THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 1907. AMERICAN "GRAFT."

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8387, 26 March 1907, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 1907. AMERICAN "GRAFT."

The committal for trial of the Mayor of San Francisco and his fellow "grafter" which was reported by cable message a few days ago calls attention to an extraordinary, tale of swindling and robbery which seems to have been carried on in that city before and since the fire. All American cities are more or less plagued by political pirates who, under cover of the popular party organisations, ob--tain control of civic government and feather their own nests at the public expense or "by misuse of the public authority. What evidently happens is that whenever reputable and re- ■ sponsible citizens cease to take a ' keen personal interest in politics and leave the strongest party organisation of the district to fall into the hands of its worst and most selfish elements civic government becomes immediately degenerate and corrupt. This Was what happened in San Francisco. In the fifties San Francisco passed through a unique experience, Vigilance Committees seizing upon the city government in order* to institute a reasonable amount of law and orderj. It is a matter of record that the city was never better governed than when the mandates of the "vigilantes" were enforced by a halter at the nearest lamp-post, and the result was to gradually prejudice public opinion in San Francisco in favour of committee authority. From this prejudice it came -that for many years before 1899 San Francisco'was governed under a system which prevented abuses and "graft." This system was embodied in the Consolidation Act, under which the government of San i Francisco was so nicely' adjusted

that each official acted as a check on ill the others—no corrupt practice was possible unless practically every member of the administration connived in it. The Mayor had merely supervisory powers, and the twelve supervisors had in their hands the direct distribution of only 300,000 dollars a year. All executive powers emanated from a series of bureaus, the commissioners being appointed oy the Courts, the Mayor, and the supervisors. But if this system checked "graft," it also checked efficiency. Nobody could rob the city because nobody had any power to-do anything at all, and in the nature of things San Francisco grew tired of this, and accepted a proposition to copy the • New York anti-Tammany I reformers, by giving autocratic

powers to the Mayor. Mr Phelan, who introduced this reform, was the first Mayor elected under it, and made good use of the power entrusted to him. But at the next election the better class of citizen found he could not spare the time to go to the polling-booths, and the man Schmitz was elected by the Labour vote. Apparently this Schmitz was the tool of a far abler and more unscrupulous politician, Abraham Ruef, who secured the repeated re-election of Schmitz and organised wholesale official plundering —called in America "graft," upon a scale previously unknown even in the United States outside of New York. STATE COAL. We understand that the Masterton Borough Council will be approached, to-night, in regard to the question of a regular supply of State coal for those in the community who wish to use it. The Minister. for Mines has expressed the opinion that the Borough Council should undertake the work of distribution, and that the object in view can be better effected by the Borough Council than by the Government. The present Council may not'care to comi mit itself—indeed, it can scarcely do that in view of the fact that it is shortly going out of office —but it can express an opinion as to the advisability of adopting the Minister's suggestion. THE ESTATE. The cutting-up of the Whangaimoana estate calls to mind the very obvious need that there is for closer settlement in the Masterton elector--1 ate. In the adjoining electorate of Wairarapa closer settlement, owing to one cause and another, is proceeding steadily, and further developments are probable in the hear future. We must not turn a jealous eye upon the good fortune that is befalling the Wairarapa electorate, but no doubt, the inhabitants of Masterton wish that similar progress was being made nearer home. The sale of Whangaimoana will, no doubt, demonstrate once again the "land hunger" that is keen throughout the country. The estate, which is being sold under instructions from the Public Trustee, has been divided into twenty-six sections, ranging from 117 to 2,500 acres. A portion of this well-known estate consists of rich river flats, which are particularly adapted for dairying and fattening purposes. We understand that the property has been neglected for some time past, and this fact will, no doubt, increase the spirited competition for the sections, which is certain to be witnessed.