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The Real Objection

The real objection is not "academic"-it is intensely practical. Today we have the phenomenon of constitutional officers and statutory salaries that limit our power to govern our local affairs-and all agree that these conditions usually make for costliness, for irresponsibility, for inefficiency. It is now proposed to turn our most important municipal function over to the head of the state. In other words, Philadelphia, already suffering from too many curtailments of its right to home rule in local affairs, is asked to forego control of its largest, most important and costliest municipal unit.

Presumably, the expense of conducting our police force will still be borne by Philadelphia's taxpayers. But the control will be vested in the head of the state government only one-fifth of whose taxpayers are directly concerned with the police affairs of our city.

And is the new state-appointed commissioner to have the power of the mandamus for salaries and other items as do the county officials? Look before you leap, Philadelphians!

"Municipal institutions constitute the strength of free nations. A nation may establish a system of free government, but without municipal institutions it cannot have the spirit of liberty."-de Tocqueville.

The New Day

A new day is upon us. A new vision has opened to our minds; a new spirit is stirring our consciences; new problems clamor for solution; and new duties have devolved upon our citizens. This is true for the world and it is true for Philadelphia.

At the same time we still have affection for the old. The treasures of the past we still cherish. In the achievements of yesterday we still glory. The homes of our fathers are still dear to us; and Old Philadelphia we still love.

Our affection for the old is not incompatible with our vision of the new. From the good in the old we draw inspiration to achieve the new. Philadelphia occupies its proud place in the history of our country because it was here that the men and women of old did new things; and if Philadelphia is to retain its place in history it must continue to do new things and to live up to the new vision of the new day.

The Philadelphia of Tomorrow

In this new vision nothing looms more important than the part that government will play in our common life. More and more the things we want to do must be accomplished by co-operative effort, and in government we have the most effective instrument of community co-operation. Whether we shall forge ahead or lag behind in the race for better things, will depend very largely upon the adaptation of our government to the new tasks it will be called upon to perform. The Philadelphia of tomorrow will be no better than its city government.

More Light, not Heat

The Bureau of Municipal Research is dedicated to the cause of better government in Philadelphia. For ten years past it has devoted itself entirely to this cause. Its method has not been the political one, but rather that of careful scientific inquiry. It has proceeded upon the theory that first of all we must know the facts about our government, and then we are ready to make changes that are truly for the better. In the phrase of a noted American, the Bureau has sought at every turn to bring more "light, not heat" to bear upon the problems of our city government. It has rested its faith upon the potent power of truth.

The Bureau of Municipal Research is not itself a part of the city government. It is a citizens' agency, brought into being by forward-looking Philadelphians and maintained entirely by their voluntary contributions. It has a staff of accountants, statisticians, civil service specialists, engineers and lawyers. Back of the staff is a board of twentyfive public spirited men and women. In its policy the Bureau of Municipal Research is absolutely nonpartisan and impersonal.

By Way of Retrospect

The ten years of the Bureau's history have been years of notable achievements. In the brief compass of this leaflet it is possible to enumerate only a few:

1. Study of the Bureau of Compulsory Education. This resulted in a thorough reorganiza

tion of that bureau so that today it is almost a model of its kind.

2. Study of the local weights and measures situation. This resulted in legislation establishing our present Bureau of Weights and Measures in Philadelphia.

3. Digest of health laws. This has proved an invaluable aid to the health officials of the city government, making available to them for the first time in convenient form the many laws and ordinances pertaining to health that formerly were scattered through numerous volumes.

4. Survey of school medical inspection. This resulted in a complete reorganization of the Division of Medical Inspection of the Bureau of Health and had the almost immediate effect of increasing by fifty per cent the treatment obtained for children with physical defects.

5. Inquiry into City Hall janitorial service. This resulted in an immediate reorganization of the service and a substantial annual saving.

6. Survey of the Domestic Relations Division of the Municipal Court. This resulted in the installation of a complete system of mechanical tabulation of the social data of domestic relations cases, and was instrumental in the adoption of various procedural improvements.

7. Studies in city finances. As a result of almost continuous attention to various phases of our city finances, including the budget, accounting methods, borrowing policy, and kindred topics, great improvements have been effected in the financial administration of the city. At the same time a sound basis has been evolved for the important fiscal legislation included in the new charter bill.