The San Francisco call., 1898-12-16
TALK OF NEEDS
 OF CALIFORNIA
 MUNICH PAL|T|ES Second Days Session of New League.
ADDRESS BY MAYOR PHELAN
E. W. DORHMANN CRITICIZES
 THE PRESENT SYSTEM.
Control or Ownership of Public Utili- ties and Adoption of Civil Ser vice Favored-Convention
 Adjourns Sine Die.

The second and last days session of the new League of California Municipalities, in Pioneers Hall. was mainly devoted to addresses on subjects relating 10 city gov ernment. Mayor Phelan, president of the league, presided at the mornino session and delivered an address in which he urged the necessity of concerted action by the cities and towns throughout the State to secure necessary legislation to enable them to successfully carry out many con- tempated reforms.
 The speaker said that every writer on political economy in this country, as well as foreign visitors, mad remarked on the conspicuous failures of the people of the United States in the matter of municipal government-failures all the more con- spicuous on account of the progress made by us in all other branches of cdr" ation and business management. During the past few years matters had begun to inn prove New York had made wonderful progress and he believed San Francisco's s new charter was the nearest perfect of any in America.
 ''The three things necessary to be ob- served" said the Mayor. ''are civil ser vice, home rule and efficient management of city's affairs. Civil service will open up a career for the young men as well as assure better municipal adminlStrat1on. AS things are now the mercnants Of this city would not think of employing man who had graduated from the City Hall. That place is looked upon by them as a school of corruption, the reward or Whlch is big wages and little to do"
 In conclusion the Mayor said he hoped to see the time when the city should own and operate all public utilities.
 President F. w. Dohrmann of the Mer- chants Association was present by 1nVl- tation, and delivered a snort address or, Municipal Government" He attributed the failure to secure honest and efficient administration of city affairs in the munl- cipalities in this country to the constant changing and shifting about of officials. There was no stability, and If good man was elected to an important omce, as soon as he became fairly accustomed to his duties and was in position 10 put ms experience to practical use another elec- tion came along and he was displaced by a man with less experience ana propably less honesty. He contrasted this system with that in vogue in European cities, where all executive municipal officers are hired for their known ability to admin ister the affairs of a city successfully.
 Other speakers at the morning session were City Clerk Lamborn of Alameda ana Joseph Hutchinson of Palo Alto. The lat ter introduced a resolution. which was adopted, directing the judicial and legis- lative committee to take steps to secure ture requiring the distribution of all bills as fast as introduced to the municipal authorities throughout the State:
 Second Vice President W. H. Turner Of Merced presided at the afternoon session, and the principal speaker was J. Richard Freud of the Merchants Association. MT. Freud told of the work done by that body in this city and gave detailed and com prehensive account of the methods em- nIoved and the results obtained.
 Joseph Britton of this city. D. J. Sulli- van Superintendent of Alameda Schools, NJ. Walsh of Petaluma and R. F.. Robert son of Los Gatos also addressed the meet ine and the league then adjourned sine die. It is possible that the next meeting will be held some time in January In Sac ramento. but this Is left to the Judgment daIeqates signed the membership roll. and 1t is expected that many other cities will join as soon as the purpose or the or ganization is fully understood
 To-dav the delegates will be taken for a drive through the park and out to the Cliff House as the guests of Mayor Phe- Ian. They will start from Pioneer Hall at 10 o'clock this morning.