antra MuNicirm. PROBLEMS. sive term used in discussions of municipal affairs is Municipal Reform. This is nothing more or less than an effort to secure honest and efficient municipal government. The problem varies with each locality, and even changes in a given lo cality from year to year. The bane of munieipal government is partisan polities. The remedy for had municipal government. from whatever cause, invariably lies with the citizens and taxpayer-, who are often too indifferent to their own inter ests, or at least to the public interest, to insist on good government. A devideil reform in nm nicipal affairs was efl•ected in Scotland in 1833, and in England and Wales in 1835, as a result of agitation directed against incompetent and cor rupt borough government. The reform acts of the scar named were supplemented from time to time, and in 1882 a consolidated municipal cor porations act was passed. In 1888 another act was passed, providing that cities and towns of more than 50.000 inhabitants should be admin istrative counties, and also creating a more unified government for nreater London, known as the London County Council. In 1900 this uni fication was carried still further•. but only to the extent of reducing by into some fifteen borough govenunents a large number of minor authorities. In the United States the progress of munWipal reform. as reflected by changed methods of administration, is difficult to trace. This is largely due to the many inde pendent Stale legislatures controlling munieipal affairs, to the great variations of practice within each State. and to the spasmodic efforts for re form. tine of the notable steps in many States has been the adoption of constitutional ruenls. from IS50 to 1880, prtihibiting special acts of the Legislature which apply to a single muni cipality. Other great agencies of munieipal reform in the United States have been the various local reform organizations. notnble among which have been the good government clubs, and their federation into the National Municipal League.
(See subhead Charters, above.) Other organiza tions whose annual proceedings are noted below (see Bibliography) have played an important part in municipal reform.
The need for Municipal Specialists becomes more and more imperative as the muncipal ac tivities increase in number and complexity. Mayors in Germany, city clerks in England. and city engineers in all countries are already a dis tinct professional class. stimulated by the pros pect of advancement to more inmortant cities as their abilities increase. Sanitary or health offi cers, professional accountants. superintendents of ?vater supply and other public works are also rapidly gaining in professional ability, and pub lic recognition of such ability is likewise in creasing.
BIBLIOGRAPHY. Shaw, Municipal Government Bibliography. Shaw, Municipal Government in Great Britain (New York, 1895) : Id., Muni cipal Government in Continent4t1 Europe (New York, 1895) ; Goodnow. Munieipal Home Rule (New York, 1592) ; id., Municipal Problems (New York, 1897) ; Wilcox, City Govcr•noint (New York, 1897) ; "Alaltbie. English Local Gor ernment of To-Day (New York, 1897) ; Art and Life and Building and. Decoration of Cities, by various authors (London, 1807) ; Eaton, Gorern ment of Municipalities (New York, 1899) ; Conk ling, City Government in the United States (4th ed.. New York, 1899) ; Weber. Growth of Cities (New York, 1899); A 31 unieipal Programme (New York, 1900) ; Goodhue, lbunicipol Im provement (3d ed., New York, 1900) ; The City for the People ( Philadelphia, 1901) ; Fairlie, lei pal Administration (New York, 1901) ; Robinson, Improvement of Towns and Cities (New York, 1901) ; Brooks. BibUography of Municipal and City Conditions (New York. 1901) ; Chapin, Municipal Sanitation in the United States (Providence, 1901) : Municipal Engineering and Sanit /Ilion (New York, 1902) ; Zeublin. lioairipal Progress (New York, 1902) Baker, Municipal l'car-Boolo (New York, 1901) ; Donald, Muni cipal Year-Boot (British, London. 1902); Vic torian Municipal Directory (Melbourne, 1901) ; Conferences for Good Goccrnment (Philadelphia, 1894, current) ; Annual Proem-dings of the Ameri can Society of Municipal Improrement (New York) ; League of American Municipalities (Des Moines, Iowa) ; League of Civic -Improvement (Springfield, Ohio) ; Legislation. by States, a descriptive classified index (Albany. annually) : Municipal Affairs (quarterly, New York, 1897, current) ; Munieipal Engineering( monthly, Phila delphia. current) t. Muniripnl Journal and Engi neer (monthly. New York. current) : Municipal Journal (weekly, London, current) ; Engineering News (weekly, New York. current); Engineer ing Record (weekly, New York). Consult also the authorities referred to under the articles mentioned in cross references above. See ADMINISTRATIVE LAW: BATH-HOUSES, _MU NICIPAL; CIVIL :SERVICE; CREMATION OF THE DEAD; NATIONAL EDUCATION, SYSTEMS OF; ELECTRIC LIGHTING; ENGINEER; FERRY; FI NANCE; FIRE PROTECTION, MUNICIPAL; GARBAGE AND REFUSE DISPOSAL: GAS, ILLUMINATING; GREAT BRITAIN; PRuSsIA; FRANCE, etc.; HEALTH, BOARDS OF; HEATING AND VENTILA TION; 110USING PROBLEM; MUNICIPAL DEBTS; :MUNICIPAL OWNERSHIP; PARKS AND PLAY GROUNDS; PAVEMENT; POLICE; RECREATION