40
MAKING EVERY DOLLAR COUNT
By Thomas H. Reed
Editors note: Following is a partialre-
prini of an article which appeared in
the January, 1948, issue o f National
Municipal Review. The material was
originally presented as a speech by Dr.
Reed, municipal consultant^ before the
National Municipal League in Nash
ville, Tenn.,' November 13, 1947. A l
though Dr. Reed was speaking of city
governments, his ideas are equally ap
plicable to state governments.
There is no question hut that Ameri
can cities are going, through a period
of great financial strain. Their cost of
living, like that of the individual, has
shot up with frightening velocity. This
is due in part to publicdem and for
more and better municipal services and
in part to the general fall in the pur
chasing power of the dollar which is
characteristic . -of this as of previous
postwar inflations.
There are two great sources of mu-
bnicipal waste. The firsts of these leaks
cari, be controlled by long-term plan
ning of improvements so that money
is n o t frittered away on unrelated proj
ects or on those offering only minor
advantage to the community; by hold
ing u p a s far asV possible public Works
in times of high prosperity and high
cost, and building up reserves in cash
H .¿credit with which they may be
undertaken in times ofvdepressionand
low cost; by business-like methods of
contract letting and contract super
vision. 1
The second great: ^spufcd of waste ,is
harder to manage, partly because it is*
not. a matter of* a few ,big leeks but
pf many little trickles. In their aggre
gate, however, these little- trickles may
become a mighty stream. Something
Simon's
Seashore Restaurant
Eat Where Food Tastes Good
M. L. Simon Cannon Beach, Ore.
like 80 per cent of all city expenditures,
omitting debt service,. , is for" 'salaries
and wages.
T h is is not a suggestion that the
Wage's” o f municipal employees should
be ,cut. On the contrary,' it is essential
that employees, be paid not merely 1
living wage but one commensurate with
the wages paid for similar work-in pri
vate employment. It is neither honor
able nor s a fe fó r a City , to under pay
its help. This is a plea, 'however, for
getting a full day’s work for a full
day’s pay and one that Is Ml efficient
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