Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1902-06-12
CONVENTION ENDS.
Mayor David S. Rose is GFaeted By a Large
Audience,

A large number of our citizens
attended the closing session of the
Municipal League convention last
THURSDAY evening. Mayor Rose was
the principal speaker and was listened
to with a great deal Of interest. He
opened his address by saying that if
the people Of Grand Rapids did one
half as much for their city as nature
had done. we would have one Of the
largest and most beautiful cities in
the state. Mayor Rose laid much
stress on the importance Of the pri-
mary, for it WAS the key to honesty
and efficient public service. He
believed that the Municipality should
occupy the same relation toward the
state that the state occupies toward
the nation and that the laws Of the
government of a city should bear the
same relation to the state constitution
that the state constitution bears to
the federal constitution Taxation,
police power, health regulations, and
maintenance Of educational institu-
tions are the only questions OF NUM-
cipal government in which the state
has an interest. The mayor held that
a model charter for all cities was i'm
not prevail in all cities. He told at
some length of the conditions exist
ing in Milwaukee and drew many
lessons from his experience as mayor.
He objected to yellow journalism, as
it was the greatest menace to the
prosperity and progress Of a city,
lamented that there was too much
SelfiShneSS and too little patriotism,
and hoped that the time should soon
come when Municipal government
would be divorced from politics.
Mayor Rose said that as a result Of his
experience, observation and study he
believed that every city should own
and operate the water plants, electric
light plants, and garbage crematOrieS.
His experience, however, had not yet
led him to believe that it would be
wise for cities to own and operate
street car systems.
CONVENTION NOTES.
AT the close Of the Thursday after
noon session Of the Municipal League,
the delegates were taken around
town in carriages to inspect the
factories and other places of interest.
When such men Gov. LaFollette
and Mayor Rose confirm the opinion
of our citizens that Grand Rapids is
destined to become one of the greatest
cities in Wisconsin, we certainly
ought to feel encouraged and do all we
can for It's advancement.
The delegates have given assurances
on every hand that they had never
been accorded a more royal welcome
and entertainment than at Grand
Rapids. When we now take into
account the fact that the committees
in charge Of the entertainment have
a balance on hand, the citizens must
have taken great interest, fnan-
cially, in the convention.
The convention was one of the
largest in the history Of the league.
Among the business men whose
places of business were decorated in a
very attractive manner were, johnson
& Hill Co., Will Gross, Spatford, Cole
& CO., and Heinemamn MerChantile
Co.
A remarkable event of the cOnyen-
tion was the splendid weather condi-
tionS. This fact surprised even the
most optimistic citizen.
Judge J. A. Gaynor's paper on
"Grand Rapids Plan of Dealing with
Public Utilities" was one of the fea-
lures of the convention. The paper
was published in the Milwaukee Free
Press last Friday.