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Show ... -.- The Problem Of Cities The problem of good government govern-ment for the municipalities of the United States Is one that apparently appar-ently reaulre"; tht enactment of new legislation. One Is somewhat ama7ed at the evident inability of large cities to r.ecure proper administration cl civic affairs. In smaller cities, one also finds surprising instances of mismanagement, sometimes caused by inability to understand proper municipal finances and, at other times, caused by carelessness careless-ness and criminality. The nation is somewhat famil lar with the investigation being conducted into the affairs of tru City of New York now claiming to be "the world's largest city" and for months past we have read of the serious financial condition con-dition of the city of Chicago, our second largest municipality. The other clay, the teachers in the Windy City, numbering 12,000 decided to bring their plight to the attention of the newly formed National Credit Corporation. In Chicago, 12000 teacher? have received re-ceived no cash as salaries since last April and their pay checks total .more than $17,000,000. The suggestion has been made that the several states enact legislation le-gislation providing, among other things, for budgetary control o, municipal expenditures, with a premise that any municipal governing gov-erning board which violates the budgetary law. oi in any manner becomes involved over debts which It cannot pay, be removed from office by proclamation and that the state appoint a board to man age and dtrect the affairs of such municipality until they are placed upon a sound financial basis. Such ft procedure would be a long step towards affording taxpayers tax-payers relief from excessive local . taxation. One should bear in mind, in considering the general subject of high taxes that much of the blame for tht- present complaint com-plaint against taxation rests upon the municipality and other local subdivisions of the state. |