The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-03-15
THE MUNICIPAL LEAGUE.
NEW ORGANIZATIONS FORMED TO
REFORM CITY Politics..

First Open Meeting to be Held Monday
Evening-The Officers of the League
and Its Object-Interview with Presi-
dent Wallace.
The regular monthly meeting of the
Municipal League of New Haven" will
be held Monday evening, March 49, at 8
o'clock, in room 6o3, First National bank
building. Charles E. Curtiss of the
board of finance will speak upon "Our
City's Finances Under the New Char
ter" The officers of the league are as
follows: George M. Wallace, president;
A. B. Woodford, secretary; Lawrence
Eagan, treasurer.
Article III. of the leagues constitution
is as follows: THE object of this asso-
citation is to secure for New Haven a
municipal government conducted on
purely business principles and to that
end to secure the election to municipal
offices of men, irrespective of party af-
filiatons, who are best fitted, morally,
intellectually and by training and expe-
rience, to discharge the functions of the
respective offices. 1t is also the object
OF this association to secure the equali-
cation and, if practicable, the reduction
of taxes and in general to do whatever
may be necessary for roofing out evils,
righting wrongs and introducing i'm
provements in the municipal govern
ment of New Haven"
In an interview with Mr.. Wallace yes
terday afternoon he said: can associa-
tion of this kind exists now in over two
hundred cities in Europe and in an in
creasing number in this country. In
many of these cities the reformers have
already taken municipal affairs out of
partisan politics and away from the |
spokesman and the machine. The spells |
system is becoming played out in mu-
ncpal matters, because the people are |
becoming aware that they are them
selves the victims. We seek to get the |
laboring men, the unions, BUSINESS and |
professional men and the so-called Gull |
tured classes to join hands against the |
common enemy. We cordially invite to I
join us every man who wants better |
municipal government for less money |
and who prefers good government to |
partisan success. The difference be- |
tween the reform and the spoils system |
in practice may be illustrated in the tax /
department. The reform system would |
select assessors from builders, real es-
tate men, real estate lawyers, mortgage
bankers, etc, because these men make a
life work of knowing and finding out
real estate values. The spoils system |
requires only that the candidate for Of
flee be a good party worker; hence we
are assessed by men mjlliners, icemen,
buttermen, BARRIERS, etc The men de-
termine how much of taxes each citizen
shall pay by guess
by putting into office the best men
for the purpose that could be induced to
take office--men who are bright, honest,
practicable, successful and who know
something about the function involved
there could be saved to the taxpayers of
New Haven 100000 per annum. New
Haven is larger affair than Winches-
ters or Sargent's, and has more intri- J
cate questions all the time pressing for
solution, yet men are put in charge Of
the municipal ship of state here who
could not successfully run the buff room
or the house for one of those con-
Germs. All this can be changed if the {
victims will take care of their own in
terests and pull together"