The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1915-02-22
GoVERNMENT OF CrTIEs.

one Of the most washable practical
treaties on municipal government
which has appeared Is william Har-
butt Dawsons Municipal Life and
Government In Germany" The Ru-
thor II an Englishman and his book
is "A comparison Of German and Eng
I lish methods NJ municipal activities
1 by the central state authorities
The methods ON the whole are sc
different In the two countries and
/ the results are SO correspondingly diff
/ fcrent that by the time the fun com
/ par sons are made We have consld-
/ cred municipal government from al
| most every possible viewpoint and
have some knowledgdc Of the practl-
cal results of almost every method
which has been applied
German cities have % long tradition
| of self-government which is still al
most wholly In practice notwIth-
! standing the Development In later
| years OF the theory and practice of
an exceedingly strong central state
/ government Strange asst may seem
| therefore, In an empire in which the
/ central idea is the supremacy NJ tho
| state. the individual existing for lhC
7 purposes OF the state. rather than tht
state existing for the benefit Of the
/ individuals composing II, we have n
/ practical operation the nearest ap.
proach 10 home rule IN the manage.
( ment uf city local affairs which is In
existence anywhere.
The author is strongly impressed
with the efficiency of German mu.
nclpal administration II lg inter.
ysting 10 note that this efficiency Is
attained under system which j.
mainly the old nj cnmcral aitv coun,
ell and mayor, with some differences
| In methods " election which we In
/ this country have been irving TO dis
/ card az out OF date and prevention
| Of proper progress.
/ II is still more interesting 10 note
that the German efficiency is In larg,
part due to the operation ~ thre,
principles which we have largely neg
Iccted or refused TO apply
The first Of these is the divorce o
municipal affairs from party politics
| This goes go far that city cnnno
memorialize parliament with respec
to its relations With the central gov
ernment. because n is not constitu
tIonal FOR a city to pay any attcnt or
10 political affairs outside its owl
interests Councimen are selected
! without party or any formal uomina
tluns aud with a very few exccp
'lons. have not been voted for be
cause they belong to any politlca
party
Second the administration orr
cials from the mayor down are se
lrctcd on a merit s,Ctem. seldom =,
irOn-clnd as our civil service SYSTEM
under political nominations are Ike
ly to be. and are chosen without ref
ercnce TO their place Of residence Al
"A consequence there Is profession o
municipal administration just as rhorr
ts profession Of teaching I'm Fi
country, and men are promoted from
one desk to another from one de
purtmcnt To- another. from one clty Il
another as they dfmoustrate thri
| fitness 10 an the vacancies which oc
eur
Employment being during good be
hnNlur and the lines Of promotion he
iug so many and various really cap
able city officials are kept up to tn
height " their efficiency at all time,
and nose who cannut &Smonstrat
their efficleny can de dropped with
ont arousing the OPPOSITION Of u part
. machine which may shake the whol
structure even up To the president,
Third. while the central govern
mcut apparently has the right. or m
, strength 10 assume the right. TO IL
, terfcre I'm municipal affairs, and ha
, the vote ON any elections or appoint
men,A It does not ACTUALLY interfer
In the conduct Of municipal affair
by the local officials, and. In an
/ event 1t Is not possible, az with NJ
for a group Of persons or even a sir
gle person with iuyluencc In the stat
Legislature TO bring about chang
In the form Of city government or IN
, term NJ office or compensation {
city officials IN cities " a certai
. class In order 10 attain his own END
In his own city or TO get even wit
city officials who have not rulnne
his desires.
While some of the changes In forl