The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1897-09-29
6 THE MAYORS
First Annual Conference of City
ofncisasfn Columbus.
wELCOMed BY BUSHNELL


councilmen of n United States. Can
ada and Mexid was called Ia order
this morning Mayor Bannock Of
this city. about " regularly accredited
delegates beini present. Governor
Bushnell deliveIi the address Of well
come. He saidlhe mayors congress
would inaugural another epoch. While
municipal offici4 for centuries had
dealt with 'mutipal problems" even
I'm long titled hfs, modern methods
and careful hushndry can he made To
produce bountitl haryests. and he
knew that this ksemblage of munich
pal officers couli EFFECT fruitful results
by the deliberabn OF the succeeding
DAYS.
The close ofthc century seems 10
find us In a coeitio which presents
as many things be done In our cities
and towns as tlte Was at the time of
the foundation ehe centers OF popula-
tion. II d. not by purpose. nor is II
my province To $cuss, even I'm a gen
eral way the yartus reforms which are
presented constatly To our eyes. Mine
Is the task TO exTtess hitting welcome
to our visitors ts3he capitol city"
Mayor &. A. Qllier of Atlanta, Ga,
responded for a visitors. presenting
the importance olgood municipal gov
ernment with gre} force and eloauence.
His address Was tceived with enthusi-
astlc applause Myor Black was made
chairman OF the Anvention and Editor
Gordon Of City Qkernment. secretary.
These officers aut serve only during
the session OF thl convention prior to
the formation Of 6permaneni organiza-
ton ON the closlt day. A resolution
for the appoinim5ft Of committee of
five 10 report ablan of organization
and names Of others Tor the first year
disclosed the exI1ence of Two factions
among the dele,1tes, one In favor OF
proceeding to th<business without any
report from a co&mittec on credentials.
the otter insistog that the business
could not proce& until AN accredited
roll of delegates Nd been approved by
vote of those pkxent and claiming Ia
be delegates. Aulyely debate ensued
and the matter Was finally compro-
missed by an agreement that the chair
man Of each ejkation report To the
secretary of the Convention that any
municipal filciaIyouchcd for by the
chairman be adfttted as delegate,
and that the c4irman appoint the
committee ON otanization from the
roll as then made In. The original call
for this conventik was addressed To
mayors and counelmen only. but the
promoters oi th1 movement. when
asked for a copybf the call. did not
produce II, and u mornings action
leaves the gates oVhc convention vide
open for policemer1fremen. city clerks
and ward constabk II only the chair
man Of delegatit vouches for them
as "city officials"
Mayor MacNIcartt Des Moines read
a paper entitled Erect Lighting: by
Contract, Municipal It'ontrol or Munich
pal Ownership: WfAh?" H. said when
he undertook 60 ir4estigats the qucs-
ton Of municipal ownership he was
about as well informed upn the sub
ject as Was the farI3fs gooi wife who
asked her husband ~ bring some cleo
tric plants that they might. by raising
their own lights. saEe kerosene. The
local companies mads a vigrous cam
palgn TO defeat the ptopositin author
izing municipal Ownership 4 plant
In Des Moines. money and plitical In
fiuence being freely used. bu the vote
was favorable by nearly thre to one.
The plant IN not yet built owing to
suits threatened by 'promisnt' tax
payers. under the direction nd advice
of the attorneys Of the local ompanies.
while We now generally cncede the
justice ~ municipal Ownsship Of
water works and are about ready Ia
endorse municipal Dwnershipot street
lighting. We hesitate at going further
and declaring for city ownsship Of
such natural monopolies as gas and
street railways However, w,nre rap
idly coming to believe In the pundness
~ this principle. our newsppcrs and
periodicals are ieeming with ntelligent
Information ON the subject a muniCi-
pal ownership. No sentimet should
bc allowed 10 stand IN the wa of util-
izing these monopolies for Tie benefit
of the whole people. although II he at
the expense ~ private gain
The private lighting company I'm It's
efforts To- retain profitable contract.
systematically endeavors To- demon
strate that they are furnishing light AS
ch,aply as II Is possible to nruisb a..
They ridicule the estimates oi compet-
ent engineers and criticise thi showing
of municipal companies. TRY argue
the impossilfiliiy OF the city cconomi-
cally or honestly operating a liam be-
cause of thu element of politics that
enters into dts management. aud the
manufacturer of apparatus will fire.
qucntly substantiatc their statements.
These statements are plausible to the
verge of being convincing. ard cause
on. To hesitate before investing In A
municipal plant. but a careftl inquiry
into the conditions envirouig these
unproduaive institutions shows wa
tered stock and inefficiGcy of
apparatus which viii fjly eN-
plain the high cost of produc-
tion. Compare such "a plant With the
RI suits Obtained from lmpro, ! appar-
atus. jud cious selection OF machinery
which viii insure high ecoiumy ~
operation that properly designed
plant with modern appliances can pro-
duce. and a very different rsult Will
A a