Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-01-21
Ia.-FnEDEnic ). HAsKIN.

DAYTON. o.. January :0.--This mig hi
be called the most original city in
America without starting an argument.
Bright ideas In city administration
seem 10 sprout and grow III Dayton like
crocuscs i'm April. II WAS Dayton. for
example. that originated the idea Of
using vacant lots for vegetable gar
dens; organized the housekcepers OF
the city into an inspection force TO see
that the city liz kept clean: established
/, a free legal advice bureau. free medi
cal service for babies, and municipal!
employment bureau 10 take care Of
Migrants.
These are only few OF the limo
va,ions that are making Dayton IA
nous The force back Of its original
and vigorous policy Is a city-manager
plan Of government The commissions
holds occasional meetings 10 decide
upon the general policies OF the city
Administrations. and the manager car
res them out. The commissioners get
only SI.200 year. and the Mayor
$4,000: hut the city manager, Henry -.
Waite. gets $1,000 lie Was railroad
builder before he became a city man
agcr. and lie conducts the business Of
Dayton with the same dispatch and
efficiency that made him successful in
MS former profession.
Though Dayton is always ready 10
spend money upon municipal improve
ments. there Is probably not a city IN
the United States where funds are
used with more care Expenditures for
each year are outlined III accordance
with estimated revenues. ana the town
pays cash as IL goes. so tha, II cannot
rum into debt Pay rolls are no, hon
ored unless accompanied by a certi-
hcate showing the number OF hours
that each employee worked.
Systematic Handling of Funds.
Each department, and the newspa :
pers are given a monthly statement
showing expenditures and balance FOR
each appropriation in the budget Al!
OF this has more Than doubled the
work of the accounting department;
YET II has three fewer employees than
formerly. They are not Sverworked
either ONCE hours have been reduced
from ten TO eight without any re
ductiou in pay. This careful and sys-
tematic handling of funds is the prn-
cipal reason why the taxpayer Of Day
ton gets 50 much service for his
money.
In Dayton. free legal advice Is
given 10 any person who cannot afford
10 hire n lawyer. This bureau has
handled hundreds Of cases, most of
which were claims for wages against
INSCRIPTIONS employers and difficult
ties resulting from "lOan.shark cXtor-
ton. 1t also settles cases that might
, otherwise wind up in Police Court
mostly fights about the payment Of
rent and family quarrclS. The total
expenses Of this bureau TO the city is
only $685.
There is no joy-rldng after wori:
| hours in automobiles owned 10y tho
city oc Dayton. Under the commits
sion manager a municipal garage has
been established. I'll ears are num-
/ 4 n
gara"r. When an employee needs AN
! automobile he signs II statement, sho'< :
ing how long he had 1t and what he
! used IL for. All repairs and adjust
/ ments OF the city's motor vehicles are
made III the garage. ut a saving If
| several thousand dollars a year.
Perhaps the browning success Of
Dayton's new government is the trc.it.
iy reduced death rate among its ba-
bcs. This Is attributed TO the fact
that now the city has for the nrst
time. a health officer who gives al! #
| his time 10 the service. He has "a
| pcatedly discovered threatened cpl
| denies aud stopped them. Under the
! supervision OF the health department
three baby clinics and four certified
| milk stations have been established.
| Mothers have made good use OF these.
! Free clinics for tle treatment Of dis
! orders Of eye, ear throat and nosa.
| and 4 free tuberculosis clinic have also
| been established.
Gnrdens unL Fairgrounds.
Observing that large number Of
| people in Dayton could not afford 10
| buy fresh vegetables and that much
| vacant property in the city was 20,
| working. the government undertook u
| establish community truck gardens.
| In cooperation with the Dayton .'lay-
| ground and Gardens Associations. six
| community Sardrus were created on
| which sevcnty-nve families are now
| raising vegetables. 1t also pillow ed
| and prepared twenty-five gardens FOR
| the cultivation of vegetables by hun-
| dreds Of children, under the direction
| Of an expert gardener, and turned 32o
moro vacant lots into gardens from
| which as many families arc now pro-
! viding themselves with vegetables
| The division of parks. which has
i charge of this garden work also cl"1..
| ed UP. graded ana prepared for ,Ec
| use OF children :. dozen additional
| Fairgrounds. so That Dayton. a town
| OF 10000 people, now has twenty
| eight Fairgrounds. whereas the ci,..
| OF Washington, with a population Of
| $4,000. has only thirteen.
When Dayton children start out fer
frolic on Sunday afternoon. the
| chances are that they will go to Island
Park. In the Miami River. which aowz