The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1897-10-06
MAYORS MEET ENDS.
National Labor Bureau to lnvesti.
gate the Problem of Mu-
nicipaI Ownership.
GOOD WORD FOR ORGANIZED LABOR

All the Work Of the New League tn Bear
the Union Label-Eiection of An Anti
Corporation Man as Secretary Likely tn
Cause "a split In the Organization-New
Body Talked of Composed Only of Largo
Towns and Big Cities.
ColumbuI o.. Oct. 2.-The League OF
American Municipalities resolved yes
terday TO approve the investigation by
the national labor bureau OF water, gas,
and electric lighting works. TO enable
municipalities and the citizens thereof
to determine whether there is economic
advantage to consumers in the munich
pal ownership and operation OF water,
gas and electric lighting works. Vice
presidents were announced by President
McVicar. among them the following
Illinois. L. j. Medill. Jr., mayor of Rock
Island Indiana. W. NJ. Aiken, Jr.. mayor
of Evansville; Michigan. William c.
Maybury. mayor of Detroit; Iowa. f. p.
Pierce. mayor of Marshalltown.
Union Labor Resolution Passed.
Among the resolutions passed during
the closing scenes was one offered by
Alderman Lowery. of Poughkeepsie. n.
Y, indorsing the efforts OF organized la
Dor and requiring that the published
report Of the leagues proceedings and
addresses bear the typographical union
label. and that all official notices and
printed matter for this national body
should as far as practicable bear the
typographical union label and be per-
formed by persons and firms employing
and recognizing union labor"
Gilkison's Election "a Fatal Mistake.
In an interview Mayor Black, of this
city. said that the election of Il. r. Gilk-
ison as secretary had created a great
deal OF dissatisfaction among themay
ors, and he was very much afraid that ii
was a fatal mistake. Whether or not
personal interests governed the election
he was not prepared 10 say, but it is a
fact that now the league will have to fight
not only the discomfort so engendered, but
ii will receive antagonsm from the Amer
lean Society of Municipal Improvement
and also the bitterness of all the publ
cations whose features are devoted to
municipal matters and municipal i'm
provements. Some Of the representa-
tives Of these publications are In the
city, he said. and they have already
manifested a disposition Of opposition.
claiming that the election has given the
New York publication an undue advan-
tage, the secretary being one Of its Off
GERS.
Antagonistic Society Probable.
Mayor Quincy is quoted by Mayor
Black as saying that the convention
made a great mistake Thursday and that
it would result in the formation of an
antagonistic society which would be
limited 10 the officials Of the larger cities,
beginning with those the size Of Column
bus and taking in those Of greater pop
ulation. In his paper on sanitary prob
lens. read yesterday morning Alexan-
der Potter, of New York, made a strong
plea for a greater recognition OF the
services of the specialist in the designs
of sanitary measures and for a closer
communion between the specialist and
the man OF affairs.
Health Depends GU the Sewers.
He showed how the very health OF the
people depended upon proper and ade-
quate sewers and sewage disposal. and
suggested a new method for the disposal
of the city sewage. He advocated the
Capitalization and assembling Of the
municipal plants, where owned by the
city. to secure greater efficiency and
economy in operation. He strongly
urged complete and systematic sewer
construction in advance Of the actual re-
quirements at the time. and pointed out
that many Of the large cities and most
Of the smaller ones are very inadequate
ly severed Examples Of the enormous
expense entailed both on the city and
private individuals by belated sewer
construction were given.