New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-06-29

give us authority 10 OIBdhiNc eh'9 "".
i'm way that will make It most useiui
60 the Mayor and along lines. when
will harmonize with n programme OF
constructive work. In my view sue
cessful and efficient Mayor must be
NOT merely the spokesman and titular
head of the city government, but the
city's general manager.
In line with this policy | have re-
organized the Mayors Office and util-
ized the Office Of the Chamberlain in
order TO increase the administrative
staff Immediately available TO me for
executive control. Instead Of expect,
ING merely that the Chamberlain shall
be responsible for the safekeeping OF
city funds, | am expecting that oihcial
TO assist me in the work OF business
reorganization and control. have APP
pointed a special secretary TO keep me
informed of all matters coming BEFORE
the Board Of Estimate and the Board
OF Aldermen.
By all this I do not mean that there
should not be left to the individual DE,
partment heads fullest discretion ana
responsibility. This is provided Tor
bv the charter, and IL is good organiza.
ton as we'll, but there are great
number of questions which affect al
denartments. We must have some
means of bringing TO the attention OF
every department special improvements
and methods worked out IN any o,
them. The Mayor must have genera!
view of city business. lie must
have means of getting information re,
earding questions which are supmltteu
TO him by department heads. ne mus'
have means of assisting them IN WORK
ing out their own problems. In other
words, the Mayor, instead Of being re-
moved from the city government a.
arms length, must be an intimate par
of il. / have felt this so strongly Una.
am making plans to spend part Oh my
time in an Office in The Muhiclpai
Building where | can come INTO more
intimate contact with my department
heads. As a part of this polcy l nav
undertaken to make personal VlsI.s ~
the various departments 10 CONF !"
The completion of the Municlpal
Rnildino has greatly facilitated this
contact between the Mayor ana INC
heads of departments. WIN lhe eA
ception of docks and police, and one OF
two small departments, the Offices OF
INSTRUMENTATION are now located in one
building. This will result in very
material economies. Mayor McClei.
lan's administration deserves great
credit for initiating the construction
of the Municipal Building.
The Mayors Business View OF the
Relation Of the Departments.
The various city departments are
mot intended to be merely COLLECTION
of separate and isolated Jurisdictions.
The very word department" indicates
that they are a part Of larger wnole.
Each. II is true, has its specifc WORK
TO perform. but together they perform
the work of the city. Each department;
! has nroblems in common. they an
have similar questions Of policy ana
business to determine. Most Oh theH'
have. for example, buildings to MAIN
tain. All of them must do their WORE
through employees, and must, therefore
have plans for organizing and super
yisjng the employees to get efeetiVe
results. All must purchase supplles'
All have contracts TO execute. All have
TO deal with the public in one way or
another. Probably so per cent OF the
business of the departments by ana
large is of like character.
n is of very great benefit, therefore
IN have close contact between the
heads of the departments to bring
tber, into conference. In order to es-
| tabI;sh this contact and to give eacn
department the benefit of the sugges-
lions of every other department we
have established a plan OF monthly
conferences on business questions
/ These conferences, or caoinet mset-
! ings, take up specific questions LOT us
/ cussion. We assign TO commlItees y.
department heads matters whlch ahee'
all of them in order that plans may DC
worked out for general bettermeht' III
this way we have committee Oh ueI
partment heads on the question VI
purchasing, another on the question OF
| inspections, another on repairs OF
/ equipment and the maintenance OF re-
pair shops, another on the question Oh
/ apportioning the city by districts Iot
| administrative purposes, another OF
the question of the relation OF depart
ment heads to employees.
find these conferences a very use
/ full means of encouraging team WORK
among the department heads In
| hundred different ways one depart,
ment can help conduct the WORK OF
/ another department.
We have succeeded in establishing
believe, not only effective cooper
/ alive work in the Board OF Estimate
and Apportionment, but effective team
work among the several departments
under the Mayors control, one WIFI
/ the other and all with the other grea'
divisions of the government.