OURTH ANNUA I SH OBJ! COURSE I aitdfq.
CHOOL OF CITIZENSHIP AND PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
uthern (Ealifortua (froian
Vol. IV
Los Angeles California, Saturday, June 13, 1931
No. Ill
PROGRESS LUNCHEON TODAY
PRESENT COURSES ACCORDED PRAISE BY STUDENT BODY
Opinions Expressed by Short Course Students to Trojan Reporter Yesetrday.
Various members of the Fourth Annual Short Course student body were approached by representatives of the Trojan tor their individual opinion of the 1931 session, during yesterday’s luncheon in the social hall.
Their views as told to the reporters are as ofllows:
Carl Shepard, councilman from Compton: "Very interesting and practical. It justify a sacrifice of time to attend.”
C. Arrasmith, city manager of Fill-more: “University of Southern California has provided leadership in this Short Course—while we, the high privates in the rear rank, are providing the followship. And in my humble opinion, we, the followers, are better citizens because of this Short Course. May it live and prosper.”
R. Q. Manley, city service manager of Upland: “From my personal observation the short course this year has been exceptionally successful. The addition of the City Council and of the City Clerk’s sections. I believe will prove to be a step in the right direction. It is unfortunate that more coun-cilmen were not able to take advantage of the school this year, but many of those who did attend declared that they would bring the rest of the official family with them. Let the good work continue."
(Continued on Page Three)
COMMITTEE HEADS TO STAY ON BOARD
At the midday luncheon session of yesterday’s program action was taken by which the executive committee of the 1931 conference became a standing committee for six months of a proposed permanent Public Administration Conference of Southern California. Public officials of municipalities of the southwest comprising the executive committee are A. E. Stockburger, city manager of Alhambro. chairman; F. E. Dickson, purchasing agent, city of Glendale; H. C. PeifTer, city clerk of Southgate; Arthur E. DeMott, city engineer of Glendora, Joseph M. Lowery, chief auditor, city controller’s office, Los Angeles; W. W. Nuzum, Alhambra commissioner; C. J- Renfrew, superintendent of parks and recreation, Glendale; C. J. S. Williamson, manager, real estate and civic development department, Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce; Misei Pearl Merrill, president, board of education, Culver City; Chester A. Smith, consulting engineer, Los Angeles; Clifford N. Amsden, manager civil service department, Los Angeles.
President R. B. von KleinSmid expressed for the University of Southern California gratification and appreciation to the public officials who had cooperated and sponsored the educational program on public administration. “Unusual interest has been shown within the past five years in Public affairs,” he stated, “Out of *uch meetings as this must evolve a Wan of progress for this nation, to enable us to return to safe and sane Prosperity. What we need are lead-er> of leaders to coordinate cooperation and direction fn all things. Whatever we think of Russia, we •Dust concede that she at least has a plan."
Students Invited To Pasadena By W. B. Munro
All members of the Fourth Annual Short Course are cordially extended an invitation to attend meetings of the Social Research Council which is to hold a series of meetings ln Pasadena next week.
This invitation was tendered short course students by Dr. William B. Munro, former Short Course lecturer, now on the faculty of California Institute of Technology.
Any informaUon that ls desired regarding these meetings may be had by inquiring ln Mr. Olson’s office, room 251, Bovard Administration building. There will be no charge for attending.
State Work Is Problem
California State Employment Discussed by Budget Official.
In the California State service there are (March, 1931) approximately 17,500 officers and employees who are paid each year approximately thirty million dollars. Some 10,500 of these positions are in the so-called classified service. This means that the State has set up an employment system for ’'andling .centrally such matters as classification, pay. recruiting, disciplinary acts, removals, and service ratings. For the other 6,000 positions the heads of departments and institutions are left largely to their own devices except that through the Legislature, the Governor, and the Director of Finance too wide variations from certain rather vague governing principles are not permitted.
