Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-07-26
BY sERTRAM Won DAMN.

railroads, baths, market halls, slaugh-
ter houses, because it was good bust,
ness that the city should do so.
I'VE are surprised in America tina;
distinguished business and profession,
al nen cannot be induced to enter the
municipal service. In addition to other
reasons the cause is mainly psyche
logical. Dr. Howe says: The ma
chinery of municipal administration
IN America and Europe is distin-
guished by the difference in ideals on
which 1t is based. With US the
belief is current that every official
has TO have another official to super.
wise him and If necessary to counter
mand his orders. The mayor may We
to the resolutions of the municipal
council; the legislature may rule on
the actions of both and the courts OF
justice are third instance, which
may interfere if they choose. There
is a weighing before and after, every
where are hurdles and obstacles. A
private business conducted on the
rules laid down for municipal, state
and national governments would go
into bankruptcy. Everything in our
country is cut out to produce contra.
diction, delay and conflict -. This
has little attraction for man of in
tluence. Municipal government be-
cores a sort of hudle race. ...
European municipal administration
does not know such impediments. 1t
is not a hurdle race. 1t is easy for
Z man to distinguish himself, easy
for a councillor to counsel and exc
cute after a decision has been made.
That encourages, 1t attracts men of
ability and arbitisn into political life,
because the Official is not subject to
the veto of half dozen higher in
stances"
"1he German city has nome rule.
1t is free. Free, almost without ex-
caption, to take possession of prop
erty. free to control the individual
and his property, FREQ to make loans,
free to experiment, free to develop as
it pleascs. The ties of city are so
light that they can not be felt. 1t
is subject only to a very general SUI
pervision of the interior department.
Since he knows that his city Is nearly
sovereign the average citizen feels as
much pride in being citizen of his
particular town as he does in his
state or national citizenship"
And later in the same paragraph
the writer says This freedom of
the town is inspiring to its citizens.
1t has created love of the town and
a pride in it unknown in Great Brit
ain, France or America. That Is the
reason why a German does not only
adore his "Fatheriand.Y but also his
"Fathertown." sIR
People are hard to interest In q
subject of which they have no part
and which they tan not run to suit
themselves. 1t Is impossible to in
spire them in a matter in which the
legislatures permission has first to
be obtained, or while they have to
fear that the fruit of their victories
can be taken from them by the courts
or at the next legislative session. DR..
Howe says: I'VE have committed
crime against allsocial psychology
a crime so serious that it is wonder
that communal spirit is still notice
able. .
A European citizen pays direct
taxes, local taxes, income taxes, taxes
on increased valuation of property.
The figures on his tax receipt show
him clearly his proportion of owner
ship in the plants and institutions
which the city owns AMI operates. He
feels a partner in the business, how
ever small his share may be, and as
such takes direct personal interest
in good administration, and acts &C
cordingly on election day.
The author OF the aforementioned
book lays down the following prin-
ciple: In every country the mind of
the man behind the ballot makes a
town what it is" And further on he
says: in the long. run the trend of
thought in voter is controlled by
the power he has and by the posi-
bility of the city to control its own
fate. That is a psychological law
. little has been written
about political psychology and in fact
but little is known about it. But
with all that, the psychology of the
voter is the explanation of the city.
1t determines a mans thoughts and
the manner in which he votes. All
one has to do is to converse with
c items of German or British town
in order to find mental attitude entire
ly different from that prevailing in
America, and this can not pc re-
duced to personal or ethnographical
causes but to the relationship between
the town and its population.
In order to have this relationship
property developed, the citizen on the
one hand has to continually feel that
the city is concerned about him and
cares for him and that those who gov
ern the city know their business. On
the other hand this has to be really
a fact and the best intentions to ac-
complish it must exist. The mere fact
that city government is in the hands
of professionally trained men, that it
is conducted in perfectly business
like manner and that it is absolutely
independent and free, places the Ger
man town in advance of the Ameri-
can. ..:. T. =.
Not all of the article has heen trans