Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-09-15
FEAST AND DEPART
Heads of Illinois Municip alities
After Meeting Are Banquet
ted at Club.
PERMANENTLY ORGANIZED
Mayors Association of Illinois Adopted
as Name and Local Executive
Made President.

Members of the Mayors Association
| of Illinois. which was permanently or
ganized yesterday afternoon, were en-
itertained last evening at a banquet at
1.-THE Rock Island Club that marked the
close of a two days session all agree
TO have been most profitable and full
! of promise of great things in the flu
ture.
About one hundred were seated at
the spread last evening. those present
including the visiting mayors and 9th
ers connected with city governments
throughout the state. the speakers Of
the evening. city officials of Rock Is
| land. including the board of aldermen.
and members of the press.
The banquet followed a reception
| from : to S in the parlors of the club
house. The feast was ample and we'll
served.
BY $3.50 the cigars had been passed
and the first number on the program
announced. a vocal solo by Miss Ger
! trude Carse. whose choice as an en-
I tertainer was a most happy one. not
only because Of her musical talents.
but also because she is the daughter
| OF former mayor of Rock Island,
/ Henry Carse. Miss Carse had for ac-
icompanist Miss Edna Mitchell of Mo
/ line. She responded to an encore. both
numbers being delightful
Nr. McGann First Speaker.
Mayor McCaskrin. as POSTMASTER.
then introduced the first speaker of
/ The evening in the person of Lawrence
Z. McGann, city controller of Chicago.
MIR. McGann. as a preface to his re-
marks. made il plain that, while he
came as the official representative of
Mayor Dunno and brought the greet
ings and regrets of that gentleman. he
did not intend TO voice his chiefs indi
yidual views. However. he added. the
two We're not far from complete accord
on the leading issues before the peo-
iple of Chicago.
Mr.. McGann held that not all capital
should be considered evil and not all
capitalists evil doors. In general the
troubles attributed to capital and CAPT
talists are the fault of the people, who
! have already in their hands the rem
Growth of the power OF corporations is
!
lice power. nothing more.
This brought the speaker to the
topic upper.nost in his mind-munici-
pal ownership of public utilities. of
which Mayor Dunno may be considered
the leading advocate in Illinois. Mr.
McGann asserted that the demand for
public ownership has arisen from the
failure OF the public TO guard it's own
rights but argued in favor of such d
move He took the example Of Chicago.
where q debt of S125, 200. 900, as an out
side estimate, would be incurred in the
purchase of the street railway lines
| This debt he showed, would eventually
be paid. and handsome return be
sides. by the people who. in the sb-
sence OF ownership. will turn the mon
ey into the Golfers of the private own
ers.
Terms Too short.
| Another point that the speaker came
P. out strongly in favor of is the applica-
/ ton of the civil service principal 10
! elective municipal Offices. He held
, that a term of one or TWO years is too
! short for n mayor 10 learn the details
of his duties. and 50 by the time he
/ has begun TO reach a stage Of high eff
ficiency ne is. through political causes
that have no connection with the indi-
vidual. thrown out of office to make
way for another who in turn has to be-
gin TO learn the system. The term OF
Office ought 10 endure. the speaker said.
till a certain percentage of the voters
had petitiOned for an election. at which
the fate of the individual could be set
tied.
Mr.. Mccain saw great possibilities
in the organization of mayors. or
rather of cities. which was formed
yesterday. Corporate abuses are many
and Entertainments should unite the
cities of the state in a common cause.
Standing thus they will be in position
to better keep informed of pending
| Legislation and TO betted frame up
laws favorable to themselves. One
thing urgently needed is a revision of
| the revenue laws that will give cities
| a free hand in eXtricating themselves
fro, -.