Essays in Municipal Administration

century, the growth of cities both in number and in size assumed a rapid and accelerating rate.Spreading to other countries, especially in Europe and America, this new movement by the early part of the nineteenth century easily surpassed that of the Roman period.Increasing by its own momentum, the process has continued and is continuing until one almost fears to consider its future possibilities.A hundred years ago there were in all Europe less than a score of cities with over 100,000 population, and not one such city in America.To-day there are two hundred cities of this size in Europe and America.The total population in cities of this class has increased from 4^to 60 millions, and from less than 3 per cent to one-eighth of the total.At the beginning of the nineteenth century there were less than two hundred cities of over 10,000 population in all the civilized world ; and their aggre- gate population was but 10 millions, less than 6 per cent of the total.To-day, such cities are to be counted by the ESSAYS IN MUNICIPAL ADMINISTRATION people.On the material side alone functions of this sort provide us with what seem now to be essentials of city life.The plotting, grading, and paving of streets and sidewalks, and the construction of drainage systems are municipal duties in the smallest cities.In most cities, too, the supply of water, not only for public purposes, but for private consumption, is clearly accepted as a municipal function.Other related matters of municipal concern are the lighting and local transportation systems ; and although most often the immedi- ate management of these are intrusted to private corporations, these corporations depend upon rights from the city; while in Great Britain and Germany these undertakings are to a large extent managed directly by the municipal authorities, ESSAYS IN MUNiaPAL ADMINISTKATION however, like most rhetorical generalizations, is too sweeping and too indefinite; and it will be more exact to speak of the failures or defects than to brand the whole by a term which indicates a complete lack of success.Of these defects in American municipal government, we may note first the frequent disclosure of gross corruption of and by municipal officials.From the time of the Tweed Ring in New York to the latest revelations in San Francisco the existence of corrupt officials has been made notoriously evi- dent from time to time and from one city to another.And it is such cases which give rise to the impression in some quarters that a chronic state of flagrant corruption is the normal condition in most American cities.But I venture to believe that cases of gross corruption, such as those mentioned, are on the whole exceptional; that they are sometimes exaggerated by the heated language of exciting political contests, and the demands of the newspaper press and its readers for sensational news ; and that when they occur,as they do far too often,they are the out-croppings of more per- manent and more general defects in our municipal govern- ment.And it may be said that the undue emphasis laid on notorious cases of gross corruption tends to delude the people in the many cities where no such cases have arisen into believing that their municipal government is as good as it can be made.But these more permanent and more general defects need more special attention.They may be summed up under two general heads : waste, and inadequate service.On the one hand, the municipal work does not meet the needs of the community.Things undertaken are poorly done, or under- taken on too small a scale; and many things which ought to be done are not attempted at all.The streets may be kept in no better orderperhaps not so goodas a cross- country road.The police force may be insufficient in number and lack training and discipline.The water-supply may be unsanitary.And the public library and other institutions ESSAYS IN MUNICIPAL ADMINISTRATION competence and because of personal or party affiliations.Where incompetence and lack of moral stamina are combined in one official, the results are likely to be so intolerable as to rouse public opinion and secure at least a temporary im- provement at the succeeding election.But it often happens that the scheming and sordid politician has the practical knowledge and experience of municipal problems which the man of undoubted integrity lacks.The former must become imbued with higher principles, the latter must add to his character knowledge and experience in municipal affairs, before either can make a satisfactory official.But our analysis must go behind the delinquencies of the officials to the reasons which explain why such persons are chosen to office ; and here we shall find the principal ultimate causes of the defects in our municipal government.Among the important factors which result in the selection of municipal officials who are either incompetent or dishonest, or otherwise deficient in their standards of public duty, we

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