Evening star., 1937-01-23
j. S.-C|TY-STATE
. EFFICIENCY URGED
State Government Council
Hears New Era of Co.
operation Proclaimed.

4 new era Of cooperation between
Federal. State and local governments,
designed to raise efficiency and elimi-
nate waste In administration Of public
affairs. was proclaimed last night at
the third general assembly OF the
Council of State Governments.
President Roosevelt contributed a
brief message to the banquet gathering
of several hundred public servants, in
cluding Governors, State legislators
and other representatives of State,
national and municipal governments.
A balanced picture Of intergovern-
mental management, the problems OF
American cities and the functions OF
the council was presented by Louis
Brownlow. director of the Public Ad-
ministration Clearing House and
chairman of the Presidents Commit
tee on Administrative Reorganization:
City Manager Clarence A. Dykstra of
Cincinnati. whose message was read
by City Manager Andrew Joyner, jr.,
of Greensboro. N. c., president of the
American Municipal Association;
Henry w. Toll. former State Senator
Of Colorado, executive director Of the
Council of State Governments. and
former Gov. Paul v. McNutt OF In
diana. council president.
In his message to the council, read
BY McNutt, President Roosevelt ssid
"the need in government everywhere.
whether Federal, State or local, Is
efficiency, Only through good man
agement-a practical demonstration
that democracy is the most efhcient
form Of government-can we hope to
perpetuate the institutions to which
we owe all of our greatness"
Urges Cooperative Jurisdiction.
Brownlow said that "for all too long,
whenever a problem has arisen, we
have discussed 1t not only in its re-
-lationship to the will of the people,
but also as to whether or not its
legislative and administrative aspects
should be undertaken by the Federal
Government or the State government
or the local government. We still
continue, in my opinion all too often,
to discuss this problem in these
terms: Federal or State or local.
Il believe that * these discussions
that what We need most to do Is
strike out the word or and insert
the word and so that we will think
of our entire democratic governmental
structure always in terms of Federal
and State and local"
Dykstra. unable to attend the coun-
Gil in session at the Mayflower Hotel
on account of the Ohio River flood,
said in his address. read by Joyner,
that the Nation stands today ''on the
brink Of new public relationships
local, State and national"
Cites Lack Of Data.
1.-THE American city asks tonight
10 be admitted into a new partner
ship-it asks to be understood" Dyk-
stra said. 1T wants recognition of
its problems as 1t shares its wealth
with the State and the Nation. 1t
has come Of age and it recognizes its
maturity.
Half the Nations population lives
either In or in the shadow of cities
Of 100000 or over. In 1870 52.8 per
cent OF American workers were gain
fully employed in agriculture; by 1880
this percentage had dropped to 21.3.
Broadly speaking, the city as city
and its people as people, until the
1905. have been the forgotten item
in the Nations inventory. Govern
ment is pretty thorough in its report
ing on rural life, on the numbers and
the problems OF farm animals. on
business conditions and foreign trade.
other things, but for those who wish
reliable information and guidance on
urbanism there Is nowhere to turn
for adequate data upon which to base
q serious study.
ITO mention all but one item"
Dykstra continued, land that the most
important problem which our cities
face. we have as yet, with all the
facilities for reporting which the Fed
eral Government has. no sound sta
tistics on unemployment anywhere
available"
Dykstra. member of the Jacobs
commission that recently reported to
Congress on fiscal relations between
District and Federal governments,
stressed the need for a national
housing policy" and relief from IAN
archaic and impossible taxing sys-
tenn"
Interdependence Stressed.
Toll read to the council THE Dec
larstion Of Interdependence Of the
Governments within the United States
of America" This was a council
declaration modelled in wording after
the Federal Constitution that pro-
claimed the need for intergovern-
mental cooperation, simplifcation Of
governmental functions and abolish
ment Of the no mans land" Of juris-
diction.
McNutt praised Toll for his work
In founding and furthering the widen
Ing scope of the council.
The main speakers at today's ses-
sion were TO be Secretary of Agricul-
ture Wallace, Chairman Frederic A.
Delanc of the Advisory Board Of the
National Resources Committee; Chair
man Doughton of the House Ways
and Means Committee and Gov.
George H. Earle Of Pennsylvania.
Doughton was to address the ses-
mon on taxation at ais pm. He
was slated to discuss Federal-State
cooperation in tax matters. Gov.
Earle will speak at an informal dinner
at pm. on Progressive Govern
rerlt."