Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

be libel cases for the courts for the next year, for nobody took pains to mince words."

Denver has woman suffrage, so that the vote was extremely heavy, approximately as many women as men having engaged in the contest. No analysis of the vote is yet available to show the part played by women in the contest.

The motto of the new movement is, "Retrenchment, Economy and Reform." Perhaps the most significant and creditable result of the election was the vote for Judge Ben Lindsey, who was overwhelmingly re-elected to the juvenile, court, which is recognized as an example and inspiration. Judge Lindsey's comment on the Citizens' victory is, "The city is going to be more prosperous and beautiful than ever with its community wealth for the people and not their exploitThere was a clear line up between the Progressive and reactionary elements in the two old parties."

ers.

Detroit Graft.-On July 26, eight aldermen and the secretary of the common council committee of Detroit were placed under arrest on the charge of accepting bribes for their votes and influence in passing on a measure effecting city property recently transferred to the Wabash Railroad. It is alleged that $3700 passed hands in sums of from $100 to $1000.

The investigation which culminated in the arrests was started in February, when rumors of irregularities in the councilmanic body began to assume serious proportions. Mayor W. B. Thompson sought the assistance of the Burns detective force, and Andrew H. Green, Jr., a prominent manufacturer, agreed to finance the probe. Soon after the investigation was begun the Wabash Railroad applied for the closing of a street on the ground that it wanted to erect a warehouse and to otherwise increase its shipping facilities. The application was opposed in councils for a time. Then suddenly councils granted the application by the vote of several members who

had previously opposed the measure. Meanwhile, a member of the Burns force, who had represented himself as a land agent for the Wabash, had entered, according to the charges, into negotiations with the secretary of the common council committees. He attended meetings of the committee on streets, meetings of the whole council, inspections of property concerned. Finally, it was decided, it is alleged, that several who had been opposing the measure would withdraw their opposition for $100 each; others demanding more, delayed action several days. It was then agreed that different sums, if necessary, would be allowed, and the aldermen began to draw their money. Disclosures and arrests followed. R. E. Schreiter, Jr., secretary of the common council committees and also secretary of the American League of Municipalities, plead guilty. Thomas Glinnan, president of the council, and professedly a champion of the people's rights, confessed and with him one other alderman. He had been paid $1000 in marked bills in the detective's office just before the arrest. He took them out, handed them back, sat down and made a complete confession. Other aldermen have made partial confessions. Since then other aldermen, in all eighteen, have been arrested upon additional charges of grafting. Eight of the aldermen involved were renominated at the September primary.

Minnesota Special Legislative Session Effects Municipalities.-The results of the thirteen day special session of the Minnesota legislature, convened last June by Governor Eberhard, is significant in its accomplishments, and in showing the changing temper of the people of Minnesota in the matter of government and administration. The legislative results are apparently a direct outcome of the militant work of the reform element in the state during the last regular session. In the corrupt practices act, the statewide primary and the

non-partisan election for the three large cities, which passed the special session, three of the five fundamental things the progressives have been fighting for during the last four years were made law.

The non-partisan elections for the three cities of Minneapolis, St. Paul and Duluth, are of special interest. At a non-partisan primary two men are to be named for each office, who are to fight it out at the city elections. This move was initiated by Senator Dwinnell of Minneapolis and was inspired in part by a desire to secure a combined opposition in Minneapolis against the Socialist can- . didate for mayor at the coming election.. He lost out by only 500 votes in the triple contest in 1911 and was generally picked as a sure winner this year. It is now expected that the Socialist tide will be stemmed. Undoubtedly at the regular session of next year, the other essentials that have long been striven fordirect legislation and a state wide civil service act will be enacted.

Duluth, Minn.-Has adopted the initiative, referendum and recall, following a vote favorable to municipal ownership of the lighting plant. The city owns the water and gas and has administered that with great satisfaction for fifteen years.

At the city election in February the vote on the municipal electric plant was favorable but an unfriendly council and a mayor of "good fellow" antecedents were elected. A petition was set on foot for a charter amendment for initiative, referendum and recall. As to charter amendments, the law of initiative was already in effect. The signatures came spontaneously, twice the number needed in three days. Twenty-four hours later the unfriendly council adopted a resolution declaring itself for municipal ownership and asking the private company for a price on its plant.

The charter amendments, at a special

[blocks in formation]

It is too

The New York Situation. early to write fully about the extraordinary situation in New York growing out of the murder of Herman Rosenthal on the eve of his intended statement to the district attorney concerning the relation of the police department to the protection of gambling. In connection with the murder a number of arrests have been made and a number of indictments have been found. There has also been instituted an aldermanic investigation to find out the causes for the present situation. In addition to that a citizens' committee has been created to give attention to the general features of the problem. We hope to have an extended item concerning the situation in the January issue.

