The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1898-12-03
MUNICIPAL LEAGUE
MEETS AT INDIANAPOLIS.
destructive Papers Read by Prominent
Persons Dealing wuh FRANCHISES and
Municipal Government

A. the meeting Of che National Munloi-
pal League, held at Indianapolis today
Mr. Charles Richardson. OF PhliadOl.
phia. read paper entitled "Municipal
Franchises" Ho said In part;
'"Tho committee on municipal pro.
gramme Is unanimous IN tho opinion that
the city should DO FREQ TO choose for e..
self between the policy OF leasing IL
franchises or OF retaining and operating
them forts own benefit In any given case,
and should bo clothed with ample power
for acquiring any and managing public
properties,
"T'hc committee IL also convinced that
II has been demonstrated by abundant
experience that In tho interest OF the
public when tho city grants franchise
TO a private corporation, associate or In
dividual. the term of such grant should
90 limited to a dennilc period not exceed
Ing q years. In addition TO any other
form OF compensation the grantee should
pay tho city pocentage OF the gross
receipts from tho exercise OF the fran
chiue. at tho end " the period tho plant
Of the grantee should become the prop
ory OF tho city n tho latter 40 desire,
either without further compensation than
the original grant, or. II additional com.
penaaton be- paid, II should not In any
way include or be based upon any valna-
ton OF or allowance for the franchise
itself which, az the termination OF the
grant should ipso tacto revert TO tho pub
Ito; every grant OF n franchise should
contain ample provision, enforceable by
forfeiture OF tho grant. or otherwise, 10
secure efficient public service at rcasona-
Ole rates; every grantee should be obliged
20 render TO tho city complete accounts OF
It's financial condition, including It's re-
coIpts from al sources and jts expondl-
lures for all purposcs,. such account 10 be
public records; tho books and accounts OF
the grantee should bo at all reasonable
tlmea open 10 tho examination OF tho
city's fiscal officer or his representa-.
tlvos."
DR., Albert Shaw, OF New York. a mem.
Der OF the committee on municipal pro-
gramme, read paper entitled. "The City
In the United Statos--tho Proper Scope
of Its Activities" lie said In part;
IN In tho unanimous opinion OF tho
committee that tho main outlines OF
municipal system should be uniform
throughout all the towns in the state, and
there IL no particular reason why
fairly workable American system might
not tend, at least approximately toward
something liloe uniformity throughout
the entire country.
"when II comes to the question OF what
these more or less uniformly organized
municipal corporations shall do from
month to month and year to
year--what service they shall render to
the men, women and children who are
the constituents OF the elements OF the
municipal oorporation-lt Is the opinion
OF your oommlttee--of municipal admin
mInlstrators throughout the world-that
nobody can decide no well as the lndlvld-
ual municipality how far II will carry Its
activities and In what variety OF ways
In detail II shall make itself servlceable
90 Its citizens,
1--WE are not FOR q moment advocating
any extreme Innovations, nor are we re-
pudlatlng any prudential check. OF a gem
eral nature that may be found In experl-
ence to work usefully We are simply
contendlng for the main proposition that
the cities may well be left to work out
their own destlples, upon the basis Of a
broad liberty as respects the scope OF
their functions