19411 EDITORIAL COMMENT 3

top as in a totalitarian system. We forest, to take good care of the will do well, if we wish to save the individual tree.

“Astounding” Progress in Milwaukee T THE year’s end, Mayor Carl A F. Zeidler issued a report to

the people of Milwaukee which, in part, said:

“In passing over the threshold of another year and looking back over the panorama of achievements since I was inducted into the office of mayor on that memorable day of April 16, 1940, I am virtually as- tounded at the scope of work per- formed in so short a time.”

This statement will leave many close observers of governmental pro- gress not only astounded but mysti- fied. I t will recall, for example, that many were surprised-yes, astounded-when the voters of Mil- waukee turned down the veteran Daniel W. Hoan, who had been at the helm during the many years Mil- waukee was winning an enviable reputation as a well governed city.

But most people were inclined to give the newcomer credit for being an earnest, forthright young man who was eager to do a good job. Now they discover he is “astounded.” Perhaps it was just an unfortunate choice of words. If, as his report indicates, he assumes credit person- ally for what has been accomplished, the word makes him sound all too

modest. If, on the other hand, he is discovering only now that his city has a long-time plan of operation and many capable people working for it, he needs to catch up with common knowledge.

After all, no one believes Mil- waukee’s health record, lowering tax rate, and steadily decreasing debt- matters to which the mayor points with especial pride-were or could be the work of the last eight months. I t doesn’t happen that way. Such accomplishments are cumulative. The pattern was set years ago.

Dan Hoan used to be proud enough of Milwaukee’s progress, but no one remembers his ever being “astounded.” Progress was planned and expected. Indeed, many recall how he worried over the city’s archaic basic set-up and the fact that it was necessary to keep running to the state capitol to wangle from a suspicious legislature new laws ap- plying only to cities “of over 100,000 population.” He felt Milwaukee would function better with a home rule charter which would provide a professional chief administrator and which would make the mayor frankly the leader of political thought and action,