The record-union., 1899-02-15
LEAGUE OF MUNICIPALITIES.
NOW HOLDING A CONVENTION
IN THIS CITY.
Address Of Welcome by Mayor
Land-Genera1 Discussion ON
Municipal Reforms.

As00O-Ge0eTa1 O1ScuSSAO1 oA
Municipal Reforms.
There was a meeting of the Execu-
tive Committee of the League of Call
fornia municipalities at Pioneer Hail
all day yesterday. The principal busl-
ness was quite routine in character,
though it is expected that there VIII
be an important meeting to-day, which
Mayor Phelan of San Francisco Will
preside over.
R. w. Snow of Oakland was tempor-
ary Chairman yesterday forenoon, but
First Vice President J. w. Richards OF
Berkeley arrived in time to preside
during the afternoon session. The fol-
lowing members were present: j. w.
Richards of Berkeley. H. A. Mason OF
Santa Clara, Joseph Hutchinson OF
Palo Alto, B. F. Lamborn of Alameda,
Mayor E. M. Burke of Santa Barbara,
G. M. Kirbridge of San Mateo, c. w.
Agee of Merced, B. A. Hayne of Berk-
eley, r. w. Snow of Oakland, ]. w.
Morgan of Auburn, Mayor William
Land of Sacramento, Richard White of
Chico, Mayor G. S. Brooks of Marys-
vile, G. H. Chick of Berkeley, Joseph
Brey of Sonoma, w. H Marston of
Berkeley and T. T. Duhring of Sonoma.
WELCOMED BY THE MAYOR.
Mayor Land addressed the delegates
before dinner, and bade them welcome
to the city. Among other things, he
said:
Mr.. President and members of the
League of California Municipalities: 1t
affords me great pleasure to meet with
you this morning and extend to you
the greetings of Sacramento's citizens.
AS the Chief Executive, I welcome you
to our city, and trust that your stay
may be a pleasant one and that great
good may be accomplished by your
league in the work of amending the
laws Of the State which have become
useless and Objectionable and urging
the passage of needed legislation.
Il believe that an organization such
as you have effected will be of great
benefit to the municipalities throughout
the State and enable those occupying
the various offices in the gift of the
people to better administer to the wants
of their constituents and perform the
duties of their Office
Continuing his remarks further, the
Mayor emphasized the fact that there
We're several grave defects in the vroo-
man Act, which he thought should be
amended without delay It was a
part of the business of those assem-
bled to see what was needed in the
way of amendments to the laws. and
the Mayor hoped that they would go
to their work without hesitation. He
said he would go to legislators with
the delegates from the league, if they
desired, and suggest such amendments
as were necessary. He thought the
law now defective In that resolutions
of intention are often defeated by rem
onstrances. and that the machinery of
the law relative to the Improvement
OF streets was very slow. He thought
important amendments would be sue-
gested and that no more vital matter
could come before the association. An
adjournment was then taken until af-
ternoon
CONVENTION AT WORK.
The afternoon session opened with
TWO important addresses-one by 3, F.
Lamborn, who reported what had been
done in the way of organizing. the
other by Joseph Hutchinson of Palo
Alto.
Mr.. Lamborn said 1t was gratifying
that elghty-five municipalities out of
total of 10 were represented In the
league. and he felt justified in saving
that other cities were eager to help in
the plans of the association. He be-
heved in thorough organization. and
said that the purposes for which the
league was established were such as
appealed to all the better elements in
every town and city. The purposes
or the organization. as set forth in the
articles of association were read, as
follows:
The purposes of this organization
shall be to promote systematic collec-
ton OF information relating to munic-
lpal affairs; to foster the exchange of
suggestions between municipalities on
matters Of municipal interest: to pro-
pose and. so far as possible, influence
legislation necessary to proper munic-
1paf administration and growth, and to
generally interest the public in and
advocate all ideas tending to bring mu-
inequalities of California abreast of the
best municipalities of the country"
The speaker thought IT impossible
that any strong opposition to the league
believed it possible that great good
could be done by a more thorough
union. He said it was well known that
there are similar leagues in the East.
besides national and even international
organizations
Mr. Hutchinson said he had recently
talked with prominent members of the
Merchants Association of San Fran
cisco, who had expressed themselves as
greatly in favor of the purposes of the
league. Some of them We're willing
to put up money to see that its plans
were well carried out The Merchants
Association. he said, had rendered the
use OF its rooms to the central league.
should one be formed Mr.. Hutchin-
son said he was in favor of hiring a.
promoter at about $50 a month to
travel from city to city and town to
town to promote the purposes of the
society. Mr.. Lamborn wanted the
place he said, and was willing to work
for the sum named and at the same
time pay all his expenses. The speak
er thought that some good man should