Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1897-10-02

All the Work OF the New League to Dear
the Union Label-ElectiOn OF an Anti
Corporation Man IA Secretary Likely to
Cause Split in the Organization-New
Body Talked of Composed Only of Large
Towns and Big Cities.
ColumbuI O.. Oct. 1.-The League of
American Municipalities resolved yes
terGay 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 munici-
pal ownership and operation Of water.
gas and electric lighting works. Vice
presidents were announced by President
McVicar. among them the following:
Illinois, T. ]. Medill. Jr. mayor Of Rock
Island; Indiana, w. NJ. Aiken, Jr., mayer
OF Evansville; Michigan. William c.
Maybury, mayor Of Detroit: Iowa, F. p.
Pierce. mayor of Marshalltown.
Union I.abor Resolution Passed.
Among the resolutions passed during
the closing scenes was one offered by
Alderman Lowery. Of Poughkeepsie, n.
Y, incors!nS the efforts CT organized sla-
Dor and requiring that the published
report OF the leagues proceedings end
addresses bear the typogra phical union
label. and that all official notices and
printed matter for this national body
should as far as practicable bear the
typographical union label ard be per-
formed by persons and firms employing
and recognizing union labor"
Gi!kison's Election Fatal Mistake.
In an interview Mayor Black. Of this
city, said that the election Of B. F. Gilk-
ison as secretary had created a great
deal Of dissatisfaction among thernay-
ors, and he was very much afraid that II
was fatal mistake. Whether or not
personal interests governed the election
he was rot prepared to say. burt 1t is a
fact that now theleague willhave to fight
not only thediscontent SO engendered, but
1t wilireceive antagonism from the Amer
lean Society of Municipal Improvement
END 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
manifeJ;ed 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.
AutaEonistic Society Probable.
Mayor Quincy is quoted by Mayor
Black az saying that the convention
made u great mistake Thursday and tina
1t would result in the formation Of an
antaSonistic society which would be
limited to the officials of the larger cities.
beginning with those the size Of Column
bus and taking III those Of greater pop
ulation. In his paper on sanitary prob
lens, read yesterday morning Alexan-
der Potter, of New York. made strong
plea for greater recognition of the
services of the specialist IL the designs
of sanitary measures ard for a closer
communion between the specialist ard
, the man OF affairs.
Health Depends on the Sewers.
He showed how the very health CT the
| people depended upon proper and ede-
| 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 1vere given