South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-07-10
LOCAL BUREAU IS
NEEDED BY CITY
Leroy Snyder Home on Visit
SAYS South Bend Should
Have Organization to Aid in
Civic Government.

ct sincerely believe that South Bend
should have "A bureau of municipal re-
search This was the statement
made by Leroy Snyder. formerly a
resident OF South Bend, who is visit
ing his parents. Mr.. and Mrs Am
mon Snyder, S17 Ashland av., Friday.
Mr.. Snyder mas been connected with
the New York bureau OF municipal
research for two years and will as
sumo charge this fan OF a bureau at
Rochester. y. Y, which is being
established there.
81 am interested in South Bend" he
said. II believe 10 has a fine spirit
among the business men. a spirit
which stands for progress along NUM-
cipal lines as well as industrial lines.
Municipal research work is little
kl.Jyyn in this section OF the country,
tor 1t is comparatively q new idea.
and its greatest development has been
in tho east although a few cities in
the west and northwest have estab-
lished bureau
Bureaus Not Fad.
Municipal research bureaus are
not "A fad" continued Mr.. Snyder.
They investigate the government Of
the city, trained experts who deal with
n
Efficient nen familiar with every form
of city government in the union are
in the bureau, and they investigate the
various city departments and make
recommendations TO the officials in
charge. If the officials decline TO
adopt the suggestions made by the
bureau so that the department may
he raised TO a standard of greater
efficiency, the whole matter is made
public, and the bureau looks to public
opinion for its Justification to carry it
over. On the other hand where the
department authorities adopt the sug-
gestions. the matter is made public
but the department is given the credit
for initiating the reform"
Mr. Snyder was asked If sometimes
the city officials did not regard the
moves Of the bureau as an intrusion.
when you stop to consider" he re-
piled. that the people in office are
convinced first Of the sincerity of the
bureau and the disinterestedness of
the bureau staff. then there is no diff
ficulty. 1t is seldom that we meet
with the slightest rebuff Too the
laws of every city and state are made
sc that theoretically every citizen has
a right to investigate the matter of
city and stale government. The bu-
reau merely represents the citizens. or
a group OF citizens. and works indie
pendently Of politics. business inter
ests. and only for the good Of the
community"
In response to a question as TO
whether the bureau of research and
the chamber of commerce didn't both
serve practically the same purpose,
Mr.. Snyder said that the chamber of
commerce was interested more in
civic matters while the bureau had TO
deal more with matters that were
concerned directly with city govern
mental procedure.
Many Problems taken Up.
MANY questions dealing with mat
ters pertaining TO the public health
and welfare are taken up. For in
stance questions such as sanitary food
inspection, and care of infectious dis
eases are investigated by experts who
have been trained along that line.
Other questions arising out of the val
uation of property are also dealt
with.
Were South Bend to undertake to
have such a bureau located here the
first step would be 10 have the New
York bureau Of municipal research,
which is after all the parent Organi-
EatiOn. make n survey of the city gov
eminent. After this the local bureau
could be established. as the survey
would point out in detail the lines
along which the South Bend branch
should work.
'All OF the bureaus are supported
10y private means. Private individuals