The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-05-10
FOR GOOD CITY GOVERNMENT.
THE NATIONAL MUNICIPAL LEAGUE
AND ITS OBJECTS.

Home Rule the keynote to Good
city Government Civic Pride
should BE Appealed tO-Party Poll
tics should Not Enter Into Munich
pal PoIitics-The Brick Pavements
of Louisville and ChattanOOga In
spected-WnI Cooperate With DIR.
LeHnrdy in His Work as Health
Officer.
Mayor p. w NIeldrim returned yester-
day from Louisville, Ky, where he attend
ed the annual conference of the National
| Municipal League of the United States.
The league is not composed of mayors of
the different cities as some might sup
pose, but of men prominent in the public
and business life of the nation who have
organized for the purpose of advancing
the cause of good municipal government.
Mayor Meldrim was extended a special
| invitation to be present by the president,
Hon. James c. Carter of New York, who is
generally regarded as the head OF the
American bar The attendance included
men prominent in the nation from Provi-
dence. r. l. to San Francisco and from
! Chicago and Milwaukee to Savannah.
! Among those who addressed the confer
ence were Hon. w. b. Hornblower of New
York. who was nominated by Mr.. Cleve-
! land for a position on the supreme bench,
/ but whose nomination was rejected by the
| Senate at the instance of Mr., Hill, and
! Hon. Franklin McVeagh, a member of
! Cleveland's first cabinet, and perhaps Chi
cago's most representative business man.
Mayor Meldrim expressed himself as
very much pleased with the convention
and its work, and heartily Endorsed the
principles of the league.
''The objects of the league" said he,
"are three-fold. First, to determine upon
the best form of municipal government
and the powers which shall be granted;
second, in whom shall these powers be
vested, and, third how shall they be ex-
ercised. My purpose in visiting the conven-
ton was to gather some ideas which might
help me in my work here. The general
tone of the convention was in line with
what 1 have advocated here in Savannah,
that municipal government should be
pure, free from partisan politics, and that
| the public should receive the best service
! possible for the money expended. The
| consensus of opinion as to the form of
| municipal government was that home rule
| should be given to cities, on the idea that
! the legislatures are not familiar with the
needs and conditions of city government.
| The opinion was generally expressed that
! the state legislatures frequently legislate
/ in the interest of the party machine of
! whatever party is in control and not for
! the real interests of the city that is be-
| ing legislated for. An important subject
of discussion was how it would be posi-
| BILE to eliminate bosssm from municipal
| politics. The conclusion was that it could
only be done by creating a higher munic-
| ipal pride on the part of the citizen. Mr..
| HornboWer remarked that very few men
in New York have any feeling of senti-
ment towards that city. They simply
| gard it as a great workshop, and conse-
! quently, the conduct of its municipal az
| fairs is left to the professional politicians.
70 take the place of the municipal pride
which should exist he suggested an APP
peal to the business interests. In the
smaller municipalities the idea was that
the desired result could be accomplished
by instilling in the citizens a greater spirit
of civic pride. In Rochester the business
men of that city took up the matter as
a business proposition, and with good re-
suits"
Another important feature" said
! Mayor Meldrim (which does not affect
Savannah, is to exclude partisanship
from municipal affairs. With us a party
caucus IS nGlQ, men are put up, ana those
belonging to the party which nominated
the candidate feel bound to support the
party nominees The view taken by the
| conference was that state and national
| politics should not enter into municipal
! politics. There Is no element in common
| between national or state and municipal
politics. 1t was pretty well agreed that a
| city that governs itself is in a much
| healthier condition, politically, than one
that is governed by the state legislature.
An effort has been made to determine upon
the best form of charter for city, the
power which shall be vested in a munich
pality, in whom the power shall be vested,
and how it shall be exercised. A commit
tee of ten will be appointed. whose bust
ness il will be to consider the municipal
experience of the various cities of this
country and to report upon this question
at the next meeting of the conference"
Mayor Meldrim stopped over a day on
his way to Louisville at Chattanooga, and
viewed the city and its municipal works
under the direction Of Mayor George S.
Ochs. Both Chattanooga and Louisville
have large amounts of brick paving and
have used this class of paving material
for several years.
II saw some very good brick pave
ments," said Mayor Meldrim, land as the
subject Of brick paving is of interest to
Savannah | made some inquiries on the
subject The consensus of opinion seemed
10 be that with a vitrihed brick of good
quality good pavement can be secured,
provided it is well laid. 1t is especially
important that the pavement be wei laid
I'm order that no holes or sinks may APP
pear later. did not so into the details
of the paving question, however"
Mayor Meldrim referred to the election
of DR.. LeHardy as health officer and said
that while IL was well known that he had
opposed Or. LeHardy for the position. be-
ing opposed to the views he had EXPRESSED
on quarantine, he would give the new
health officer his hearty cooperation in
carrying into effect whatever policy may
be agreed upon by the sanitary board In
all matters Of quarantine and sanitation.