Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1898-02-24
LEAGUE OF AMERICAN MUNICIPALITIES.

IhrRa numUOr OF cltlpB WHICH HhYb
already Joined the league, Wilmington
being included, and the heavy demands
mado upon the organizations bureau |
OF Information by individual ofiicials.i it |
Heema that central agency for the col |
lection and dissemination OF facts re-
lsting to municipal WORK is something |
that tho guardians OF civic welfare |
have much Use for. This numerous in |
quiries that daily reach the leagua's
central Office in New York denote die |
position on the part nf officials to
acquire knowledge-and the acquisition
Of knowledge can never be anything but
helpful in any line OF work. Particn-
larly in the field of municipal admins
tration, into which 10 many novices are
brought by local political conditions,
does there exist necessarily for study
and for an interchange OF ideas and OK
perience.
1t was the vogue Of municipal reform
associations that first suggested the
organization of the League of American
Municipalities, the idea being that
united action by The officials themselves
was essential to practical reform in the
admin istration Of city affairs. Many
local reform leagues, which are gen
orally led by doctors of medicine, law
and div inity, spend their efforts in the
direction OF criticism and destruction
and pay little or no attention to con-
Htructive work. Reform, or to use a
better word, improvement in municipal
government must necessarily come from
the city officials themselves, who are
in the best position to study the mul-
titude of questions involved. That ex-
perience is the best teacher has never
been doubted since the world began,
and city officials are 10 the school Ut
experiences. II they have the DISPOSE
tion to do SO. they can accomplish moro
in the line Of municipal improvement
in year than mare 70 called reformers
can accomplish in decade.
The kind of municipal reform that
all people demand means the beet
public improveme and the best
public service at tho right cost Wu
are not penurious people; we are
willing 10 spend money to make our
cities healthy and beautiful and to
proyide every convenience for safety
and comfort, but with true American
spirit we insist upon getting our
moneys worth. And unless our city
officials keep thoroughly posted we are
very likely to pay first-class prices for
second class work.
This is a progressive aga and the
official who would procure for his con
atituancy the best street improvements,
| the best fire and police service, the best
| public lighting, the best sanitary regu-
lHtions anil tine best Of everything else
in municipal service at proper cost
must needs ne something OF 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 effect agency for
the mutually beneficial exchange OF
knowledge between officials which ia
essential to proper understanding of
the various questions that arise in
municipal management. In order to
secure permanency of organization the
memherhhips in tho league are held by
the municipalities and not by the in
dividual officials. Each city pays an
annual fee OF from $50 TO eco, accord
ing TO population, and this entities all
heads OF departments, ns well as all
members of councils. 10 all the privi-
leges OF membership. The objects OF
the league, as stated in IFS constitu-
tion, are 'the general Improvement
and facilitntion of every branch OF
municipal adm nietration by the fol-
lowing means: First, the perpetuation
of the organization as an agency for
the corporation OF American cities in
the practical study of oil questions per-
tanning to municipal administration
second, the holding of annual conven-
lions for the discussion nf contempor-
aneous municipal affairs, and, third.
the establishment and maintenance oil
a central bureau OF information for the
collection, compilation and dissemina-
tion OF statistics. rerorta and all kinds
OF information relative to municipal
government"
The central bureau of information is
probably tho most important branch OF
the leauge's work. Cards arc issued to
the individual officials of the member
shin cities emitting the holders thereof
TO the free service OF the bureau. II
the mayor or any other official Of O
membership city, for instance. wants
to ascertain the experience of other
cities in any particular line OF munich
nal work he sends his inquiry to the
bureau. which promptly repeats the TO-
quiry to all the important cities 10 tho
country complies the data and sends q
complete and accurate statsment to the
party seeking the information. 4
second inquiry on the same subject is
apawerel from the data already com
piled and on file in the office of the
league, This system, it will be OBJ
served, not only furnishes a reliable
source OF information, hut it saves city
officinis throughout the country the
labor Of answering the saine inquiries
| akalu FOR a m n
that may call for it. All information
OF general interest. such rs that per
tanning to street lighting, street paw
ing, &C., is publishvd for the benefit
OF all parties concerned. The import.
ance Of having such bureau Of in
formation ut the service of city
authorities cannot be over estimated.
In an economical way it provides
authentic information to guido the
action of officials in important matters
and it may oftentimes be the means oil
eaving thousands Of dollars to the tax
payers.
Wilmington has made no mistake by
Joining the League of American
Municipalities. AS an Intelligent com
muuity it behooves us TO lend our hest
support to movement having such d
laudable object as the solution of the
various problems involved in the i'm.
provement Of cities. AS progressiv We
municipality, we should he glud to
lend our aid to tho less fortunate cities
which are striving to reach higher
plane of municipal life. We believe
that in takiog membership in tine
League of American Municipalities Cur
City Council has the unanimous APP
proyal of the taxpayers The cost it