Evening star., 1931-12-30

stance goes to fatten cunning and un-
productive broods that have no interest
in the public welfare"
Milwaukee shows that an American
city, with honest administration. can
keep costs down and efficiency up,"
says the Walla Walla Daily Bulletin,
observing that 1t boasts of having all
its bills paid, S4,000,000 In the bank,
and looking for a means of reducing
the taxes of its people, while 1t has
spent, this year, hundreds of thousands
in unemployment relief and has car
ried on public works as usual" The
New York Herald Tribune offers the
explanation: THE exhaustion Of Phila-
delphia's credit and her consequent in
ability to meet her public pay roll ara
the outcome Of condition which In It's
major aspects is common to all our cor
ruptly governed and wasteful cities.
Her tax receipts have fallen far below
their figure for more prosperous years.
Her budget, meanwhile, has shown no
such drop. Ruled by predatory ma
chine, with little sense Of responsibility
to the taxpaying constituency, she has
gone on spending money as II the de-
preston were non-existent. How
ever. the day of reckoning that has
come to the City of Brotherly Love may
prove blessing in disguise to her and
possibly to us. 1t may cause the fact
to dawn on the public mind that the
kind of government which our big cities
put up with Is an extravaganza no
longer to be endured and lead to
housecleaning long overdue"
x X
Philadelphia should consider the di.
vergent examples of Milwaukee and Chi
cago and make a choice" thinks the
Philadelphia Evening Bulletin. Chicago
exemplifies the condition this city has
been heading for. Its degradation Is
almost complete. Its tax system has
broken down as a result of political
manipulation. 1t has no money and no
credit. Its school teachers have long
oeen paid In deprecated scrip when
PAID az all. Now its mayor announces
that the only means left to avoid de-
1auIt on the city's bonds Is to cut off
Gne salaries OF municipal employees and
tions. The revenues of this city
are inadequate to support such expen-
altures as political profligacy proposes,
but they are sufficient, if wisely used,
to maintain efficient government. Phil
adelph1a need fear the future only IL
1t refuses TO mend its ways, The tax
payers faVor-indeed, they demand
Sucn amendment They are sick not
only OF malfeasance, but OF incompe-
tence in Office. A new executive dea'
Is coming, but there must be better
legislative playing. The alternative is
not slump to Chicago's status, bu
attainment of something like Milwau !,
KEGS standards through q municips 4,
revolution"
It Is at the polls" in the judgmen
OF the Chicago Daily News, that Mil D..
Waukee seems to have it over Chicago =.
When MllwaukeeanS go to the poll \
tney elect of1cials who can be trusted.
to spend the city's money as they woulo,
spend their own. For over Is year
MllWaukees affairs have been admins &,
tereo oy competent officials-the mayor
nemg Socialist and the city control
!er an nti-Socialist-who handle city
FUNDS on business basis. In three
yeats tney expect to have every city de-
pai Gnent on cash basis, and spending
osy funds which have been collected in
4auEance. If present policies are main
ttalned, the city will be entirely free
from debt in 80 years.