Philadelphia Taxpayers Committee Recovers Misspent Funds.-As a result of the suit in equity instituted by the Philadelphia Taxpayers' Committee on City Finances in the fall of 1910, the Filbert Paving and Construction Company has been ordered by the courts to pay back to the city $66,826.44. It developed in the proceedings that while the company proposed under the contract to resurface asphalt streets in areas in excess of 500 square yards in single blocks for 20 cents a square yard, and areas less than 500, 75 cents a square yard, the work was so ordered or arbitrarily measured that the company collected 75 cents per square yard for 95 per cent of the work done.

Oakland Recall Attempt Fails.-Oakland voters refused to recall Mayor Frank K. Mott and Commissioners F. C. Turner and W. J. Backus, whom the Industrial Workers of the World sought to have thrown out of office. The advocates of the recall made the charge that

the administration was in league with the underworld and that vice and crime were being protected. A unique feature of the election day was the periodical blowing of all the steam whistles in town to remind the voters of their duty to cast their ballots.

IV. MEETINGS AND ORGANIZATIONS

City Planning Conference.-Following the three successful conferences on city planning held at Washington, Rochester, and Philadelphia, a fourth was held at Boston during the latter part of May, 1912. The great number of existing associations devoted to municipal affairs and perhaps some uncertainty as to the status of city planning in America have led those responsible for these conferences to refrain from trying to establish a formal association. Instead, a general and an executive committee have been entrusted with the arrangements for each succeeding conference. This form of organization was continued for 1912-1913, and Frederick Law Olmsted, of Brookline, Mass., was continued as chairman and Flavel Shurtleff of 19 Congress Street, Boston, as secretary.

The Boston program was notable for its concentration on a few main topics, generally one to a session. This afforded that opportunity for discussion which is so generally lacking at most conventions, with their overloaded 'programs of diverse subjects. An open or freefor-all session resulted chiefly in desultory discussion, although a preference vote had been taken earlier in the convention on the topics that should be brought up. At this session no one person was expected to speak more than five minutes on any given subject, but it is a rare chairman who will try to enforce such a rule and a rarer audience that will support him in the attempt. The rule was badly broken in this instance.

The first formal session had as its general subject, “The Meaning and Progress of City Planning." Mr. Olmsted gave a general review of the present status

of city planning. While nearly all cities exercise a nominal control of the opening of new streets this control is generally little more than what is associated with the services of surveyor, draftsman and clerk for private street openings. The few rules which usually exist do not often extend beyond such matters as minimum street widths. Rarely is there any comprehensive street planning and when there is such it is generally spasmodic. There are a few aggressive street planning bureaus but as a rule they have not grasped the principles of city planning.

In general, there is little or no cooperation with the various city bureaus which have charge of streets, sewers, water works and parks. Spasmodic planning commissions do some good. None of the permanent commissions have yet done much but this is partly because they are so young.

Arnold W. Brunner, of New York City, expressed the belief that the city plan should be the work of several men or of a committee-experts in various lines working together. Prof. George F. Swain, head of the civil engineering department of Harvard University, voiced the same general idea and dwelt at some length on the marked degree in which city planning falls within the province of the engineer, a fact not yet sufficiently recognized by either the engineer or the public.

Under the title, "Paying the Bills for City Improvements," Nelson P. Lewis, chief engineer of the board of estimate and apportionment, New York City, made a strong plea for assessing upon the property benefited the cost of all

improvements that increase land values, instead of putting this cost on the whole body of taxpayers and letting the property benefited pocket the resulting increment of value. He illustrated his points by practice in New York City, where the principle advocated has been in force for a number of years past and has been worked out in its practical scientific application by engineers.

Continuing the same general topic, Mr. James A. Gallivan, street commissioner, Boston, Mass., told how the real estate interests of Boston have shifted an everincreasing portion of the cost of street improvements from the property immediately benefited and onto the general taxpayer. Mr. Gallivan also discussed excess condemnation, or the acquisition by the city of land adjacent to improvements, with its subsequent resale at a profit to cover the cost of improvements. A specific study of a costly street widening scheme for Boston indicated that excess condemnation would not be practicable, but a study of a smaller scheme indicated the reverse. In the discussion which ensued, the principle of excess condemnation met with general approval.

