The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-04-18
THE CIVIC FEDERATION,
That Organization Decides on
a Plan of Immediate
Action.
There VIII Be Several Committees
Who VIII Watch Public
Affairs.

A meeting of delegates from organiza-
tons that compose the Civic Federation of
this city met yesterday afternoon at
o'clock in Assembly Hall, Mills building,
with Rev. E. R. Ollie in the chair.
There were present besides the chairman
E. n. Dexter, Rev. H. L. Deitz, Rev.
Thomas Filben, Rev. E. McClish, Rev. J.
H. Irwin, C. C. Terrill, J. NJ. Reynolds,
Mrs. Rose NJ. French, Mrs. Cummin gs Nc
Williams, Mr.. Samuels and Mr.. Hillyer,
secretary.
The Rev. Mr.. Filben, chairman of sub
committee appointed at previous meet
ing, presented the following report:
Your committee on plan of action respect
fully represents that in its opinion the fedora
ton should be divided into sections for work
and recommends the immediate organization
OF the following sections to cover the branches
OF work indicated by the titles:
First-Civic education, di strict organization
and propaganda.
Second-Enforcement o laws-municpal
and State-where they apply to this city, and
the suppression of gambling and other evils.
Third-Municipal affairs-all public officials
except police.
Four-Police Department, including Police
Courts.
Fifth-Moral reform.
Sixth-Electons.
Seventh-Sanitation and public safety.
The several sections were taken up seri-
atm and discussed. When the first sec
ton was taken up the Rev. Mr.. Filben said
that the federation should inaugurate a
campaign of education so as to instruct the
people in public affairs.
Chairman Ollie said that there ought to
be meetings in all parts of the city and that
1t would be a good idea to divide the city
into districts.
A proposition that the federation should
distribute literature was met with the OPP
- IT,. i L
heve in mourning any expense until there
is money on hand to meet any indebted
ness the federation may contract. He
thought that meetings could be held in
different parts of tie city; that he had no
doubt most of the churches would allow
the use of the Sunday-school rooms for the
purpose, and believed that there would be
plenty of volunteer workers, and if such
could not be found the work of the fedora
ton had better be contracted.
The section was adopted.
The one on municipal affairs and that on
the Police Department ard police courts
were also adopted.
Motions to consolidate sections and to
strike out words from others were dis
cussed at some length, and during the dis
cussion ON gambling Rev. Mr.. Ollie gave
it as his opinion that the police were not
prosecuting this crime with the force that
they should. He said that he had attended
trial, and, while it was good one, it was
made weak by the Judge and the prosecu-
ton.
Mr.. Reynolds asked permission to add a
section to the report on taxation and reve-
nue. reform, but his motion was ruled out
of order, but on motion of Mrs. French it
was referred to a committee.
The subcommittee report was then
adopted as whole.
Messrs. Ollie, Truman and Dexter were
named the committees that are to have
charge of the different sections of work.
Messrs. Hillyer. Filben and Terrill were
named as a committee to collect money
from delinquent organizations.
The chairman, when on the subject of
finance, said that as soon as the fedora
ton gets its committees to work there will
be no trouble to obtain all money needed
to carry on the work.