New-York tribune., 1905-04-26
MUNICIPAL LEAGUE HERE
ANNUAL REFORM TALKS.
Ro5oe and Woodruff Speak-A
Tribute to ". III. BaIdrcin, .ir.

In a tribute to the memory OF William H.
Baldwin, jr- at the eleventh annual meeting OF
the National Municipal League. which opened
at the City Club yesterday afternoon Oswald G.
Willard said that certain railroad company had
once told Mr. Baldwin that it must request his
resignation if he did not cease his activities on
the Committee of Fifteen Mr.. Baldwin replied.
said Mr.. Willard, that If he did hand In his
resignation every man, woman and child in the
city should know the reason. and nothing
further heard OF the request
Charles ]. Bonaparte the president OF the
league, detained yesterday in Washington,
and Charles Richardson presided. Professor L.
S. Rowe, of the University Of Pennsylvania.
read a paper at yesterdays session, asserting
that the present tendency in municipal govern
ment was toward concentration of executive
power, which spelled greater efficiency. He said
in part:
resents permanent tendency in American admin
Stratve policy, the question immedia tely presents
ne increase of executive mower a. well as its CON
ceatratlon. has been accompanied by marked in
crease in efficiency The choice, therefore. present
e2 10 our American communities takes the form of
q seeming opposition between democracy and eff
cheney. Presented in this FORM there is little doubt
as 20 what the ultimate decision OF the American
people WI be- Above all other people OF western
I2n we are OF dae
democracy and efficiency, both in thought and in
action becomes necessary requisite for the main
If this analysis of the present situation be cor
rect, the outlook for municipal council IS any
business ana a municipal corporatioH while faulty
in many respects, is Of real value when viewed
from The standpont of the organization of city
departments. Whether or not We agree With this
analogy. We cannot disregard the fact that the
popular view with reference to the administration
toward the standards which have proved sue
terprises This means that the people are pre-
pared to accept the same administrative standards
Ar "a n fhH
tb@ Police C6mn,iisioner of NeWIYork a term of
ten years. possibly life tenure, would have
been received with scorn and indignation nifty
years ago To-day it is regarded by many tho
best means Of securing efficient administration
Of this service
MUNICIPAL ADVANCES RECORDED.
Clinton Rogers Woodruff, Of Philadelphia, the
leagues secretary, in reporting "A Year OF Mu-
nicipal Advances said:
The American voter IS forming the habit OF dis.
State Offices ana he is learning to exercise his
sqrage ndepen,deIt of Of party lines Chicago and
ndependent voting during the ne last year Judge
I'd by plurality of 25O0o in the face Of piuralfty
for AIr Roosevelt at the preceding fall election of
dented plurality Of $4,000 votes. at the same time
electine a Democratic candidate for Auditor BY
Never before has it been our good fortune to
political judgments. It Is true that in some in
stances the men elected as a result suit Of the inde-
efficient type hut their selection shows that in
municipal matters the voters to a growing
tent Cisregardtne party lines and party affiliations
and selecting men for other reasons.
This tendency to independence has not been
fined to municipalities alone but during the last
year has extended marked degree to State cleo
tons. and largely the ground that in the last
analysis the State government plays very direct
and important part in national affairs
MI Woodruff said there was a slow but
steady improvement in American municipal con-
ditions. The encouraging feature" he said in
hat 10 In, fha r{obt
direction toward broader and deeper interest.
toward a larger understanding. toward a recog-
milton of responsibility the part of the citi-
zen. toward betterment in the highest and best
sense"
President Bonaparte. Vice President Richard
son and Secretary Woodruff were reelected,
with George Burnham, jr, treasurer. The cleo
ti0us witnesses the retirement of Samuel B.
Capen, Of Boston, second Vice-p president. but
most OF the members of the executive committee
were re-elected