Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-09-13
MUNICIPAL LEAGUE.

This week will find the officers of
various cities of Iowa gathering in Des
Moines for the purpose of exchanging
ideas and experiences upon questions
of municipal government. The occa-
sion is the meeting of the Iowa League
of Municipalities, which, during its
comparatively short life, has come to
be valuable organization. Nine years
ago the league took up the work along
the lines now being followed and the
cities of Iowa have been the benefi-
Charles.
One may go out on the street and
the first man he meets can tell him
offhand how city government ought
to be run and exactly what is the mat
ter with the one that is ruling at the
present time in his city. But when
a man gets the reins in his own hands
and assumes the responsibility to all
of the people all of tue time 1t is quite
a different proposition.
1t also differs from the guiding Of
the affairs of state and nations. A
pulating the affairs of state might be
dismal failure in the duties that fall
upon the shoulders of a municipal Of
ficer.
There are powers granted to the
national government by the constitu-
ton. There are powers reserved to
the states, and there are powers that
may be exercised by both state and
nation. Taking the powers delegated
to them by the constitution and those
that exist because of no prohibition,
the states In turn delegate privileges
and rights to the various cities. Some
are conferred by general legislation,
some by special charter and some by
Legislation that is general in a sense,
but in reality is for some particular
city or cities, made SO by it's applica-
ton to cities with more than certain
number of inhabitants.
1t is with these powers and the
carrying out the details of this kind
of government that the municipal Of
fcers have to struggle. There is the
ever present question Of funds and
economy. There Is the question al
most as often found Of the enforce
ment of the state laws in communities
that demand that they be not enforced
to the letter. There is the situation
that comes at some time or other to
every city of the muicipal ownership
Of some certain public utility There
are the streets and alleys, which are
themselves subdivided into the pro-
blems of grading and sidewalks and
drainage and pavement There are the
various departments, each having pro-
blems of its own. And there is the
beauty side of icty that these day can
not be neglected, the parks that were
once looked upon as conveniences hav-
ing now become necessities. And all
of these hang upon the first mentioned
question of funds and economy. These
are the things that are talked about at
the meetings Of the municipal league
Men who are interested in these things
travel about the country and investi
gate the management of other cities
and they bring their new ideas back
not only to their own city, but they
generously give them to all of the
cities at these sessions.
However, there is one question that
can not be settled at such gatherings
it is up to the people That is the pro
blem of getting good men to shoulder
means light or unimportant
The problem is not so much to elect
good men as 1t is to get them to give
the time from their private affairs tc
attend to public duty. Men are not in
terested enough in what becomes Of
the taxes they pay to take a hand In
municipal government, usually because
it means personal sacrifice.
The question today is not municipal
ownership or no municipal ownership
| 1t is not this franchise or that fran
chise, 1t is getting wise and able mer
to guide the affairs of the city, and the
other questions will be solved as near
ly right as they can be.
Some people are inclined to question