Obviously, this lack of system for
6,000	positions comprising one-third of the whole State service leaves much to be desired. Just why the Director of Penology, for example, should do the recruiting w'ork for the two penitentiaries. while the Director of Institutions is relieved of this task for the State hospitals, is not clear. Likewise, the same principles that are given practical application in fixing rates of pay for clerks and stenographers in the Division of Motor Vehicles should be given the same sort of practical application in the Railroad commission. To the extent that the State de-(Continued on Page Four)
CHARLES H. DIGGS IS SECTION HEAD
One of the co-heads of the Clt/ and County Planning section is Chas.
H.	Diggs. He was connected with the Minneapolis park department in 1912, and from 1911 to 1913 he attended the University of Illinois where he studied under Charles Mul-ford Robinson, first nationally known advisor in city planning.
He served as Landscape architect for Washington D. C., parks from 1914 to 1917, and was engaged in special commissions in the capital from 1917 to 1923. He was then landscape architect for the State of Iowa from 1923 to 1925 when he was placed in charge of the Pacific coast office of Harland Bartholomew and associates.
He was with this company until I 1927 when he became director of the | Los Angeles county Regional Plan- j ning commission where he has stayed to date.
INFORMALITY REIGNS AS MAYORS IMPRESS THURSDAY’S DINERS
Freedom of Speech Impaired by Alert Timekeeper, Gordon Whitnall
Resulting in the most informal of the luncheon meetings, mayors attending the Fourth Annual Short Course were guests of honor Thursday noon, and responded by giving short talks limited to three minutes.
Edwin Cottrell plunged the meet ing into an informal affair when he arose at the start of the luncheon and mildly “panned” the city executives seated at the speaker’s table. He explained the virtues of his former Mayors club whose members are youthful and free from all worries iu direct contrast to the guests of honor whom he stated were all gray-headed and wore worried expressions.
Raymond V. Darby of Inglewood V'as the fitst speaker of the day. He stressed tho fact that public officials were practically the only class who were profiting from the pres-. ent depresf-.'cn. He pointed out that the salaries cl the governmental heads remained unchanged while the value of the dollar has riton.
A. E. Flckling, mayor of Long Beach proceded to give the audience a Long Beach booster talk and was interrupted towards the end of the “fish” story by the bell of the timekeeper. Mr. Olson informed him he could finish his sentence, but the timekeeper came back that his sentence “was for two years.” The essence of the story was that Long Beach had built up a profitable canning business by putting fancy French labels on common, ordinary, Long Beach sardines, when a change in the state law almost wrecked the business. No longer able to employ French labels, the sardine lost his appeal. In desperation Long Beach started to pack albacore, and coined the name “chicken of the sea.” The business grew again, and the (Continued on Page Four)
PFIFFNER TO OFFER COURSE IN SUMMER
Prof. John M. Pfiffner, associate professor of Public Administration at the University of Southern California and head of the Principles of Public Administration section in the Short Course, will offer a more thorough course in the same subject in the 1931 S. C. summer session to begin on the Trojan campus on June 19.
Scheduled for eight o’clock, bIx days a week, the course will give University credit. The summer session will be divided Into two equal terms of six weeks each. Dr. Pfiffner’s course will end on July 25.
Subjects to be covered during the six weeks class instruction are the or-ganziation, powers, functions, and business methods of executive and administrative agencies with reference to the problems of integration, centralization, budget ana fiscal control. Departmental reorganization and co-operation with federal and local agencies. Types of control will be studied toegther with liabilities of administrative officials, and organization for different types of service.
Seventy visiting professors will augment the S. C. faculty staff during the summer, with a wide range of subjects being offered during the two sessions. Tbe summer classes will end on August 29.
DR. CHARLES A. BEARD TO BE GUEST OF HONOR AT BANQUET
Col. Carlos W. Huntington And Hollis R. Thompson Of Berkeley Will Deliver Addresses; Many Groups To Join Student Body Today.
