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Real estate record and builders' guide: [v. 91, no. 2362]: June 21, 1913

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AND NEW YORK, JUNE 21, 1913 iiiiiiii^^ OBVIOUS NEXT STEPS FOR TAXPAYERS City's Charges For Privileges, Franchises and Concessions Should Be Developed—Technical Administration Should Be Improved—Taxpayers Should Lead in Municipal Service. -Article IV.- I By HENRY BRUERE, Director, Bureau of Municipal Research. ''''■lllllllllllilllllillllllllillllllllillllllllllM ON .\PRIL 18, 1912, Comptroller Prendergast introduced, and the Board of Estimate and Apportionment adopted, a resolution asking the Board of Aldermen to authorize an appropria¬ tion of $50,000 to conduct "studies of the efficiency of methods of administra¬ tion employed by the various depart¬ ments in the conduct of city work, with a view to establishing uniform methods of efficiency so far as it is practicable." In adopting this resolution, the board approved a report submitted by the Comptroller outlining an efliciency pro¬ gram. A Seven-Track Program. This program provided for six lines of effort, several of which had already been begun. The work was to be done through a Bureau of Efficiency, estab¬ lished as a part of the organization of the Board of Estimate. The Comptroller proposed: (1) Completion of standardization of supplies. (2) Beginning of standardization of salaries. (3) Standardizing purchasing and storekeeping methods. (4) Standardizing office practice, in¬ cluding methods of contract prepara¬ tion, filing of records and correspond¬ ence, organization of clerical service, etc. (5) Standardizing departmental re¬ ports, begun and partially completed by the Mayor's office in co-operation with the Bureau of Municipal Research. (6) Standardizing work methods by adopting a uniform plan for organizing and supervising labor forces and pro¬ viding uniformly efficient equipment. The Board of Estimate Propose—the Aldermen Dispose. Needless to say, the Board of Alder¬ men declined to make the appropriation (although it was recommended by their Finance Committee). Six months later, at the request of President Mitchel, the Board of Aldermen approved an appro¬ priation of $56,600, put in the 1913 budget for the efficiency studies by the Board of Estimate. To carry out the plan, an efficiency and budget advisory staff was to be organized under the Board of Esti¬ mate. More than five months have elapsed since this appropriation became eiTective, but the staff has not yet com¬ menced its work. On June 12, 1913, as this article was being written, the Board of Estimate and Apportionment adopted the Comptroller's resolution authorizing the appointment of the effi¬ ciency and budget advisory stafif of the board, consisting of eight efficiency ex¬ perts, at an annual salary cost of $25,200. Except for standardization of supplies, salaries and reports, the program out- Economy and Progress Some of the progressive, socially- minded members of our community seem to regard economy as incon¬ sistent witli a liberal concern for public welfare. This view is falla¬ cious, of course, but its fallacy will be difficult to point out convincingly so long as taxpayers permit their representatives to oppose blindly every extension of city service aimed to improve social conditions. One after another, advancing civili¬ zation will bring to light opportuni¬ ties for social improvement. Non¬ essentials of today become indis¬ pensable s tomorrow. This is the result of the forging ahead of civili¬ zation, which will continue to forge ahead whether taxpayers wish it or not. The question is whether civili¬ zation Is to advance with taxpayers or over taxpayers. HENRY BRUERE. lined a year ago is still to be begun. Had it been eflfectively undertaken in April, 1912, as planned by the Comptroller, or begun promptly on January 1 as the 1913 budget provided, taxpayers would be abie to reap a substantial dividend in Ihe 1914 budget. This is an excellent illustration of the efifect of divided re- sponsibiHty for the city's administration, part of which is governed by responsi¬ bility, not to the public, but to the plainly visible vizier of our "invisible govern¬ ment." What "Might Have Been." Tlie purpose of this program was to establish as quickly as possible in every department the same control over stores and supplies which has effected econo¬ mies in the Bridge Commissioner's and the Water Commissioner's departments; the same reorganization of labor gangs that has cut down the cost of paving and sewer-cleaning work in Manhattan: the same eftective practices which have increased the efificiency of the Bureau of Water Register. In other words, the purpose was to make available to every departmental bureau information of what other departments and bureaus have done, and by means of experts to teach them how to do likewise. This equalizing of administrative methods is an obvious and fairly simple thing to do. As an obvious next step to take, it need not await the next ad¬ ministration. Funds have been provided for it, a plan for the efliciency bureau has been prepared, and the staff has just been provided. No member of the Board of Estimate in favor of pressing this efficiency pro¬ gram will say that the six months' de¬ lay in starting the efliciency bureau was justified. If the program which it was to execute was sound in April, 1912, and was sound on January 1, 1913, it is sounder now. Further postponement of its execution will cost taxpayers thou¬ sands of dollars each month. Questions Without Answers. A querulous taxpayer is less effective in forcing economies than is an inquisi¬ tive taxpayer. An obvious thing for tax¬ payers to do immediately is to organize about a persistent, intelligent question mark until they learn, at least, whether the present cost of government is the gross cost or the net cost after readily available economy measures have been adopted. The following are some of the ques¬ tions that would help diagnose the city's economy condition: If a mechanical device is feasible for payroll writing in the Water Depart¬ ment and cuts down the cost of payroll preparation, is it not feasible for every department of the city government? Do taxpayers know how many departments are still writing payrolls in long hand, and how many have followed the ex¬ ample of the Water Department? How many, if any, of the Board of Estimate members know? M the beginning of the present ad¬ ministration a great to-do was made over extending the working day from 4 to 5 P. M. When summer came in the first year, the departments were per¬ mitted to close at 4 P. M. on the theory that working until 5 P. M. was undue exertion. How many departments have returned to a 9 tg 5 o'clock basis? Do ta.xpayers know? Payroll Fluctuations. The Comptroller submitted to the Board of Estimate and Apportionment for each month during 1910 and for the first three-quarters of 1911 a statement showing the total payroll cost by de¬ partments of the city. Every depart¬ ment was supposed to be giving its at¬ tention to eliminating unnecessary jobs, wiping out soft snaps and squeezing the' water generally out of payrolls. No statement has been submitted since De¬ cember, 1911. Do city oflicials know and dfc) taxpayers know whether payrolls reduced in 1910 were subse¬ quently increased, and how much? Does anyone know by how much the total payroll cost for 1913 is greater than 1910, where the increases have occurred, where offsetting decreases have Occurred! and what are the explanations for both!" In the budget for 1913 appropriations were made for the Bureaus of Highways Sewers, and Street Cleaning in the Bor-