Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-05-09
FREDERICK p. GUTENBERG
On the Bureau Of. Municipal Research

DCBLIC opinion Is regarded as the
i highest legislative authority and as the
court of last resort in democracy. AS
one means of securing public opinion
based on facts instead of on guesses' various various
in number of American and Canadian
Cities according to Frederick p. Gutenberg:
director of the Philadelphia Bureau OF
Municipal Research.
"ln the first place, 1t is citizens
agency" said Mr., Gutenberg, mot
civic organization founded on the principle
that under our institutions the citizen IS
ultimately responsible .for the results OF
government. In Philadelphia the Bureau
Of Municipal Research was founded in 1908,
incorporated in 1909, and is governed by q
board of twenty-five trustees, consisting OF
men and women representative of diverse
business and professional elements. This
board employs a technical staff of specialists
in various fields to analyze and interpret
technical problems of government.
Its work Is done on fact basis, in
co operation with officials and citizens.
While large part Of its energies is directed
toward the solution of specific problems, the
Importance of disseminating information to
citizens and of turning the spotlight Of
publicity on public questions is never over
looked. At the same time the bureau has
kept absolutely free from participation Of
any kind in partisan politics.
There are research bureaus Of this kind
in some thirty cities, including New York,
Chicago. Detroit. Cleveland. Toronto. San
Francisco. Rochester. and others. and while
their programs vary In certain details, their
fundamental policies and principles are
virtually uniform.
What the Bureau Has Accomplished
1.-THE Philadelphia bureau has been
steadily at work on various kinds Of prob
lens for fourteen years. and SO quiet are
its methods that its contribution to the
civic life. Of the community is often not
realized by even well-informed citizens.
The latest completed study of magnitude is
an inclusive survey of the government of
Lower Merton Township, which Is an i'm
portant unit in the natural metropolitan
taken at the request of the governing body
Of the township, and the final report was
an exhaustive picture of the administra-
ton, finances, etc, Of the township gov
ernment.
'This document enables the Commits
sioners to see their problem effectively and
as a whole. Wasting no time on mere ad-
verse criticisms, the report makes con-
structive recommendations to aid the Com
missioners to improve their service, and
commendatiOn for things well done Is just
as freely given as is condemnation for prac-
tees which ought to be changed.
"Going back year or two, citizens will
recall the efforts to substitute municipal
street cleaning for the contract method now
everywhere discarded. The new City Charter
Of 1910 had made 1t possible to substitute
the better municipal method for the con
tract method. but the Charter was not
automatic. With characteristic American
faith in legislation, there was a perceptibe
let down in civic effort once the new Char.
ter was achieved. and So the bureau found
it necessary to keep citizens stirred up ON
the street cleaning issue in order to pre-
vent it dying because Of public inertia. A
vigorous series of pamphlets, articles, public
addresses--all predicated on careful engi-
neering study-was largely instrumental in
the final adoption Of municipal cleaning and
waste disposal throughout the city.
1.-THE large amount Of work contributed,
by the bureau to the drafting of the new
Charter, the preparation for the State Com
stitutional Revision Commission of it's basis
for q State budget system--now beginning
to bear fruit-are illustrative Of an imDor.
tant though undramntic side of the bureaus 3
work. Specialized studies in phases of law
engineering, finance and personnel admin
istratiOn, either in cooperation with pubic
officials or in the interest Of citizens ami
Taxpayers, are always going on. And tbe
end sought Is not primarily lower taxes or
mere money economies, but fuller, better,
more effective public service.
BY. Products
'It is also important not 10 oyerlook
one or two Of the incidental activities OF the
bugeau. One of the most important NJ
titls y the xsfsrsncs library and informs-