8 CHARLES RICHMOND HENDERSON 



in Great Britain. The bitter and costly experience under the 

 tax methods previous to 1834, taught the English people a 

 lesson which they have not yet forgotten. The local author- 

 ities have, indeed, much responsibihty and freedom of in- 

 itiative, but over England and Wales the local government 

 board exercises control under a general law, and a similar sys- 

 tem is organized both in Scotland and Ireland. For the in- 

 spection of care of children and f amihes women are frequently 

 appointed, and with excellent results. 



In Austria, state commissions have inspectors of local 

 relief officers and they secure uniform, impartial, and efficient 

 administration of the law. Local officials there, as everywhere, 

 as a rule, lack training, refiabihty and accuracy, as compared 

 with central officers, but they have the advantage of intimate 

 knowledge of the conditions in their own neighborhoods. By 

 combining central supervision with local responsibihty for 

 details, the best results are obtained. In Switzerland, canton 

 of Berne, under a recent law, a corps of inspectors keeps the 

 central board of supervision in touch with district refieving 

 officers. In Belguim a conmiission reports in terms of enthusi- 

 asm on the results of state supervision, and calls the members 

 of the staff of inspectors apostles of beneficence. France, true 

 to its traditions of central control, extends its state admin- 

 istration as far as government refief extends. These indica- 

 tions of tendencies of European countries bring to fight certain 

 principles which seem to fie at the basis of the discussion in 

 which our people are now engaged. 



Those who imagine that the most perfectly discipfined 

 administrators in the world permit themselves to execute law 

 exempt from the influence of competent citizens would do 

 well to study the numerous organizations which help to bring 

 government into touch with daily fife. The German imperial 

 and state governments have long since developed various de- 

 vices for the representation of interests and of expert knowl- 

 edge, both in the preparation of legislation and the execution 

 of laws, as in relation to colonies, emigration, boards of trade, 

 insurance, pubfic health, welfare of workingmen, postal ser- 

 vice, agriculture, railroads, and stock raising. 



If, under the most scientific systems of administration, 



