Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-01-30
EMPOWERS ENJOY SMOKER
4wslfh Ward Club Ept.rtsius Its Many
Guests Royalty.
VARIOUS WAYS FOR IMPROVEMENT
Speakers sTen of what We Have
and what We Ought TO Have
and OHcr Many
Plans.

\ large attendance helped to make the
smoker given by the Federation of Twelfth
Ward Improvement clubs a success in a
social way last night. The affair was held
IN IdIewd hall and was addressed by Gill
bert NJ. Hitchcock. John +. Dillon, Grant
Parsons and J. r. VanNGilder
In opening, President g. F. Wilson said
that much too little credit is given Omaha
newspa pers for their part in improving the
city. He announced that Edward Rose
water. who was to have addressed the
federation had been called to Washing
tons and introduced MIR. Hitchcock.
Mr.; Hitchcock contrasted methods Of
municipal government in Europe and the
United States ut is not greatly to the
credit OF the newspapers that they seek
TO increase the prosperity and growth of
cities.H said he. ''only insomuch credit
is due intelligence, for only the cities
grow can. the newspapers grow In protect
ing the people from graft and fraud the
newspapers are only ooing the intelligent
thing In their own behalf.
7, Center OF Responsibility.
Remember that money raised by taxa
lions is a burden. DO not overburden your
selves and your neighbors in demands upon
the public moneys and credits that will
be hard to repay In the problem of NUM-
cipal government we in America are mere
infants. The cities OF the old world are
years ahead Of US. Our city councils are
spending toe much money and we are
getting too poor government. l believe
city government should be so devised as
to locate responsibility instead Of dividing
IL. Elect man mayor and FOR time in
vest him with autocratfc power No mat
ter what function Of municipal govern
meRt Is deficient or being neglected If you
have man whom you can hold respon-
- sible you can cure it. If you elect mayor
= with power TO remedy the evils he would
remedy them YOU would soon remedy
him
Later on. by request Mr. Hitchcock dis
cussed municipal ownership. He said the
question had passed the debatabe stage
and no doubt remained but that city gov
crnments should own public utilities.
Mr. Dillon of the Druid Hill Improve
ment club praised local newspapers and
their editors and read a speech in which
were panegyrics on the home and citizen
ship In histrous settings. He urged the
ownership and beautihcation of homes and
said that improvement clubs should do
everything possible to foster these ideas.
Mission of Improvement Clubs.
Mr.. Parsons president of the Central
Park club. remarked that the mission OF
Improvement clubs is not only to see that
legal improvements are properly dlstrib'
rted, but to guard public funds, and that
this point should not be forgotten.
The speech of Mr.. Van Glider 81 the Pros
pect Hill club was a very long one, start
Ing with. the coming of the street railway
to-ProsPeet Hin and terminating in the vi
entity of the Panama canal. He told in de
tail how the club toewhich he belonged 'haS
secured many improvements and is abou
to obtain many more. He eulogized LaFo
let's, Folk and Others and harpooned th'
railroad pass evil. gave the corporations
shot or two and told how the. railroads ar,
robbing the government in carrying thu
mail. srsexpressedf supreme odssatisfactiol
with The procedure employed in the effor
to mlnicralize the waterworks and state,
heibelioved the city is as far away from tn
goal as ever,
A number of active politicians wer
among the audience.