted from time to time because OF
their merit and efficiency. There Is no
| politics in their choice; they are selected
as the ScneTdI manager Oh runway ="
selected, because they are the most COM
petent men available, and they perform
| their duties without regard TO the erect
upon the next election.
The entire German municipal system
is as far removed from political influences
as can be, although now and then in
Berlin tine emperor Quits in and en-
deavors to make the common council ana
the burgomaster do as he thinks Is right
and proper without regard TO their own
r,fYain nS
Usually the city council and the burgo-
master yield to his wishes promptly, pc
cause they realize that he will nave MS
way in the end, but in several matters
they have fought him and have shown
an independence OF spirit that Is highly
commendable.
If the German plan should be applied
to New York for example. there would
be no Tammany Hall: there Wouid DC
no Matchmaking by the police and no
political contractors.
Divided Into Three Glasses.
For the purpose Of electing the board
Of directors, that is, the city council. the
stockholders of a German city are divided
into three classes to represent the first
third, the second third and the remainder
Of the taxpayers. The highest taxpayers,
whose assessments represent one-third
of the revenues of the city, such as large
real estate owners, railways and other
corporations, vote separately and eject
one-third of the members of the council
| The merchants. the smaller manufactur-
ers, and other middle-class taxpayers,
who pay the second third of the public
revenues, elect another one-thfrd or the
members OF the council; while the re-
| naming taxpayers and all persons VINO
| take out licenses and contribute in other
! ways to the public revenues elect the re-
| naming one-third. This shuts out the
| floating population and prohibits every
| man who does not pay something toward
| the expense of administration from par
| ticipating in municipal affairs
No votes need be bought, for every man
| has an equal interest in economy and in
| the securing of the best public service
| that can possibly be obtained. The paw
| ing. the lighting, the police. the building
regulations the cleaning of the streets.
| the schools, the park system and all
| phases of municipal administration are
| entirely divorced from politics. and the
| mayor and his cabinet. the heads or the
different departments. the chief of police,
| commissioner of public works the super
| intendent OF paving and street cleaning,
and all the other executives are beyond
| the influence of politics, because they
| have contracts for q term or yeass, WIN
| the assurance that they will be renewed
in case their services are satisfactory.
| The mayor is elected by the city coun-
| ell just as the general manager or
railway is elected by the board OF di-
rectors, and they select the best man
] they can find for the business. Munich
nal administration in Germany is a pro-
! fession, as much the law Or medi1
| .lne, and when young man takes a
| position under q municipal government
&c decides whether he will make that
aiS career.
Secures Promotion by Merit.
If he determines to do so he endeav-
ors to secure promotion by merit. As
soon as possible he obtains an appoint
ment as burgomaster OF a small city.
When he once gets start in that way
| he endeavors to conduct himself in such
| q manner as to attract the attention OF
l larger cities, and when vacancies occur
| in municipal offices committees from city
COUNCILS are appointed to select persons
| to fill them either by promotion or Sc
lection. They go about investigating the
records of young men whQ have distin-
cuisi1ed themselves in the management
or small municipalities, just as COM
| m;ttee from a church whose pulpit is
vacant goes about looking for a preach
er. When they hear of brilliant young
man they hear him preach, inquire into
| his disposition and temperament, and II
thew are convinced that he is the proper
SORT OF man for their church they give
him a call.
Railway managers are selected in the
game way, either by promotion or by
calling some one who has made sue
cess in less important position. The
| same rule applies to the entire staff Of