XI. MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT NEW CITY CHARTERS Tendencies in Charter Framing.Developments during 1911 have amply justified the recent statement of Dr. Charles E. Merriam that "the American city charter is the most rapidly changing political structure in the United States." Charter revision and rebuilding have been uppermost issues in nearly every city of any size or importance. In Boston and New York the question has been to protect what has been gained. In other cities it has been to secure improvements, and in a long list of communities to adopt the commission form. Four leading cities now have recently secured charters providing a strong mayor and a strong legislature of nine, elected at large: Boston, Pittsburg, Seattle and Los Angeles. In these places there has been material improvement in administration, and the general results have been satisfactory to the progressives who have been responsible for the changes. commission governments in American cities, owes a large part of its success, which has been as marked during the year 1911 as in any previous year since its introduction in Galveston in 1901, to the fact that it is a simple form of government, easily understood by men of average intelligence and opportunity, and because it provides the short ballot and a simplified form of nomination and election. Even in those charters which can not properly be classed as commission government or semi-commission government charters, the same tendency is to be observed, notably in the new charters for Boston, Pittsburg, Seattle and Los Angeles. In each of these the small council elected at large takes the place of cumbersome legislative bodies, in some instances of two legislative bodies, elected from wards. The elimination of party designation and the provision for a simple form of nomination are also chief characteristics. At the Richmond meeting of the National Municipal League (Nov. Boston.-Public opinion was too 13-16) the secretary reported that strongly in favor of the new charter during the 17 years of the League's in Boston for the politicians to have activities, the most important ten- their way in amending it to suit dencies to be noted had been those their purposes. We may look for toward an expansion of municipal other efforts to alter it, but the force functions and a simplification of of public sentiment was made So municipal machinery, and that this clear that any such attempt will be latter tendency has been most undertaken with caution. The charmarked in the matter of charter re- ter is to have a fair trial. The small vision. Each year there has been a council will be continued, and the marked increase of interest in this evil of ward representation, with its phase of the subject, and an equally chain of log-rolling, bargaining, pomarked increase in the number of litical trading, is put aside. The efforts to eliminate the complexities city gained by the fight that had of the older forms of charters. The been waged, because the desires of movement for the establishment of the public were plainly arrayed and prevailed against the desires of a group of designing practical politicians whose aim was to restore the very conditions which the adoption of the charter demolished. New York was the scene of another conflict over charter revision in which enlightened public opinion was arrayed against selfish political considerations and won out. The city needs a new charter and needs it badly, but it must be carefully worked out by responsible representatives. The work on the "Gaynor charter was done in the dark and in haste. It was done by methods that created suspicion and pointed to secret jobbery. It was done in defiance of enlightened opinion and in utter disregard of the wishes of the people of New York, as the politicians learned to their discomfort. The draft of the new charter was a patchwork affair. No competent body of lawyers, no civic organization of any kind, was known as a party to its preparation." These are the words of the New York World, "Various unidentified workmen sawed and hammered at it from time to time. What they made of it nobody seemed to know, least of all the people of New York who were to be governed under it." So strongly expressed was the public sentiment against the change in the laws of a letting down of the restrictions, that its sponsors receded from their opposition to changes and agreed to eliminate all changes in the civil-service system from the charter. This was but the forerunner of the end, the charter failing through the inability to dragoon a sufficient number of the members of the Senate into line to secure its passage. In this connection it is important to point out that the marshalling of public opinion was effected through the leadership of the civic organizations of New York City. Governor Dix likewise deserves credit for insisting that he would approve no bill unless there had been an opportunity for the people to express their views upon it. To offset this attitude of the governor, the dates of the hearings and of the reconvening of the legislature, were fixed at a time when it was expected that public sentiment would be most lethargic and active leaders away. They miscalculated, however; for the civic workers were on guard and at once converted the hearings into real hearings, and forced the issue home upon the people. The response was immediate, and afforded a substantial tribute to the generalship of the leaders of the movement. Jacksonville, Fla., has been granted a new charter which represents the evolutionary process of charter revision. Over 20 years ago the city bonded itself for $1,000,000 for sanitary improvements, and a board of bond trustees of nine business men was appointed. This board has been very successful, as the personnel of it was selected from the business community, rather than a political faction. It controls the city electriclight plant, city waterworks, police, fire and public works, and, under the charter amendment its powers have been increased and the powers of the mayor and council decreased. The amendment of the charter abolished the board of public works and the city health department, placing these duties upon the bond trustees. The board of trustees secured the services of an expert civic and sanitary engineer from the ranks of the United States engineer corps. This is in line with the ideas of the Civic Improvement Committee of the Board of Trade. Commission Government.