Evening star., 1926-02-14
BY WILLIS j. BALLINGER,

T HE millions in losses which
American cities once paid to
TWeeds and their party hench.
L men in graft and outright rob
berry We're not greater and no
burdenSome than the millions which
they now pay through plain ineffi-
cheney and waste in municipal gov
ernment.
A,a or Howard T.. jackson of Balti-
more is responsible for that statement.
At time when city taxes in all
American communities are going up
at an alarming rate. Mayor Jackson
haa cut the tax rate i'll Baltimore.
There they call him the Calvin
Coolidge of municipal economy.
lie was a business man before he
became mayor and as mayor, ap-
parently. he has insisted on continuing
as a business man in the service of
his new employer. the CITY. ! went to
ask him why ii is that tf1e-*merican
city pays out four dollars now for
every dollar it used to- pay Aeut 20
years ago and what means he had
used to bring dOwn- the tax rate in
Baltimore.
The great field for reform and
progress in government i'm the future
IS in effecting drastic eConomy-of
course, economy ConSonant with rea-
Sorable and necessary expenditures,
but economy that will strike hard at
~aSteful expenditure. When Lincoln
SteffinS write his celebrated book,
The Shame of the Cities" 20 years
ago, the big problem Of city govern
ment was how to get rid of Corrup-
tion and vice. Today the trend of cul-
ture and progress has materially re-
Guced the thievery of political bosses.
hut it has failed to protect the people
from the equally effective robbery by
Nasteful government.
\ Staggering Bill.
q. Can YOU give me some idea of
how much the cost of city and State
government has risen in the last
decade?
A The advance has been ominous
Every taxpayer should have a vital
interest in this problem. Let us con
slider figures given out 10y the Bureau
of the Census. In 1908 the cost OF
l46 city governments having Il popula-
tion of &c. 600 or over was $40 900 600.
In 1913 the cost for THESE same l46
cities had risen TO $500, 900. In
1928 the cost reached a total OF 81
oS0 900 600 or around a 400 per cent
increase in cost for 20 years.
Coincident with the increase in the
cost of city government is the increase
In the Indebtedness of cities. In 1903
/
cities mentioned above was approx
mately 81 400 .000, ,0GO. BY 1923 they
were in debt to the extent OF 5000
900. 900. In 1903 the per capita cost of
city government was $25 for the 146
cities in the United States that had
population of so .000 or more. BY
1928 the per capita cost was $50. Like
wise the per caDita debt of 46 cities
in 1903 was $50. but by 1928 it had
reiched the staggering proportions o.
sl05 for each person. In the field of
State government between the years
1915 and 1923 the cost jumped approx
mately 300 per cent, rising from S49p.-
900. 900 in 1915 to $3.50 900. 900 In
1915 the Indebtedness of the 4S States
WAS $3.50 .000, 900. or $3.50 per every
person in the United States. In 1923
the States were in debt 1.490, 500 900.
and every person was nlortSaged for
S12.95. 50 you can see that we have
a mounting cost of government in the
United States. not least important of
which is the serious problem of City
economy.
How to Cut Costs
,. How did the movement for re-
forming the city government of Balti-
more arise?
A. Well for many wears the news
the cost Of city government and par
tiCularIy at the number of people or
the city pay roll. The result was that
the issue of municipal economy had
been steadily emphasized to the cleo
torate for many years. and in 1922
those interested in city reform asked
all the candidates running for mayor
If they would undertake a thorough
houseCleaning if they We're elected.
| pledged myself TO undertake the
work of effectinG economy and eff
cheney in municipal administration.
and began to carry out that promise
just is soon as | was elected.
Q. What reforms did you introduce?
a. | began by appointing a COM
mission on economy and efficiency,
composed of representative business
men of Baltimore, all of whom agreed
To serve without compensation. So
the city obtained the services of the
best business men in the city free Of
charge and the work that these men
achleVed is a shining example of pub
lie service. on this commission were
such men as the vice president of the
Continental Trust Co. general man.
ager of the General Electric Co of
Baltimore. representa- iXsS-4 the Beth
lehem Steel CorporatiOr,-rfrr- Pennsyl-
Vania and b. & o. railraads7-t444e--A amer
lean Wholesale Corporation American
Sugar Refinery. the--GeHs setitHted
Light & Power Co. This commission
subdivided its work I1f- invest "a ton.
It's members secured the services
gratis of the best audfrQrS-and expert
accountants of Baltimore firms who
were interested in the, task Of making
our city government Nanfodel in ef-