The age-herald., 1902-04-03

took decisive action on the color question, the following resolution being adopted:
 Resolved, That the New England Wo- mems Press Association instructs its del- egates to the biennial meeting of the gen. eral Federation of Womens Clubs to be held in Los Angeles, Cal, in May, to con sider in all discussions and legislative
  the city. and which you denounce in such unmeasured terms because you have made a record on Public Service Utili- ties, and possibly you can explain to the public how you came to make some con tracts, in the face of your own public declarations, only two years ago.
 In your messages for 1899, I find the following: 'I am sounding no false alarm when l state to you that this city is be- set with the power and influence of priv ate corporations, and unless we put a stop-f1nal and effective-to the policy of giving away valuable franchises that of right belong to the public, this genera tion may see the day when our control of city affairs will be by their favor, as their birth and existence was by ours."
 A sentiment worthy of any mayor-and in your message of 1900 you reaffirm your position on this broad and vital sub ject."
 GIVES AWAY FRANCHISES.
 You wholly neglected to state in your message for 1901 that in that year you had given away the use of nearly all the streets and avenues of the city for street railways, and gas, and electric lights, and for what?
 A promise that the public should have dollar gas and transfers some time next fall.
 You refer to Atlanta for water rates, where conditions are wholly dissimilar but when it came to a contract for the other public service utilities, where con- ditions are similar, and you knew Atlanta was demanding large pay for like priv ileges, and you had the power to protect this city, you forgot your high-sounding note of alarm and voted away these fran chises for nothing.
 Alderman Ward told you that Atlanta received for like privileges 900 in cash and 2 per cent upon gross earnings for a few years and then per cent afterwards curing the existence of the contract, which would be $20000 and $30000 a year to our depleted city treasury-a sum more than sufficient to build the new school houses and keep all the public schools open and free for thirty years; and yet so far as l am informed, no pro- test came from you to the gift of these franchises-worth more than the entire water works property - for absolutely nothing; on the contrary, you voted to give them away.
 If this is sample of your ideas of con- sistency and business administration, l am free to confess that, in my judgment, it hardly comments itself to the average citizen
 Let me make one other suggestion. You will do much better to successfully de- fend your own contracts and administra- tion than to assail those of your prede- cessors.
 In conclusion, please don't give us any more Falstaffian answers, but come out like a man and face the music of your own making. Respectfully yours,
 ALEX T. LONDON
 Mayor Drennen, when asked last night if he had anything to say in reply to Mr. London, said he had been so much en- gagged with committee meetings during the day that he had not had time to carefully consider the letter.