The record-union., 1895-05-27
Concern of the Future Welfare of
the Larger Cities Growing.
A CONFERENCE TO BE HELD AT
CLEVELAND THIS WEEK
Present Prospects Indicate the Pres
Gathering-San Francisco. Portland
and Seattle Pacific Coast Cities the
Condition OF Which Are to be Con-
sidered.
Special to the REcoRD-UNroN.

from the very general attention given by
the newspapers to the forthcoming meet
Ing of the National Municipal League to
be held the last three days of this month
in Cleveland. the concern of the future
welfare of the larger cities is growing.
AT the first conference held in Philadel-
phia the general features of the problem
were given consideration, and the muni-
cipal conditions of the leading Eastern
cities were described, This meeting was
followed by the organization of the Ma
tional League. The second meeting was
held in Minneapolis, and Western cities
were given attention. and specific reme-
dies, such as proportional representation,
were discussed Both of these meetings
were influential in bringing together the
prominent and active workers in the
cause of municipal reform and the inter-
change Of views and experiences as
proved to be of value in the ad dvancement
OF the cause throughout the country.
The third conference, in conjunction
with which the first annual meeting of
the National League will be held, meets
in Cleveland, upon the invitation of the
Cleveland Cha hamber OF Commerce aud the
Civic Federation. The present prospects
indicate the presence Of large and repre-
sentative gathering. The programme as
arranged provides for the consideration
of the municipal condition OF about
eighteen cities, mostly OF the second
class. This portion of the previous pIo-
gr2mme has been always proven of eX-
ceptional interest, and judging from the
prominence of this years speakers, the
same will be true at this time.
The three Pacific Coast cities-San
Francisco, Seattle and Portland-will be
considered by Messrs. L. L. Miliiken,
Edward o. Graves and Thomas n.
Strong. respectively. EX-Mayor Platte
Rogers Will give an account of the politi-
cal conditions Of Denver. Rev. Gregory
j. Powell, although Congregational
pastor, finds time TO be the Secretary of
the Omaha Municipal League, to contrib
ute q large share to the effort making to
put the Government on higher plane.
Another minister who will serve with
MIR. Powell is Rev Donald d. McLaurin
Of Detroit. Mayor George w. Ochs, who
will read paper on Chattanooga. Tenn,
is credited with reducing the city's run
ming expenses during his administra-
ton from $50, IA per annum to $lS9, 200.
This, it is said, was accomplished with
out curLailing any legitimate expenses OK
in any way gripping the healthy deveI-
opment OF the city.
Among the other cities the municipal
situation of which will be described are
Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Columbus.
Louisville, New Orleans. Jersey City,
Buffalo and Washington, ID. G.
John Willis Bear, Secretary of the
United Society of Christian Endeavor,
has prepared report of what Endeavor-
ers have done In year or two of better
ing government. The question of city
government will be considered from the
physicians standpoint. by John S. Bill
lngs. NJ. D., Deputy Surgeon-General
L. S. A., and Professor of Hygiene in
the University of Pennsylvania, and
from woman's standpoint by Mrs c. a.
Rankle of New York City, who is ac-
lively identified with the Civic League,
the successor of the Woman's Municipal
League, that labored So earnestly for
Mayor Strong's election. Rev. Washing
ton GLADDEN. OF Columbus will discuss it
from the minister's standpoint in his
paper on "Civic Religion" DR.. Glad
den has been among the foremost in
preaching the gospel of civic regenera-
ton, and his numerous articles and books
have had an influence in bringing the
present general interest in the subject.
The session of the conference will be
presided over by James G. Carter, who,
although one of the busiest of New York
lawyers, finds time both as President of
the National Municipal League and of
the New York City Club to contribute
share to the cause of municipal reform.
The Hon. Theodore Roosevelt. until re-
Gently Civil Service Commissioner, and
now Police Commissioner Of New York
City, will also be one of the attendants,
and will be one of the speakers at the
mass meeting TO be held on Wednesday
evening.
The prospects are that Ohio cities and
those in the nearby States will be mostly
represented, but there will be delegates
from all the leading cities, East, and West.
and South.
Clinton Rogers Woodruff of this city,
President of the National Municipal
League, has devoted much of his time to
the preliminary arrangements for the
coming meeting. Mr.. Woodruff said to-
day in an interview: IF widespread
newspaper discussion is an indication Of
popular interest in question, then there
must be general and widespread interest
in what pertains to municipal govern
ment. Not only do we find papers
especially devoted to it's consideration
coming into the field, and magazine arti-
cles, books and pamphlets in increasing
quantities, but the daily and weekly
papers of every city devote valuable edi-
torials to the discussion of the various
phases of the municipal problems, and
the general movement. This is good
sign, for in the latter days We do not find
the press devoting any considerable space
to subjects in which their readers are but
little concerned. One important and en-
couraging feature Of this latter day
municipal reform movement is the gen
eral interest manifested by every class in
the community. The Cleveland confer
ence demonstrates this. Lawyers. clergy
mon, physicians, business men, manu-
facturers, all are represented on the pro-
gramme.