The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-05-05


cessive term, that council has only
one representative of the remains
of the Pendergast organization.
In any objective quarter that you
care to inquire, you will be told
that the Gage or reform" admin.
istration Is doing a splendid job OF
honest, efficient government. More
over, that administration Is not
conferred upon one flamboyant lead
err as is, for example, the La Guar
dia reform administration in New
York.
WORKS WITH COUNCIL
It Is the traditional history OF
reform that its successes depend
upon the appearance OF leader
who along with honesty, courage
and efficiency, possesses a strong
crowd appeal by which-if reform
is to continue-the leader can pull
his assistants into office on his coat
tails.
The Gage administration has
carefully avoided such q policy. In
stead Of subordinating the council,
the mayor has worked with 1t. In
stead of imposing his beneficient
will upon the city, he has sought to
improve constantly the machinery
by which the people can express
their own democratic will.
Some of his supporters worried
about that, and thinking to fight
fire with fire. began a cautious at
tempt to build up a reform ma
chine. First important signs Of this
appeared in the parks department.
It was squelched quickly when Aud
itor Thomas j. Patten investigated.
two or three persons found them
selves out of jobs, and the council
whose members had started the
movement-was induced to adopt a
Little Hatch Act" that put all city
employees out Of politics for good.
CITY NOW SOLVENT
The merit system was complete
dead letter in Kansas City when
Tom Pendergast started for the
federal penitentiary. Now between
90 and 80 per cent Of city employees
are in the classified civil service,
The city was, in fact If not techni-
cally, bankrupt. Now its bonds are
rated by financial houses as entitled
to "a high grade classification"
Real estate assessments for tax
purposes. which had been used 70
reward the faithful and to punish
the politically uncautious, have
been reduced by SIS, 10000, OF
more than flye per cent overall.
Under the Pendergast regime the
city raised the constitutional maxl-
mum OF taxes-i0 mills on the DOL
lar TO pay for operations-plus the
cost of debt service. This rate, levied
ON the inflated valuations, was not
enough. Regularly, rs the END q
the year approached, the city would
md itself short OF money and
would cut salaries and even refrain
from paying some employees, More
than IS 1000 900 OF back salary claims
we're Involved IN suits stu IN pro-
cess OF adjudication,
Nov, taxing only nine mills on
the dollar lplns debt service needs)
and leyying on q smaller base, thf
city pays Us bin on tins and pro-
gldes for the debt services.
Meanwhile, II has been necessary
10 raise wages IN the poorer paid
elaEsifseati0nk because Of the war
But this has been Offset, and more
by q large reduction IN personnel
The Gage administration IN rs flFkl
six months got I'D Of about half 81
the Si0o persons II found on tht
payF0lis. and replaced only enough
% bring the total back 70 around
$500.
IN telling about what has beer
done u IL Felreshlng 10 one who hal
listened 70 many Fefogmera 10 heal
Mayor Gage Say ''we did this" aTic
we did that and "the council dl6
- and co. Instead q = did H.