THE GERMAN EXAMPLE

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 8191, 5 August 1912, Page 7

THE GERMAN EXAMPLE

THE CARE OF THE UNIT. SUNDAY TALK AT BROTHERHOOD. -Mr Pierce C. Frecth delivered an address at a meeting of the Wellington Brotherhood at the New Theatre yesterday afternoon on “Improvement in the Surroundings of the Hoaxes of the People: tho German Example." His Woi - - siup the Mayor (Mr D. McLartuj presided, ami seveial city councillors were present. Tho speaker said municipal reformers in ah parts of tho world were turning their eyes towards Germany, because that country furnished many object Usnons of suciu-utiiitunuii development. Tho Gormans had not been drawn to tho new movement by any visionary utopian influences, the breed being by in--ti..et tomseivaiivo and uaiegmatic, but the trend of thought and experience in tho country had led to tho conviction that it was essential to a wcdl ordered national development that tho unit must be cared for, and further that the best way to look aficr tho unit is to see that, as far as possible, his surroundings are comfortable, sanitary, and pleasant. Town councils could, neither in Germany nor e.sow,.ere, in the present state of economic development, do much towards fixing the rate of wages or directing tho trend of tho cost of living, but by their power to control the number, the size, and tho nature of tho dwellings in tho poorer parts of tho population; tho width and direction of new streets; and tho degree in which drinking, gambling, and licentiousness on the one hand, and wholesome forms of recreation on tho other, should he encouraged or discouraged, they could have great influence iu tho determination of what tho citizen could obtain for the money he earned, and what should be tho nature of tho education he received after he loft the elementary school. Experience had proved in Germany as elsewhere that it was only private enterprise which could copo with the work of supplying the immense number of new houses which must be built in a great town; but experience had also shown that without control, guidance, and assistance, private enterprise could not, and did not provide enough new houses; did not place what houses it did provide in right relation to other buildings; did not supply the kind of house that the community needed; and did not keep the houses which it did supply in good order.

The practical German had long ago mad© up his mind that in order to ensure the fulfilment of better conditions it was necessary that towns must be periodically inspected; houses which were found to ha in such condition internally that good health was impossible must be repaired by the owner or at his cost; or if they could not he placed in good order they must be closed. - But the practical German had of late years gone oven farther than that. In large numbers of the towns the authorities had enacted that plans must be prepared for ten, twenty, and even thirty years in advance showing tho land thftt would probably bo required to supply sites for houses and nil other institutions and places needed for the community, and the streets and reserves which would need to be provided. By this means overcrowding was prevented, as extension could only take place on symmetrical and established principles. Tho German system of municipal government had been shaped by the conviction that the work of governing a town was so important and so difficult that the supervision of it needed the whole of the working time, all tho powers of thought of able mon of long experience in governing towns. The majority of tho members of town councils were elected by the ratepayers and were unpaid; Die members of the council appointed the Mayor and a sufficient number of stipendiary aldermen to carry on the work of administration. These men are elected for a term of years, sometimes six years, sometimes nine. Their re-election was dependent upon efficiency, and,- as an additional Incentive, pensions were paid to retiring administrators in keeping with their length of service. This arrangement gave town councils reasons for being careful to choose for Mayors and heads of committees, men who are very competent and young enough to remain useful for many years.

In tho Berlin town council seventeen members were salaried, and appointed for twelve year terms, and seventeen were unpaid and appointed for six year terms. But in addition to the Magistracy (as the honorary councillors wore called) .here are about seventy "citizen deputies” who were selected by the council for their general fitness to servo as associates on committees, charged with the oversight of various municipal interests such as parks, schools, tho car© of the indigent poor, and the sanitary services.

Duties wore so well distributed that tin 1 highest type of executive efficiency resulted. Now departments of administration were either assigned to the portfolios of existing magistrates, or were provided for by the appointment of additional members. Thus the magistrates was sufficiently flexible for the changing circumstances of cities, while the presence of the unsalaried citizen members kept it always in touch with tho spirit of the community. The speaker went at some length into the German methods of school administration; discussed tho Elberfold system of poor relief; gave particulars of tho manner, in which school gymnastics and the discipline induced by universal training reflected lfinthe national morale; touched upon tho various insurance systems; showed how the smoko nuisance was dealt with; and furnished some Interesting particulars of the way in which the municipalities provided school doctors, school gardens, holiday colonies for delicate children, and school walks to interesting places. After a number of questions had been answered, Mr Freeth was accorded a vote of thanks on the motion of Councillor Godber.