-There has been a continuous development of interest in and adoption of the commission form of city government. The following is a list of those cities which have either by their own direct vote or by an act of the legis lature gone on to the commission basis during 1911: law, and to advance the general interest of cities under this form of government. The mayors, corporation counsels, city attorneys and divided into five groups: the department of public affairs, department of accounts and finance, department of public health and safety, department of streets and public improvements and department of public property. The intent is to have group meetings, the mayors and legal advisers together, and the commissioners of their respective departments together. Besides the group meeting there will be one general meeting where suggestions and recommendations coming from the different departments may be acted on. dorsed the idea. Governor Dix, of New York, however, vetoed a commission government charter for the town of Beacon, in his veto memorandum saying: "I intend to rec- commissioners were organized and ommend to the legislature of 1912, and have ready for its consideration a uniform charter for cities of the third class. Such charter should be most carefully prepared and be broad enough in its provisions to permit any existing community or communities by voting upon the question to adopt its provisions and thereafter, be governed by such law." A significant feature of the commission government movement has been the fact that in so many instances the people of a community have been given the opportunity of saying whether or not they wished that particular form to be adopted; in other words, hand in hand with this simplification of form and machinery, has gone an increasing tendency toward municipal home rule, Gardiner with a very considerable strengthening of the self-governing instinct in communities and a very great in- Lowell, Charter crease in the interest of the people in their local affairs. Governor Dix's proposition will be more complete if he gives the electors of cities of the third class the opportunity of saying whether they wish a commission form or some other form of government for their municipality. The CITIES ADOPTING COMMISSION Lawrence Massachusetts. ..... New Jersey. 5,311 85.892 ..106,294 129 1,950 Hawthorne, State Law ad'p'd by city 3,400 Trenton, Wallington, 54,773 5,416 96.815 3,448 SOUTH ATLANTIC DIVISION. Of the legislatures which met in 1911, sixteen were confronted with commission-government bills. states of New Jersey, Alabama, Utah, Montana, Washington, Idaho, Parkersburg, Charter California, Nebraska and Iowa adopted legislation on the subject. Greensboro, Charter The Connecticut legislature passed the Norwich charter. The Pennsylvania legislative committee reported favorably on the bill for third-class Cartersville, State Law........ cities but the measure failed on the floor. In three states, namely, California, Washington and Iowa, the Braceville, State Law ad'p'd by city 971 system was extended by permissive Clinton, legislation to the smaller cities. Decatur, A permanent organization of the cities under the commission form of Hamilton, government in the State of Illinois Hillsboro, was formed in Peoria, June 28. The Jacksonville, purpose of the organization was to Kewanee, discuss the Illinois law and suggest Moline, the necessary amendments to the Ottawa, municipal affairs, subject to the con- ple provisions of the proposed Wisstitution and general laws of the state. consin amendments. They represented the idea of inserting statutes A series of amendments to the in the fundamental law rather than California constitution were adopted a grant of broad general powers, in on Oct. 10, providing for municipal other words legislation via the conhome rule. They were not the sim- stitution. MUNICIPAL RESEARCH tain of the distinctions made would not be agreed to by all accountants; but in general the definitions are those commonly accepted. (Address of Fund: 261 Broadway, N. Y.) In the effort to establish the busi- manuals of elementary municipal ness affairs of cities upon a more bookkeeping; it also has charge of efficient basis, the bureaus of muni- coöperative investigations conducted cipal research have played an impor- by the comptrollers and mayors of tant part. New York, Philadelphia, certain cities to work out needed deChicago, Cincinnati, Milwaukee, Fort tails of the administration. It has Wayne, Ind., West Chester, N. Y., also taken up the question to which Hoboken, Boston, Memphis, Minnea- the U. S. Bureau of the Census and polis, Walla Walla, Montclair, N. J., the National Municipal League have New Rochelle, N. Y., San Francisco been giving active attention for ten and Oakland, Cal., and Pittsburgh years. To this end it is issuing a now have official or voluntary bureaus. series of "Short Talks" intended to The New York Bureau continues instruct in the principles of munici(see AMERICAN YEAR BOOK, 1910) pal accounting and reporting all its active career and has published a who have to do with or are interlong series of striking leaflets and ested in that subject. To the second pamphlets which have served to of the series it subjoins a glossary arouse and educate public opinion. of the terms used in municipal acIt has undertaken the administration counting. It is possible that cerof the Metz Fund for "promoting efficient municipal accounting and reporting." In his letter creating the fund of $30,000 ($10,000 a year for three years) Mr. Metz said: "While it is obvious that the $10,000 will not reorganize the accounts of all American cities, it should, however, be sufficient to make available to all cities the results of the experience which is being acquired in each. For example, New York City has spent for the last several years past, thousands of dollars in working out principles and in demonstrating the practical application of accounting methods to municipal business. A good deal of progress was made during my administration as comptroller, and I am glad to see that my successor in office is continuing the work which began under me. Every city in America should have the benefit of the work which is now being effectively carried on, and New York should have the benefit of the experience of other cities." This fund, under the direction of U. L. Leonhauser, is issuing as a part of its work a series of publications which are in the nature of Philadelphia Bureau-The most important achievement of the Philadelphia Bureau was its thoroughgoing report on weights and measures and the passage of an act by the Pennsylvania legislature providing for the establishment of a bureau of standards in the Department of Internal Affairs of Pennsylvania, for the purpose of regulating and maintaining a uniform standard of legal weights and measures in the state to conform with the original standards of weights and measures adopted by Congress, and verified by the National Bureau of Standards; and to assist in securing the enforcement of laws relating to sealers of weights and measures, now in force or that may hereafter be enacted. as Mayor Blankenburg of Philadelphia has sought the active coöperation of the Bureau.. The first work he asked it to undertake was to prepare a complete roster of the city's |