The next general subject for discussion was "City Planning Studies." J. R. Coolidge, of Boston, read a suggestive paper on "Blighted Districts," or areas where land values are stationary or declining. It should be the duty of the city to diagnose the cause of such blights and apply remedies for their removal. Remedies suggested were a lowering of taxes and the making of improvements. If, for instance, the blight is due to an elevated railway a parallel street may be improved. Lawson Purdy, of New York City, in discussing the paper said that declining values are the fault of the city, and cited property in lower New York, west of Broadway, as an instance of decline due to a lack of city planning-in this case a failure to provide sufficient facilities for north and south traffic.

A series of addresses on "The Public Street Systems of the Cities and Towns

about Boston in Relation to Private Street Schemes" was opened by Arthur A. Shurtleff, of Boston. Lantern-slides were used to show how nearly the Boston metropolitan district comes to having a complete radial street system and how easily, as far as physical conditions are concerned, it might have a system of circumferential streets. The radial street system came into existence, not from systematic cooperative planning but because all the outlying towns wished roads into Boston. The elements of a circumferential system, consisting of isolated arcs of circles, have never been joined because (1) most of the traffic is Boston-ward or radial rather than from town to town circumferentially, and (2) because circumferential movement not being imperative owners of private property have been allowed to develop their land as they chose or to hold it from development, and there has been neither public nor private cooperation for circumferential highways. The city engineers of several cities adjoining or near Boston reinforced Mr. Shurtleff's remarks with specific local examples showing how real estate owners have blocked through street connections.

The final paper on the program was entitled "The Control of the Zone System by German Cities and its Application in the United States," by B. Antrim Haldeman, assistant engineer, bureau of surveys, Philadelphia. The origin, object and application of the zone or district system in Germany was described. The growing need for such a system in the United States and the obstacles in its way were discussed. The author expressed the belief that with the changing state of public opinion regarding the sanctity of "vested rights" as against the rights of society at large it is reasonable to expect that the zone or district system may yet be introduced in the United States. By this means housing conditions would be improved, transportation problems simplified, and the invasion of residence districts by manufacturing plants, for no other reason than

the self interest of the manufacturer, would be prevented.

M. N. BAKER.

The American Water Works Association, which held its thirty-second annual convention at Louisville, Ky., June 3 to 8, 1912, has a membership of nearly a thousand, including the associate members, or manufacturers of and dealers in water works supplies. The active membership consists chiefly of superintendents and managers of water works. Members of water boards and other officials are also included. Civil and sanitary engineers, chemists and bacteriologists, both connected with water works and in private practice, make up a small, but fair percentage of the membership and probably contribute half or more of the papers, committee reports and discussions.

At Louisville the program included some fifteen committee reports, twenty papers and a long list of subjects for informal discussion which had been submitted by members or made up by the secretary in advance of the meeting, printed and mailed to members, under the general title Question Box. In addition, the program included visits to the filtration and pumping plants of the Louisville water works.

Prominent among the committees of the association are three on water works standards, one on depreciation and one on uniform accounts and reports. The latter committee, in conjunction with other associations and working jointly with the U. S. Census Bureau, has devised a detailed scheme of uniform water works accounts, which was adopted by the association this year.

The papers presented included a number on water purification, several on the detection and prevention of water waste, one on the organization of the water department of New York City, one on purchasing water works supplies and one on the broad general subject of efficient management.

The question box topics which elicited the most discussion were depreciation and water stealing. The importance of making water rates high enough to provide an ample depreciation fund was emphasized and it was urged that this should be done by municipal as well as private plants. Municipally-owned plants generally make no allowance for depreciation and when they do charge. off depreciation it is generally only a bookkeeping entry, involving no actual funds. One of the speakers aptly remarked that "writing depreciation on a piece of paper and waving the paper in the air" is not providing for depreciation.

The discussion on water stealing arose, as it does at every water works convention, when the question of charging for water supplied to private fire connections for sprinkler service in mills and factories come up. The manufacturers and the fire insurance interests make strenuous demands for free private fire service from municipally-owned water works. A huge volume of experience shows beyond dispute that where these fire services are not metered and the water paid for, the water is used surreptitiously for manufacturing purposes, often to the value of thousands of dollars a year from each fire service. The consensus of opinion among water works officials is that the only way to prevent this stealing is to charge for all water used. If the water is used for fire protection only, the amount to be paid will be small.

The next meeting of the association will be at Minneapolis in 1913. Dow R. Gwinn, of Terre Haute, Ind., was elected president of the association for the ensuing year, and John M. Diven, 47 State Street, Troy, N. Y., was reëlected as secretary and treasurer.

M. N. BAKER.

The American Institute of Criminal Law and Criminology, held three days' sessions in Milwaukee, August 29-31, giving careful attention to advanced

« AnteriorContinuar »