MUNICIPAL PROGRESS.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXIX, Issue 3646, 24 January 1899, Page 2

MUNICIPAL PROGRESS.

AN AMERICAN MAYOR’S MESSAGE. WHAT IS BEING DONE AT TOLEDO, OHIO. * A correspondent in the United States has just forwarded us, a copy of the Annual Message of. Mr Samuel M. Jones, Mayor of Toledo, to the Common Council of tho City; and this is of such a comprehensive character, and ,so ably ' advocates the municipalisation of public services and the provision of comforts for the people by the municipal authorities, that we make some extracts from the document, whichis published in the form of - a .pamphlet of thirty-two pages AN ESTKNSIVE FROOEAItME. Those who profess to bo alarmed at the ambitious nature of the schemes of reform for Wellington outlined by His Worship Mr J. R. Blair, the; present Mayor, may have their opinions modified by a glance at the following epitome of the reforms contemplated in Toledo: r The establishment of a city plant for the. manufacture of fuel gas. ; The control and operation by the city of the electric lighting plant. The establishment of civil service in all departments of the municipality. , The enactment by tho Legislature of laws that will give the city such a measure of Homo Rule as will enable it to "bring out 'the best that is in its own people.” , . No grant or extension of 'franchise to private enterprise without tho approval of tho people. The abandonment of the contract system on all public work, such as paving, sowers, etc..„'" r ' Tho/jcompilntion rand publication : of the city.directory by .tho.-.municipality itself. ■ The ,establishment of kindergartens as part, of the public school' system. ;. Ailarger,, appropriation for. street improvement'/" v . ’’ . The sprinkling of the Streets by the city itself. • '"A.' '-/Av ' - : .'AA-:"i;'

■ The passage of. the ordinance.for tho. appointment of Building Inspector. . A - larger appropriation for public parks, i I An (appropriation for music, in the-parks. Thai'establishment of playgrounds for tho! children.. -i. ... Tftp establishment of free public baths, '..j luiprbved'facilities for those who market (in!ToledoV , '; ,1 A; !v'"v; ~ " Thy erection of a city building, a-AVlitfiuiiitfng of all the people to the end .'that! thoiOhiro Centennial may bo made a dgrited (success. • - . '. .r. /■ .../■, ■-Af --..iTJIO ifevision of-tho-city license laws. ■ ~,,j of -tho -..ordinance licensing P emp}qym"put agencies in Toledo; . ; .f.pThfej power ,to be "abolished and the ‘.rcferenduih to the" people' substituted in ’Wfilhce. rif iram ""'/light and fuel.--/ 1

- 1 ' Sir donee advocates tho'city nncfertaking othov.feti-eet*-' lighting by eloctridily; - and uthoasupply of gas to the inhabitants for .domefttic-nse as light- and, fuol. Ho; says. , is.noAv paying 90dots, per ycar r t!or ( jeaqh;arc light; wc should have at least dnfi thousand at imosent. * Superintendent; ‘■ Cook estimates that the light can e pro!Uucod’'by; the city- tinder public ownership "ttb’n- cost of: 60dol. per fight. This - would’ ; ntotttt’.a, saving of SOdolsii on each one, or ■dO.OOOaols.' on the one thousand lights that >we oughtito have. -The arithmetic of these figures is.very simple. In six- or seven yoavsithe,saving in the:cost of light alone: would pay for the plant, interest, and prinicipal.” On the question of the ability of- ’ the - Coriiorationf to'undertake such mat-ters-he remarks: —“To .say that we are; ■dnable: to’deal with a: proposition :of this; kind? isi to-.confess, the failure ,of the institution that Ave-call Governmentto urge , that the, .city* is unable to employ men of such ability as a privato corporation can find, is belied*-b$ our experience, in the: management of such - as are now publicly oAvnod. X refer to our public schools, our public library, our parks,’ our city AvatcrAvorks, our police department, our city fire department, OAir city ; streets —all of these are- publicly--owned;: and the jjopular argument that a certain property can be .managed cheaper by a private corporation than by the city, is as applicable to any one of these as it is to the city natural gas department.” I , EEEE KINDEEGA.ETENS. ,

All educators now agree (says the Mayor of Toledo) that very much is lost to the work of true education unless it is begun with the child. It is said that the seeds of fundamental truth thatjform the character of the future citizen must be planted in the child before he reaches the, ago of seven years. - There can bo no question but that the thing of greatest importance to a; city is the character of its citizens; it then becomes the clear duty ■of- a city 10 contribute in every possible way to character building, and, to act intelligently, it -s important that the contribution should be made at the time when the " apprentice citizen ” is most ready: and likely to receive correct impressions. This the city can do in one way and no other,■> and that is by. establishing free kindergartens; in other words, making the kindergarten a part of the public school. system. 1 ■ ■ • ■ There is food for reflection in what Mr Jones says under theiheading of THE riEE DEPARTMENT. :

( I have,((he writes! nothing but words of commendation for this branch of the public service. With comparatively meagre equipment at their command;-the record of our fire department is one of which we may all he justly proud. I trust that your honourable body may supplement the work by passing the legislation that this department stands in need- of. providing for the; appointment of a building inspector. We have the melancholy evidence in the loss of the life during the past rear that there are more ways than, one of doing murder for money, and without a building inspector to supervise buildings, so that proper ' precautions are taken in a growing city like ours, there is increasing danger that such a calamity as befell the city in the loss of the life of brave Captain Wills, in. the Dow-Snell fire, and the frightful destruction of life at the Union Elevator, may be repeated through the erection of buildings that, to satisfy human greed, are. lacking in ordinarv precautions for the protection .of life. Unless the City Council ' shall do all that lies within its power in the way of proriding such legislation and further sacrifice of life is the result of such neglect, I cannot see but the city itself will stand equally guilty with the greed of the property owner, which is the prime cause of the trouble. a ft.er dealing with other questions, Mr Jones' 1 comes to that of cmnloyment agencies, urging the repeal of the ordinance licensing such agencies, and advocating the institution of FREE EIIPLOTIIEXT AGENCIES.

"The; State of- Ohio is," ho says, " unique in haring a law providing for free 1 employment agencies in certain cities, ,of which Toledo is one. and the city hears the expense of conducting the office. The absurdity of licensing a private enterprise to carry on the same-class of work in competition with the city is apparent. But the infamy of this sort of , business can only, be understood when wo f reflect, that our people do not go to an employment agency to seek-for work save as a last extremity, and that the city ’ .should., then license an individual to make profit out of this distressed class of people is a flagrant wrong that should he stopped as soon as it is possible to enact the necessary legisla-

tion. Tho Stale lias made a most commendable beginning in the right direction by establishing free employment agencies. Let us supplement this work by enlarging the field of their operations in every possible way, bo that all of the people may contribute their mite towards finding employment for those who are in need of it.