New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-01-26
FOR MUNICIPAL REFORM.
MEETING OF THE NATIONAL CONFER
ENCE FOR GOOD CITY GOVERNMENT.

women who are prominent in the movement lor
municipal reform assembled at the Art Cluo
this morning. when two days session OF inc
National Conference for Good City Government
began The hall was decorated with eVe'greeH9'
flags and bunting. Two banners. upon whch
were inscribed. 1.-The Corruption OF the CITY Is
The Menace Of the State" and "National farueS
for National Affairs; Municipal Parties LOT
Municipal Affairs" occupied conspicuous places
ON either side of the speakers table. James u
Carter. president Of the City Club of New-foTK'
was chosen TO preside and in brief impromptu
address accepted the honor. George Burnhain'
ir president of the Philadelphia Municipal
League welcomed the delegates.
SOME OF THOSE PRESENT.
Among the delegates John A. Butler.
nres1ont Of the Municipal League OF Milwaukee,
A. H. Croker president OF the MinneapohS
Board Of Trade George p. Morris OF Inc
Congregationalist"; George G. Echer'' Oa'i-
bridge Mass; George c. Wright Cambridge
Mast: Sylvester Baxter, Boston, ana Joseph o.
McIain indianapolis. The Philadelphiahs III
cIuded the Rev ". T. Nichols. Hector Macln-
,osb Edward S Sayres, George Burnham. Jr..
s T. Weston Editor Of 1.-The lnterhauohai
Journal Of Ethics; Major Joseph c. Rosen-
parten Clinton d. Woodruff. Robert Welsh.
Joshua L. Bailey and DR.. +. G. James Al Iz;5o
o'clock the New-York delegation, heaeeu pS
John Harsen Rhoades, arrived. and was Loudly
applauded The party included K. Fulton Cut
tive Frederick Bronson the Rev. Theodore {.
Williams, Eugene L. Lentihon. X W. Hilder,
the Rev Dr. w. s. Rainsford, William Bayard
Cutting Edward Cooper Hewitt. the Rev. Ut.
Eugene A. Hoffman and Edmond hehy' OF the
CIV Climb: William Harris Roome. De Forest
Grant Royal S. Crane. Louis {. Whlen' Johh
Law CHAPMAN Charles Taber, f. W. G. yelling,
Graham. Il. L.
Callahan F. c. Harriott. Charles NJ. Perry, H.
+ Rliss IT, and b. Faure, of the Good Govern
ment Clubs: Alexander Laird Datus c. Smith
Of the Yonkers Good Government Club: carl
Schurz. Horace f. Deming and William Potts
of the Civil Service Reform Club
The first sneaker was Moorield Storey. OF
Boston, whose subject was THE City Govern
ment Of Boston He said. among other
things that the city government of Boston To-
day is better than it has been for many years
The Mayor now appoints all oihcers anu podiu''
and removes them for cause.
CONDITIONS IN BROOKLYN.
William g. Low, of Brooklyn. spoke upon
present Conditions Of Municipal Government
IN Bro5klyn" He said, among other things
that Brooklyn has some conditions which are
peculiar to herself and some which are. or might
re. general. The Brooklyn charter fixes me
election of the Mayor every two years, ana cen
monument of the heads of the departments
The Civil Service law is fairly well admlhisteEeu
and the system OF registration OF lapp'e'S WI,
soon be introduced by the head Of the Board
of City Works. The citizens have seen the
schemes of ringsters dragged into court 10y
public-spirited individuals and defeated. In
Brooklyn when the city votes as whole, the
independent controlling vote is not Of the low,
est moral type, but of the most thoughtful ana
conscientious kind.
Franklin MacVeagh Of Chicago. followed Mr.
Low. Mr.. Macveagh said that the method fol-
lowed in his city was, when evlls became 100
numerous, TO turn the party in power out OF
office. He called the Chicago Police Depart
ment "the football of politics" but spoke highly
of the Fire Department, which is conducted
solely upon the system of merit. Chicago had
perfect inefficiency in all minor departments"
Charles ]. Bonaparte. Of Baltimore. spoke
next on THE Present Conditions Of Municipal
Government in Baltimore"
George C. Mercer represented Philadelphia.
He said that Philadelphia is fortunate in the
possession of form of government which. al
though not theoretically perfect is nevertheless
of the best and most striking illustrations
of the changes effected by the legislation Of the
last decade in the charters of American cities
in accordance with the modern IDEAS of munich
pal institutions
TAMMANY'S BLACKMA1LING METHODS.
The concluding address upon the municipal
conditions Of leading cities delivered by
Edmond Kelly. CT New-York. Mr.. Kelly gave
a history of the work done in New-Yorli since
1891 in the direction of municipal reform by the
Peoples Municipal League and the City Re-
form Club. He also detailed the methods Of
Tammany in levying blackmail upon all who
came in contact with the city courts and re-
ferred to the great advantage the ring leaders
enjoy in their control of the city employees.
When the conference reassembled, at 3
o'clock. the delegates and guests numbered 300.
Dr. Leo S. Rowe. Of Philadelphia, delivered
an address upon Municipal Government as 1t
Should BE and May Become" He said that
foreign cities have little to teach us. the two
best-governed cities in the world, Berlin and
cism bestowed upon American municipalities
when judged from an administrative standpoint.
Carl SchurZ. Of New-York. spoke upon The
Relations of Civil Service Reform to Municipal
Reform" In the course OF his remarks Mr..
Richard Croker. of Tammany Hail, in handling
the ring" forces. and gave this as Mr. Croker's
redeeming trait although the ability was not
used in the proper direction
Mrs Joseph p Mumford, of Philadelphia made
an address upon The Relations Of Women t.
women come into city politics it will be as the
silent force opposed to the machine"
w Harris Roome of New-York, made the
closing address of the day. His subject was THE
Separation OF Municipal from Other Elections "
He said that II elections were separated trading
would be absolutely stopped and the voter would
consider the municipal question undsturbed at
least to a large degree. by National questions
Many would not take the trouble to vote twice
in a year. and the cost of such a plan Is abou,
double; but the plan 10 separate elections by an
entire year has all the advantages Of the other
plans. and none Of their disadvantages
Mayor Charles a. Schieren of BROOKLYN ar.
rived during the afternoon, and was introduced
by Mr.. Carter as the Reform Executive" Mr.
Schieren was loudly cheered and made brief ad
dress.
Mr. Scheren said that he was not the Mayo,
OF the Republican OF the Democratic party, but
was the Mayor Of the citizens Of BROOKLYN 81
will watch their interests" he concluded with
out fear and without favor"
The last half hour of the afternoon session was
occupied by the delegates in making short adj
dresses upon different subjects of reform THE
speakers were Charles w. Watson w j. Camp
bell. the Rev. DR.. Maitland Williams Richard
Callahan. and the Rev. Theodore c. Williams OF
New.York; Mayor Schieren. and William G. Low
Of Brooklyn; Charles W. Birtwell. of Roston
and Herbert Welsh. DR.. Frances Emily White
OF the Philadelphia Womens Medical College ana
the Rev. DR.. Nichols " ~
3.
WHAT THOSE 500 ROOFS nav pr non