Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-04-23
Attendance at Convention of
the National Association at
Detroit Is Small
TOPICS OF INTEREST TO CITIES
Secretary WoodruH's Annual Report an
Exhaustive Review of the Work of
the Association During the Past Year
Mayor Lows Administration High
ly Commended.

Detroit, Mich, April 23.-Ih atleH-
dance at the opening session of the
ninth annual meeting of the National
Municipal league was somewhat disap-
lpointing. About seventy delegates We're
expected but only half that number
were present when Vice President Chas.
Richardson of Philadelphia, in the alb
sence of President j. c. Carter of New
York. called the convention to order
about three o'clock.
After welcoming speeches by Mayor
William c. Maybury of Detroit ana
President John Gavis of the Detroit
Municipal league, and a brief reply
by Mr. Richardson, an exhaustive re-
port of the years work was read by
Clinton Rogers Woodruff of Philadel-
phia, secretary of the National league.
Mr.. Woodruff in reviewing the ad-
m~iristrations of a number of cities,
extolled Mayor Laws administration
N New York and characterized the
work there OF Police Commissioner
Greene as remarkable and brilliant. The
recent elections in Chicago and Cleve-
land were pointed TO as teaching the
lesson that there must be an end TO
tampering with the city by the iegisla-
ture and that national parties u
cease from placing national issues to
the front in local campaigns, the FREE
duent election of Mayor Samuel N.
Jones Of Toledo, Ohio, teaching the
same lesson.
Philadelphia and Pittsburg were re
ferred to by Mr.. Woodruff as present
ing Il somewhat less favorable aspect
but he added that Notwithstanding
doleful tales OF acknowledgement andcor
ruption, there We're numerous signs
Of Improvement, Philadelphia now hav
ing q mayor who received the endorse
.nent of the municipal league and Pitts
burg voters having defeated the DOM
inant republican machinery in three
successive campaigns. After touching
upon the recent municipal scandals of
Minneapolis, st. Louis and Kansas city,
Mr.. Woodruff took up the question OF
municipal ownership, declaring that a
movement in it's favor had a
deep hold on the urban population of
The country.
According to the report of Treas
urer George Durham, Jr., of Philadel-
phia, the National Municipal league
closes the year with a balance of
S32T.14 in The treasury, the balance
d year ago having been $692.39. the re
ceipts for the year s3.S27.9e and the eX-
penditureS S4,lS3.lo.
The election OF officers which was
scheduled for today vas deferred until
tomorrow morning.
J. Horace Mcfarland Of Harrisburg.
Pa, president of the American League
of Civic improvements, read a paper
on the Federation OF Civic Forces,
City, State and National" He pre-
gented a proposed constitution for q
civic alliance embracing a number Of
present organizations.
Vice President Richardson read a
paper on the same subject n papers
on this topic by n. Willard Palmer of
Grand Rapids, Mich, and G.. c.. Brown
of Indianapolis, Ind, were submitted
and ordered printed in the records
without being read.
A discussion of the subject of a civic
alliance led to the adoption of the fol-
resolution which was submitted
by MI. Burnham:
Resolved, That the. National Nun
iciral league approves the suggestion
of a civic alliance and that the ex-
committee be authorized to take
such steps as may in it's judgement be
desirable and necessary to carry it int
execution"