He  ought  to  be  responsible  from  the  time  he  takes  office  until
he  leaves  it  for  everything  that  is  done  by  the  administrative
side  of  the  city  government.  To  elect  such  officers  is  to  go  back
to  the  conditions  of  the  early  fifties,  which  was  so  bad  that  it
was  abandoned  almost  immediately.  It  would  be  like  taking
the  force  of  gravitation  out  of  the  planetary  system.  There
would  not  be  any  possibility  of  harmonious  action  on  the  part
of  the  city  government  in  the  matter  of  the  city's  work.  If  you
think  of  any  piece  of  work  that  the  city  has  to  do,  like  repairing
or  like  putting  out  a  fire  for  instance,  you  will  see  you  have  got
to  have,  first  of  all,  the  fire  department;  then  you  have  got  to
have  the  co-operation  of  the  police  department  to  keep  away
the  crowds;  you  have  got  to  have  the  co-operation  of  the  com-


3196  [Assembly

missiouer  of  Avater  supply  to  keep  the  hydrants  in  repair;  you
have  <:ot  to  liave  in  many  cases  the  co-operation  of  the  com-
missioner of  public  hi^hwaj'S  to  keep  the  roads  free  and  in  good
condition.  There  is  almost  nothing  that  can  be  done  in  the  city
that  don't  call  for  the  active  and  harmonious  co-operation  of
three  or  four  departments.  Even  now  you  have  those  depart-
ments independent  of  each  other  to  a  great  extent;  that  is  what
was  done,  or  was  made  possible  when  the  mayor  was  not  given
the  right  to  remove  his  officers,  so  that  he  may  refuse  even
to  advise  the  men  that  he  has  appointed;  the  people  have  got
to  look  to  each  department,  and  you  have  lost  the  responsibility
of  the  mayor.  That  is  the  most  valuable  protection  the  people
have,  because  the  mayor  is  the  one  man  who  is  responsible  to
the  entire  people  of  the  city.
