The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-05-24

FTT HE citizens and executives OF every NUM-
cipalty in the United States will be In
= terested in the far-reaching plans pro-
posed by City Chamberlain Henry Bruere and
accepted by Mayor Mitchell to increase tho eff.
cheney OF the working force Of New York City
employees. This interest will extend 10 the en-.
ployees OF all city governments, for the reason
that under Mr.. Brueres plan the benefits will
accrue not only to the city. but to the en-
ployees, down to the humblest.
AS MT Bruere> wrote IN his Recommendation
to the Mayor:
1.-THE greatest undeveloped resource for city
progress lies In the great body OF city employ.
ecs themselves"
Accordingly Mayor Mitchell has invited the
100000 employees OF the different departments
of the New York City municipal government
TO get together in conference and decide upon
more efficient methods OF doing the city's work.
The idea Is to encourage every city employee
to feel that he she is an actual part OF the
city government. with responsible, controlling
hand upon the vast mechanism that keeps the
city going.
Instead OF merely doing their days work for
the days pay in the department where they
are employed, they will have an opportunity to
interest themselves in improving the general
result. 1t is movement toward greater gen.
only through cordial cooperation between the
individual human elenlents-as important pri.
vate industrial concerns long since discovered
New York will thus become the first munich
pality in this country to be. placed on the
efficient working basis which mines and big
factories and railroads find necessary to their
very existence.
1t is assumed that even in tho ranks OF
humble street cleaners there are men with
very definite ideas about their work and tho
relation 1t bears to the city's general we'll.
being and progress These are the men whom
their comrades will select to go into the con.
ierences. where all such ideas will be vel.
coined and have a chance OF being utilized
Throughout all the departments the mass OF
the workers Will be represented by comrades
OF their own selection. and thus the whole
body OF employees will actually figure in the
CITY government along the important lines OF
efficiency.
IN laying his detailed plan before the Mnyor
the City Chamberlain wrote:
rms, IN my Judgment is very great need
IN city departments. In many departments of
course, such cooperation exists AS q means
however, OF establishing a. general interest in
me efficiency of city .busLncss' and breaking
down unnecessary departmental isolation I be
hcve that a general employees committee
would be OF great value 1t would be partic
uiarly useful 10 the Civil Service Commission
III working ont many Of It's problems ana ~
VIII ne great aid, am confident. in carving
out The Mayors programme of efficiency and
economy.
IN the past very serious obstacle to the
efficiency or the city government has been the
separation or the executive forces and the
working forces. This has been due to the fre
queht change In executives and to a conven.
uonai formality in the relationship between
Inc enpl"yees and those in charge of depart.
menis and bureaus. There is in all this a sur.
vlvai or the old feudal spirit, kept alive by the
use OF titles and by official gorification