New-York tribune., 1912-01-08
WHAT RESEARCH HAS DONE
Bureau Issues Report of Its Six
Years of Activity.
EXPENDITURES, $417,115
City Departments Reorganized,
Abuses Corrected and Larger
Benefits" Set Forth.

OenenIS get FOrGn.
The Bureau OF Municipal Research will
issue to-day a detailed report OF its six
years of activity. In this period the bureau
has received $402,9OO from public-spirited
men and women for municipal research in
New York City and has spent sl7.1l5. but
the report explains that the total of ex-
penses is greater than the total OF receipts.
as given. because the expense total includes
payment from the Metz Fund, from the re-
ceipts OF pamphlet sales and from amounts
received from individuals and various or
ganizations in payment for specific UNDER
taklngs, amounts not included in the $402,-
800. The bureau estimates that for work
which it regards as Indispensable in 1912 1t
will need $S76OO, which is $4,000 less than
| II spent in 1911.
THE sums spent for greater New York
through the bureau are large" says the
report in its foreword. Yet they seem in
finitesimal when compared either with the
billion-odd dollars spent by that city In the
same time. or with the results directly and
Indirectly tracedble TO the bureaus con-
tinued activities during six short years"
4 few OF the larger benefits" OF munich
pal research in New York the report sets
forth az follows:
Establishment Of the principle that the
majority has no right TO impose wasteful
and incompetent government uron the mi
nOrity, through the removal by Governor
Hughes of Borough President Ahearn on
evidence Of Incompetence and waste nrst
furnished by the bureau.
Reorganization OF the Department Of
Finance with notable improvements in lts
methods of inspection, audit. payment, col
| lection, reports, etc.
Accounting revision for all city depart
ments, with beginnings Of time sheets and
service recorGs as the basis for auditing
Budget reform. budget exhibits. budget
| publicity, budget conferences of social
workers, clergymen and taxpayers.
Conversion of the commissioners OF AC-
counts Office from handicap TO civic
| progress into potent agent for efficiency
and honesty.
nues, due 10 the reorganization OF water
collection methods.
System and economy substituted for
waste and chaos in the repairs and stores
methods OF the Water Department and in
the purchasing and repair methods of the
Police Department
Establishment OF bureau of child hy-
giene IN the Department OF Health, and the
extension Of its work for school children
Cessation Of many slaughter house evils
. through more efficient inspection by the
Department Of Health
Recovery Of $4,000 from street railway
companies for paving aonS a! pa6p,lc pa6s ond TN
suits pending for 100000.
Correction OF abuses In connection with
street assessments.
Projection Of official inquiries into teach
ers' salaries Standardization Of supplies
Standardization OF salaries and grades
school efficiency health efficiency, etc;
Corporate stock budget by which re-
quests for permanent improvements are
systemaucally analyzed and compared with
one another and with actual needs, sub,
stituted for the sporadic voting OF capital
charges without regard TO need or plan.
Early and continued listing OF dangers
TO the city's business methods threatened
by the revised charters OF 1911.
esTSfSr the city debt which we're used by
all sides Of the city debt controversy, ana
led 10 permanent settlement Of forty-three
doubtful questions n
noting Fficient Municipal Accounting and
Reporting in American cities. r,,,-.---
National Training school for Pubic ser
vice established IN 1911 on the record or
the bureau by Mrs f. X. Hartman ana
thirty-fve business men. 10 oe conductel
by the bureau. -,.,..
"A general aoceptance OF the proposition
that bv studying Official acts and com
munity needs between election tines cil-
zens can guarantee continuous enorts TOT
civic ard social betterment
Citv government ie more generally seen
70 be Inevitably either a help or MN
drance - church aims. nhNanthropy, edN-
cation end business. seSordinE 20 the az
tsrtIon eiver 70 government by churchmen.
philanthropists, educators ana business
men.
The report says that in the matter OF
buylne real estate for the city. thanks 20
the bureau. conditions such as the follow
ing have been corrected since 1859.
Keeping its information not only from
the general public, but from the ControIler
and the Board of Estimate and Apporuon-
'''TIrS The appraisers opinions were rarely sup
ported bv facts or evidence, 80 q,
| In I25 instances. involving SBgE.O' or ~
pfr cent OF the total for the period, no ap-
| rrafsals were secured. -,
| Several outside appraisers claimed that
| they we're asked as correspondence showed
| ~ the citv appraiser TO increase their es-
1 innate. -. --. - ror
Of assessed fd nm on -, cost Of
4 rropertie- prrchascd bv the bureau or real
| estate agprepating nearly three times as
much was sW per cent.
Water revenue increases totalling 81. 800 O00
for the first two years are recorded as due
| IN the improvements In the water registers
bureau proposed and installed as a result
~ the bureaus Investigation OF the sub
iect similarly exhaustive study OF the
street cleaning system leading TO sugges-
| tions for q redistribution OF street cleaners
has not yet borne fruit.
lii IT'S work for public schools the bureau
through a gift Of $4,000 from Mrs Willard
! D. Straight. formerly Miss Dorothy Whit
/ new. was able TO publish in 1903 and 1910
more than two hundred pamphlets and
b,,1IetIns which were sent to six hundred
state and city surerintendents. two hundred
noavors two hundred controllers two hun
| dred editors, etc. These bulletins. pam
J nblets and newspaper statements referred
| ~ school reports non-promotion, physical
veIfare OF school children, nonresident
,p,tion. local school boards, school budgets
teachers salaries and part time
In January 1910. at Borough President
,IcAnenv's request, the bureau undertook a
dotai,ed study Of every division OF the
Borough Presidents work, suggested and
! formulated plans for reorganization. helped
20 replace political waste with modern
| busiuess methods and laid basis OF fact
| Coz corplete reorganization OF personnel,
methods and accounting systems OF the
donartment. At the request Of President
Iabr purroy Mitchell OF the Board Of Al
Jorr,e,, the bureau has made an exhaustive
-, ~ forms of public service franchises
o.. use nv the Board OF Estimate in adopt
~, standard form Of street railway
| franchise.
,-m yoRK FROM THE SUBURBS.
49,, ,bst New York policemen are wearing
| -. s,,t,s ,o catch street beggars. 1t is hard