The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-02-24
sAuNII.C(ilIpALLEAGuE!

ting the fGortrnmsnt OF citics--An eAd.
$mirabio scheme. 81 q n
The success Of tho L.eague OF Atncri-
can Municipalities. which was organic
ed ut Columbus last summer, 4, q most
gratifying DEMONSTRATION OF q deslrson
the part Of inany OF our city officials 70
improve The service they are elected 70
give thc public. Judging from The large
number OF cities which have already
Joined the League. and the heavy do
mansls made upon the organixation,s
bureau OF Information BY individual Of
nc!als. II seems that a central agency
for the collection and dissemination OF
facts relating to municipal work Is
Something that the guardi5ns OF our
civic welfare have much use for, The
numerous inquiries that daily reach the
leagues central Office In New York de-
note q disposition on the part OF officials
TO acquire acknowledgement the acqul-
alton OF knowledge can never DO any-
thing but helpful IN any line Of work.
Particularly In the field OF municipal
administration. into which 20 many.
noyices are brought by our political
condit!ons, does there exist q necessity
for study and for an interchange OF
ideas and experience. & f3
I 1t was the vogue OF municipal reform
associations that first suggested the
organisation OF the League ot,Americen,
Municipalities. the idea being that unl-
ted action BY the officials themselves
az, , ~ ,,t.o va fe,-r,, Ir, tim
administration OF city Affairs. Many.
ocour local reform leagues. which ore
generally led by doctors OF medicine,
law and divinity, spend their efforta In
the direction OF criticism and destruc-
ton and pay little or no attention 10
constructive work. Reform, or to use
a better word, improvement In mun!ci-
pal government must necessarily conc
from the city officials themselves. who
arc In the best pos. ton 70 study the
multitude OF questions. That expert.
ence Is the best teacher has never been
doubted slncc the world began, and city
officials are, In the school OF experience.
Iflthey have the disposition 10 do So
they can accomplish more In the line OF
Improvement In q year. than
tho so-called retormers can accomplish.
In decade. So
The kind OF municipal reform that all
people demand means the best public
and the best public ser
vice at the right cost We are not pc.
INJURIOUS people: we are willing to spend
our money to make our cities healthy
and beautiful and to provide every
convenience for our safety and comfort,
but with true American spirit We insist
upon getting our moneys worth. And
unless our city officials keep posted we
are very likely 10 pay first-ciass prices
for second-closs work.
This Is q progressive age and the ofll-
clal who would procure for his constl-
tuency the best street improvements
the best fire and police service. the best
public Lighting, the best sanitary regu-.
latlons and the best OF everything else
In municipal service at proper cost must,
needs be something of 4 student along
these lines. Nothing can help him more
than the experience OF his contemporary,
officials throughout the country and
the League OF American Municipalities
Is an efrcctivr agency for the mutually
beneficial exchange OF knowledge be-
tween officials which Is essential to a
proper understanding OF the various
questions that arise In municipal man
agement. In order to secure pernn-
nency OF organization the memberships
In the league are held by the mun!ci-
palIties and not by the Individual OIL
clals. Each city pays an annual fee, of
from $40 to $50. according to population,
and this entities oil heads of depart
ments, as well as all members Of coun-
els, to ell the privileges OF member
ship. The objects OF the league.as STAT
ed in its constitution, are "the general
Improvement and facilitaton Of every
branch OF municipal administration By
the following means: First. the perpet-
uatlou OF the organization as an agency
FOR the cooperation OF American cities
In the practical study OF all questions
pertaining to municipal government;
second. the holding of annual conven-'
tons for the discussion of contempor-
aneous municipal affairs, and, third, the
establishment and maintenance OF
central bureau OF Information for thE
collection, compilation and dlssemina-
ton of statistics, reports and all kinds
OF information relative 10 municipal
government"
The central bureau Of Information Is
probably the most important branch OF
the leagues work. Cards are Issued to
the Individual officials OF the member
ship cities emitting the holders thereof
to the free service OF the bureau. II
the mayor or, any other official OF a
membership city, for Instance, wants to
ascertain the experience OF other cite.
In any particular line OF municipal work
he sends his inquiry to the bureau,
which promptly repeats the inquiry to
all the important cities In the country,
complies the data and sends complete
and accurate Statement to the party
seeking the Information. A second In
quIry on the same subject is answered
from the data already compiled and on
flle In the office OF the league. This
system, It vii, be observed, not only
furnishes q reliable source OF informa-
ton, but it saves city officials through
out the country the labor of answering
the came inquiries separately for q
score or more Of cities that may call
for it. All Information OF general In
tercst, such as that pertaining to street
lighting. street paving. etc.. Is publish
ed for tho benefit OF all parties concern
ed. The importance OF having sucha bu-
reau OF Information at the service Of
our city authorities cannot be over-es-
timuted. In an economical way It pro-
vides authentic Information to guide
the action OF officials In important mat
ters and II may ottentlmes be the
means OF saving thousands OF dollars
to the taxpayers.
This city can make no mistake by
Joining ,the League OF American Munic-
qualities. As patriotic American
community It behooves us to lend our
best support to movement having
such q laudable object as the solution
OF the various problems involved In the
Improvement OF our. cities. AS n pro-
gresslve municipality, proud OF our,
achievements, we should be glad to
lend our aid to the less fortunate cities