The age-herald., 1898-08-04
SCRAMBLE FOR
 THE OFFICES Secretaryship the Chief Bone of Contention. IS MUCH DISSATISFACTION Expressed Over the Present Incumbent, Who Has His Affairs in Bad Shape Pleasure Trip on
 Lake Michigan.
IS MUCH DISSATISFACTION

l. Detroit, Aug. 3.-Distribution of the offices l of the League of American Municipalities mainly agitated that body this evening. | There was much of button-holing this aft l ernoon on board the two steamers which carried the delegates and crowd of unofti- cia guests of the city on an enjoyable ex- l cursion across Lake St. Clair. The situa- ton became doubly interesting by this eyen- ing. The secretaryship of the league is the chief bone of contention. Secretary GilkI- son announced today that he would not be candidate for reelection. He followed it up tonight with the statement that the president, Major John McVicor of Des Moines Ia., is candidate for secretary, having the backing of Gilkison and his friends.
 The Indianapolis delegate has been push ing John Mahoney, president of the Indian apolis common council for the secretary ship, but they are doubtful of Mahoneys success since McVicor has become can didate. Much dissa tisfaction has been eX- pressed against Secetary Gilkinson on ac- count of his report concerning his handling of the leagues funds The constitution re- qures that all fees and dues collected be paid by the secretary to the treasurer quar- terly. Mir. Gilkinson, on the contrary. re- ported having collected some $500, of which about s900 was paid to himself as salary and the balance for sundry expenses, but he submitted no vouchers for the sundrles. His report contained an apology for v.ola- ton of the constitutions provisions. The report of the treasurer, Mayor Black, of Columbus showed that he had handled only S590 of the leagues money. lie sup mitted vouchers for his expenditures. snecial committee was appointed to audit these accounts
 Vouchers in New York
 Mr. GilSinson informed the committee that his vouchers were in New 1orh, anu the committee can only report tofiofroW that the vouchers have not been proaueeu, and that it cannot-therefore property auui' the secretary's accounts
 Hackers of MT Mahoney have not peeh sSow to take advantage of this matter III booming their candidate, but ms cnahceS were not considered reassuflns tohlshe uhi- der the circumstances.
 Two candidates are talked of for League president, Mayor Black of Columbus ana Mayor Maybury of Detroit. Mayor BLACK $ friends are making an especially actNe canvass.
 upoo water supply, the members of the League spent the afternoon aboard the Ter " steamer Pleasure.
 The question of remuneration to cities fof. franchise rights Tn aStreetS anu aieSS was discussed today in a paper by Mayor McMurray of Denver. The people, he said, were beginning to realize that if a franchise is A thing of value as soon as received by a corporation obtaining it, then there is no reason why it should not be considered a thing worthy of adequate compensation when being asked for at the hands or the representatives of the people. A
 Partnership With City
 Mayor McMurray believed that owner ship of all the public utilities must come, but must be arrived at gradually. He ln- sisted that street railway franchise, for instance constitutes a partnership with the city. Under past experiences, how ever the city had been unrecognized as a partner and had been allowed no consid- eration for it's share of the joint invest ment The theory of the Denver mayor Is that the bills or ordinances providing Tor street railway franchises should be pre- pared by the city authorities so that bids for the franchises should then be invited and the privileges be granted to the hlgh- est bidder, subject, howeYr, 10 ratliica- tion by vote of the citizens.
 Reservoir and filtration systems were treated by George Hillyer, president or the Atlanta water board. He related how thoroughly, cheaply and conveniently Att Ianta purified the red waters taken from the Chattahoochee river
 After submission of various resolutions for future action. the convention adjourned until tomorrow.