"CLEAN" CITY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 186, 7 August 1936, Page 9

"CLEAN" CITY.

GRAFT ELIMINATED. SAN FRANCISCO'S CHARTER. UNDER THREE MANAGERS. The manner in which the charter of . San Francisco, redrafted four years ago, 1 had eliminated graft from the political 1 - management of the city was explained this morning by Mr. Edward C. Cahill, i manager of public 'utilities, and Dr. J. j C. Geiger, director of the department of j public health. With the Mayor. Mr. i Angelo J. Rossi, these two men, who ' passed through Auckland to-day by the ' Mariposa, manage and control all public j services in the city. Over them again,; however, is a supervisor, who is-directly j responsible under a bond of 2,000,000, dollars for the financial control ot the city. No contract can be signed with- ' out his approval, and no money paid over unless he orders it.

Directly under Mr. Cahill's control are the water department, the street railways, the air port, the power department, street lighting, and public buildings. All these services represent an invested capital of 200,000,000 dollars. As an instance of the many side issues involved in such a task Mr. Cahill mentioned that the water department; had a 00,000-acres farm about its water shed, and a walnut orchard—which incidentally returns an annual net profit of 30,000 dollars; Control of Power.

Since the new charter had been granted to 4lie city in 1932 there had been practically no graft in the city, said Mr. Cahill. Previously there had been 15 legislators, who had run the city, with political control of all utilities. The new charter, a fine document which was now being copied by other American cities, had taken from the elected legislative chamber (which was reduced to 11 representatives) all except legislative power. That power was now given to the Mayor, who had control of the police and fire departments, to the chief administrator, to the manager of public utilities and the director of the health department. All these executive officers were again checked by the controller, who was under a 2,000,000 dollar bond. So little say did the legislators have that it was regarded as a serious breach if they even made a suggestion concerning control of the various administrative offices. - The reason for this, said Mr. Cahill, was that previously there had been a tremendous number of place holders appointed throusrh political influence on the policy of "spoils- to the victors.". Any legislator who now attempted even to suggest that a protege should be {riven any public- office could lose his legislative position. "And that's tough 1" he added with a smile.

Cheaper Running.

By this method the city had proved that it was possible to run the public utilities, and other departments at much cheaper cost than was possible under private control. With municipal ownership there were not the same tremendous salaries or the same sums to be paid for "public relatione."

What this meant he pointed out by illustrating the case of a privatelyowned street car company. Its executive officer was paid 27,000 dollars a year, while the municipal street railways manager received 7000. The same private company paid many thousands for its public relations—that meant patronage of political clubs and other methods for securing political favours. Now San Francisco had the lowest rate average among the big cities of the United States. Its taxation was 3.60 dollars on each 100 dollars of capital value.