Evening star., 1947-06-22
Local Rule
Is Complex
Government Overlap
Works Hardship
on Citizens
By WiHiom J. Convoy

CHICAGo.-Tne machinery OF
local government, complex con-
traption with $4,000 parts, seems
due for some streamlining.
Plans for an oyerhauling are being
considered in some areas. The gen.
leral idea is to weld small, separate
| and conflicting elements into large,
strong, efficient units. The purpose
I is to give the taxpayers more and
better, If not cheaper, service for
their money.
Miami's City Commission has
asked the Florida Legislature to
clear the way for consolidation OF
Miami and Dade County. Similar
proposals are being studied in sew
Ieral other cities. Merger OF the 426
taxing bodies in the city and county
to end duplication and waste was an
issue in Chicago's recent mayoral
campaign.
In this country, where the theory
that the least governed people are
the best governed people is cited
quite often, there we're 155 ,067 units
of local government at the latest
count.
Much Overlapping
There were $3.50 counties, 1920
municipalities, 1919 townships and
towns, 108,579 school districts and
8,299 special districts.
| For the United States as whole
there is one unit for every $50 peo-
pie and for every 10 square miles OF
land. But they're not spread out
evenly like butter on toast. Most OF
them overlap and in many sections
they're piled up in stacks. =,
You may be- living in a govern
mental pyramid. The bottom layers
would be Federal, State and county
governments. Atop these may be
any number Of others-city or town
ship and school, plus few special
districts, such as road, drainage
irrigation, flood control, levee, sani-
tation, water, airport, park. harbor
navigation. port or mosquito abate-
ment organizations.
| Illinois had 1884 governmental
units, Kansas 11,115 and Missouri
10,740 in 1942 surveys. More pop
ulous New York got along with g.
339. Rhode Island managed its af-
fairs with only 81, Delaware with
10 and Maryland with 207.
The only major reductions in the
last few years have resulted from
merging schools and enlargine
school administrative districts In
the interest of educational efficiency
Competition for Taxes
There has been no strong trene
in other fields. The Committee or
State-Local Relations Of the Council
of State Governments recently pub
lished a report to stimulate think
ing on the subject.
i Conducting public business on 6
patchwork basis Is apt to be expen'
siye. All divisions compete for tai
dollars. Many Offices mean many
office holders. Scattered contro
makes it difficult, if not impossible
to solye big, broad problems on
big, broad scale and to use up-to-
date centralized budgeting and buy
ing systems.
The committee also makes this
provocative point: .....-
"Citizens cannot comprehend ane
control the making or admlnlstra'
ton of policy when responsibility is
shared by numerous officials who
serve independent and overlapping
governments. Lack OF comprehen'
sion leads to lack of interest. Tht
pattern is too complex for demo
cratic government. y
There are other Illustrations. Fol
example: An outlying suburb may
have a puzzling murder or threaN
ening fire. The nearby city may
have a we'll trained homicide squat
or a well-equipped fire department
that could rush to the rescue
boundaries did not intervene.
Possible Remedies
What can be done? One approach
is to integrate functions OF loca
governments with little or NJ
change in existing structures. 4
central city could be given jurlsdic'
ton beyond its borders, such as ex'
tending its milk-inspection system
over a wide area. A group OF local
tiles could unite to operate com
mon water supply system, or two oi
more could work out mutual nre
protection plan.
Intergovernmental agreements art
finding increasing use. In the Can'
ClnnaL1 area, tiie ClIy, SoaAAeJ,
Board, university and public library
have formed a joint PURCHASING
committee. Many neighboring com
munities already share police radie
networks, health services and utl'
ity plants, and will share airport
in the future.
But the council maintains thai
"in the longer view, local govern
ment must undergo more funda'
mental reorganization"
! Discussing ideas about putting
whole metropolitan population un'
der a single government, the report
set forth:
Theories Are Simple
"The means OF achieving these
detectives are simple in theory, dif'
ficult of practical attainment. They
start with proposals for annexation
of adjacent satellite units by the
central cities. They range through
plans to establish federated cities
to integrate special districts witt