Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1913-01-23
PRAISE FOR LONDON
Ex-Congressman Asserts English
Systems Superior to Others.
A. N. Todd Of Michigan DISGUISE,
Public services-Have Wonder
fui Method Of Bookkeeping
Corporations Part.

Corporations Part
London. Former Congressman A
M. Todd of Michigan, who early last
spring came to Europe to make an
exhaustive study Of the system ir
vogue among the public services, with
special reference to municipal owner
ship, has come to the conclusion that
the best managed public service sys
TENS in the world are those of Great
Britain.
In France and Germany" said Mr.
Todd, according to a London CORE
spondent, II found much to admire
and perhaps even more to condemn
So far as mere mechanical methods
are concerned both countries show
many important and valuable i'm
provements, but in nearly every case
their organization and management
are loose and lacking in system
which of course means a certain in
crease in the cost of operation and
corresponding decrease in profits
Politics and the necessity for pro-
ylding places for party supporters
may have something to do with this,
as in my own country. ~
On the other hand, l have so far
been able to find only one point to
critlcise in the equipment and oper.
alton OF the various municipality
owned public services of Great Brit.
ain, and that is the construction OF
the double decked tramcars controlled
by the London county council. They
are not broad enough or heavy enough
at the base for their height, and the
danger Of capsizing seems to me to
be too great. It seems surprising that
80 few accidents happen. considering
the tremendous congestion of traffic
In most of your streets Perhaps this
danger Is discounted by the superb
way in which the cars are handled"
Mr.. Todd was particularly struck
with the running of the various pub
lie departments in Glasgow. Politics
Is eliminated there, and the sole aim
OF the authorities seems to be to give
the public the best possible service
at the least possible cost. Birming.
ham and Manchester are much the
same In many respects, with only mi.
nor differences due to q changed en-
vironment.
'One striking phase of these public
service systems of England and Scot.
land. which found well worth study.
ing In detail, IL the wonderful system
Of bookkeeping and auditing Of &C
counts. II don't think I ever saw. q
more perfect method Of classifying nc
counts on 20 large scale, whers
even the smallest item may be traced
at moments notice. while balance
sheet can be furnished practically on
demand. In the published report of
my investigations. which will be sub.
mitted to the governing bodies Of all
the principal cities in the United
States, shall recommend the adop-
ton Of this comprehensive system OF
bookkeeping in every public depart.
ment. This will not be for some
months yet, as the volume of informa-
ton have collected is very large,
and it will probably take me all win
ter to prepare my report.
AT the same time shall start an
effective campaign in my own state
for the multiplication of all public
services along the same lines that I
have found in operation here, for l
believe no better system of really eff
cient service could be devised in the
present stage of our civilization"
P,f
does not stop here. He has been par
t1cularly struck with another peculiar.
1ty OF English civil life, the big CO.
operative concerns which have begun
to play leading part in the British
world of business. He says:
"One institute whose plant l in.
spected with the most absorbing in
terest not only manufactures an i'm
mense output of superior goods for
the markets Of the world, but gives
profitable employment to thousands of
men, women and children under the
most wholesome conditions and SAM
tary regulations. All of them are pro-
yided with comfortable homes at rea-
sonable rentals and everything is done
to make them contented and happy,
while each in addition enjoys pro-
portionate share in the general profits.
Moreover, this concern has it's own
steamship lines for shipping it's goods
to foreign markets at a minimum ex-
pense for freightage and for bringing
back supplies of raw materials from
Its own plantations and forests in Al
RIGA and South America. And all Of
these vast enterprises in one are OBJ
Grated simply and easily, because the
principle of cooperation behind it in
sures a unity and harmony of both
purpose and effort for the common
profit"
MADE SAME SPEECH 10 YEARS