The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-08-03
GOVERNMENT OF CITIES
apsrs Read Before the League
OF American Municipalities.
PROBLEMS OF THE HOUR
Prot. Parson OF Boston University Advo-
Gates the Initiative and Referendum.
Women Suffrage and Coop
erative Industries.

Detroit, Aug. 2.-Some 500 city fatA-
ers and officials attended to-day's ses-
sio of the League Of American NUM-
cipalities. They constituted. on the
whole. an intelligent and conscientious
appearing body. The feature OF the
session was an address upon Self
Government for Citizens by Professor
Frank Parson OF Boston university.
president OF the National League for
Promoting Public Ownership OF Aionop-
olies..
Prof. Psrson held that the principle
Of safe government as applied through
our present laws is deficient in four
respects, viz: First. in area, because
while the state is self-governed the
municipality is the creature of the
states enactments, and consequently
every other city in the state is obliged
10 be consulted about what any particu-
lar city chooses to do; second, deficient
as to the class distinction, since wom-
en- a part of the people. are not yet
permitted to participate in the peoples
relief movement: third. that the princi-
Pile of self government lis not applied
10 Industrial as 1t is to political life:
working men, he said. ought to have
a part in the government of their own
respective groups of industrial lines.
fourth, that the self-governing princi-
pie Is not complete as to method. since
the people are masters only during
election terms. while their public serv-
ants hold the sovereignty for he bal
ance of their terms.
The remedies, according to Prof.
Parson, are the initiative and referen-
DUN. women suffrage, cooperative in
dustries instead of m~onopolies n en-
tire eeif-government for cities. free
from private control. The latter point
was Illustrated. He said the present
charter of San Francisco is the most
notable example OF progress toward the
government of cities.
Mayor Young OF Akron and Mayor
Evans of Birmingham. Ala, e pa
pers on the relative adequacy of adj
rninistrative boards OF commissioners
as compared with common council COM
mittees.
Questions of policy concerning the
regulations of saloons developed an in
teresting discussion this afternoon.
The principal address on this topic was
by Mayor George r. Perry of Grand
Rapids. He contended that IL is inn
possible for a state TO frame a measure
calculated to regulate any offense less
tina crime itself which public opinion
will sustain, as applicable to city and
country alike. Hence, he suggested eff
forts toward inducing the state to con-
csds a wider latitude to municipalities
In the matter of enacting local self
government measures. The speaker ia
vored permitting saloons only In the
business parts of a city and the tax
ing and regulation of clubs and saloons
alike.
Mayor #. p. Farnsworth Of New Ha-
ven. Conn, stated that his experience
had absolutely convinced him that pro-
hibition never did prohibit. Concern
ing the agitated question of the drink
ing of Yale students. he assured the
fathers present that a boy who would
go to the devil by way of New Haven
would probably go anyway.
T. A. Hammond. jr.. of Atlanta. Ca,
told about a two years experiment at
prohibition In his city, which, he said,
resulted badly for all concerned.
Afterward the people and %saloonists et-
fected a compromise. which regulates
the business very strictly and. as he
claimed, satisfactorily.
Mayor Smythe OF Charleston. s. C,
outlined the workings OF the ~dispensary
system. He claimed there was more
drunkenness in South Carolina under
fhe system han formerly.
Professor Bemis of the Kansas state
Agricultural college made an address
on the present progress of municipal
electric lighting. He gave the result
Of an exhaustive inquiry on the ques-
ton of public versus private electric
light plants. with the result that he
considered the former unquestionably
the cheaper. generally speaking.
This evening the delegates were taken
TO Belle Isle. which was beautifully
illuminated for the occasion with more
than 10000 coiored lights. The visitors
were entertained with music by two
leading military bands.