Four hundred people are expected to gather in the social hall of the Student Union this noon to attend the Civic Progress Luncheon, the crowning event of the Fourth Annual Short Course. Many reservations have been made and if you have not already done so you are urged to get them at once. Reservations may be —---¥made at Mr. Olson’s office in room
John Public Is Analyzed
Cottrell Speaks On “Public Opinion And Public Servants” Thursday.
Speaking on the subject "Public Opinion and Public Servants” in an open forum assembly Thursday, Dr. E. A. Cottrell, formerly mayor of Palo Alto and now professor of political science at Stanford university urged “to avoid egotism, propaganda, and preaching, but to let the public know what is going on in municipalities." ,	• ’
“Public officials are the only ones who can break public indifference to the problems of public administration,” stated Professor Cottrell, “In the crystallzatlon of public opoinion the public official is the first one need; it is his duty to spread this knowledye, to urge and to agitate and search for possible solutions, and finally to sift the arguments regard ing the proposed solutions until tho beat one is found.”
Professor Cottrell contended that governmental functions are usually so far removed from the sphere of Interest of the average citizen that it is harder for the citizen to visualize the problems of the conduct of public business; often minor conditions, he stated, furnish the only contact, especially in federal anJ I state affaire. Uusually the public ■ shows no Interest in government un- j til something goes wrong, he declar- | cd.
“There is a tendency to know mmo about far-removed conditions than more local ones, and in many cities, towns, and communities the public ls not short on intelligence but short on facts, the people hear and read more about the federal government that about their local government. Mr. Cottrell also averred that usually our political opinions are due to oui* economic status. Public officials, he stated, must be open minded but at the same time be thick-skinned, willing to give time and energy to withstand pressure.
251 Administration building.
Dr. Charles A. Beard, noted author, publicist, and former head of the National Institute of Public Administration, will be the guest of honor and will address the assembly on "Local Government as a Factor in the Development of American Civilization.”
Col. Carlos W. Huntington, director of the department of professional and vocational standards, will speak on “The Interest of the State in Local Government.”
The third speaker of the day will be Hollis R. Thompson, city manager of Berkley who will discuss "The Organization of the Personnel Work in Berkeley.”
The Fourth Annual Short Course student body will be augmented at the luncheon by delegations from the Western States Regional Conference of the Civil Service Association of the United States and Canada; the Association of City Planners of Los Angeles county; the Southern California Association of City Clerks, Auditors, Assessors, and Treasurers; and the Southern California City Managers association who will participate in the joint luncheon.	i
For those desiring tickets the price ls 85c. The last ticket on the special weekly rate card is good for the luncheon. Come early so all may be seated promptly.
Western Region Convention Held
Delegates to the Western States Regional Conference of the Civil Service Assembly of the United States and Canada registered on the Trojan campus yesterday.
Members of the conference will attend the Civic Progress Luncheon this noon.
At 1:45 p.m. this afternoon the group will meet ln the final business session of the convention. Reports of committees will be heard, election of officers will be held, resolutions adopted, and the place of meeting for 1932 be decided upon.
SCHOOL TRUSTEES’ WORK IS OUTLINED
Dr. Osman R. Hull, professor of educational administration at the University of Southern California, a teacher of thirteen years’ experience as teacher, principal, and superintendent of schools in California, heads the section on School Trustees Problems.
The program of the section consists of specific problems suggested by a survey of school board members and Included such subjects as: tenure, compensation, married teachers, residence of teachers, surveys, retirement of teachers, insurance, public relation, finance and bond issues, physical examinaUon of children, teacher load, and other specific problems as well as general policies.
The sessions of this section has been held from 4 to 8:30 p.m. and closed last night with Furrost V. Routt, superintendent of Schools of Alhambra spoke on “Health Service: to what extent should this service be provided by the School District?” and followed by Dr. Frank Evans, head of the department of Administrative Research, Los Angeles City Schools who dealt with “Research Service; What Should the Board of Education Expect from Its Research Staff T”