The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-09-30
A CITY'S POSSIBILITIES.
1ayor Quincy Points Out Some OF Them to
the rlunicipal Convention.

ColulnDuS, OnlO, sept. S3.-Ine Nation
ai Conference Of Mayors and City Coun.
oiinen had several interesting sessions
here to-day.
Tho appearance upon tho platform oil
Josiah Quincy, mayor Of Boston, was
was on the TOPIC Municipal sHI; al Affairs n'oss a.
Administered In Boston," but its scope
was wider. 1t presented an analysis OF
the differences Of federal State, urban and
rural administration. and defined the pos.
sibilities of municipal service as almost
limitless.
Mr.. Quincy said the questions whether
the city has not already proved too power
ful magnet In attracting people fronltb
country; whether large numbers of those
who to-day earn scanty, sometimes pre-
carious, livelihood in cities would not be
materially be ter off in the country;
whether municipalities will not yet be
forced, in self-defense, to open some regu
lar channels through which those who be-
come dependent upon tho public may be
returned to the soil to earn their own sup.
port from Its cultivation; raise problems
for tho future, which can only be suggest
cd at the present time.
Tho practical fact with which we have
to DEAL" no continued, "ls that this ten.
dency toward relatively greater growth
or urban than OF rural population does dot
yet seem to have suffered any check, and
that the good or bad administration of
municipal governments affects q far larger
number of people and creator fraction
OF tho total population than evor before.
At tho same time the different kinds of
public service, either directly undertaken
or Indirectly controlled by Tho modern
cisy. are more numerous, important, costly
and complex than before"
With reference to Boston, tho strongest
po1ntin Its municipal scheme, he said is
its vostng In Its chief execui i've of powers
almost co ordinate with those of the Presi.
dent of the United States, especially the
power of removal from office OF any Of his
appointoes. In Boston there are 80 heads
OF departments under the direct control of
the mayor. Tho power of removal is rare.
~ exercised, but Its tendency Is to make
the government strong and honest.
Mayor Silas ID. Drake, of Lincoln, N j.,
atown that mas three women delegate,
from its council here, intoducod to tho
convention Mayor J. A. johnson, of Far.
go, N. d., who argued for uniformity of
state Laws pertaining TO municipal orga.
nizations. Mr.. Johnson urged upon tho
conference the forming Of permanent
committee on legislation, one from each
State, to formulate plan by which tho
Legislatures may make their municipal
laws uniform as to police powers, the con
troll of tho social evil, gambling and tho
reformation Of criminals.
Nathan Straus, ofNew York, presented
a paper on "rho influence of pure milk
supply OH tho death rate of children"
Most of the municipal officials here were
conversant only to a limited extent with
the work being done by Mr. Straus In
New York city in furnishing puro milk to
the poor, and they listened to the recital
with close attention. Tho paper was read
by Mr.. Ford of New York. Its opening
statement was that There Is practically
In cities that is fit to be fed in its natural
state to young children" The paper closed
with the following appeal:
II think have fairly demonstrated the
proposition that many thousands Of Infant
lives arc annually sacrificed by neglect to
supply for tho nutriment Of children milk
which has been sterilized. hold that nc.
glect to be criminal, and leave it to you
to fix the responsibility for it, We punish
murder with the ponalty of death, and yet
we allow murder to be committed by tho
wholesale in every populous community
OF this land. with no thought of its punish.
ment and little thought of Its prevention.
II appeal to you, gentlemen, who ara
charged with tho responsibilities attend.
ing thu government Of cities, as II you
were standing beside a great river in
whose current were constantly swept past
hundreds of drowning infants. This
stream is real thing if people would but
recognizes It's existence, and all its yearly
tribute of death Is paid because Of the pub.
lie neglect Of some of the simplest precau.
tions for the saving Of children's lives
You, gentlemen have tho means under
your control by which these drowning
babies can be saved"
Tho Columbus Press Of Tuesday says of
the Wilmington delegations:
Wilmington, Delaware, enjoys the dis.
tinctlon of having the largest delegation
and the oldest councilman in attendance
at tho convention. The delegation is com
posed of 23 members who arrived at $50
o'clock Tuesday morning in q special car
over tho Panhandle route. Tho dolosa.
tlon Is headed BY President 0. Marion
Loitch, of the Wilmington city council.
and who also represents Mayor Henry q.
McLear, of Wilmington. The trip was
made to the capital city without mishap,
thanks to the careful arrangements for
the comfort Of the party mado by Council.
men Lcary, Smith and Norris, tho com.
mitteo Of arrangements, who are also
members of the party.
On tho trip to Columbus Mr.. Smith and
Colonel G. NJ. Leitch entertained the
party with songs. The oldest councilman
above referred to Is Mr.. O'Ncal aged 70
years, who has seen twenty yoars Of oon
tinuous service Notwithstanding G his at,.
vanccd yoars he was lively as IL boy In the
convention hall Tuesday morning. Other
members of the party were:
Members City Council-Geo. O'Neill,
Michael +. Cannon, Dennis +. Lcary,
James Kane, James W. Robertson, Henry
W. Zobiey, james H. Morris, John H.
Healoy, Henry Il. Smith and James B,
Oberly.
Tho other officials from Wilmington
arc:
VIM. P. Morrison, clerk of council; John
). Ryan, bailitf OF council; Henry G. Con:
rad, city solicitor; James Wilson, chief
engineer; William II. Curry, city treas.
uror; Isaac G. Pylo city auditor; Eugene
Sayers, tax receiver; Edward i. Kane
plumbing inspector; Walter II. Hartove
clock regulator; Michael j. Kelley. oil iu.
spector.