Omaha daily bee., 1907-09-21
Niagara Falls, Atlantic City, Lot
Angeles and Duluth Wanted It.
J. B. MAHooD ELECTED PRESIDENT
New Executive of League is Mayor Of
Baltimore.
DEs MONIES MAN GIVEN oFFICE
John McVicar IL Chosen Secretary
Treasurer-DebRte on Municipal
Ownership Closes the
Convention.

NORFOLK, Va. Sept 20--The League
Of American Municipalities adjourned
sine die today after selecting Omaha for
the 1908 convention over Atlantic City,
Niagara Falls, Los Angeles and Duluth.
officers were elected as follows: Presi-
dent, J. Barry Mahool. mayor of Balti-
more; first vice president, Silas Cook,
mayor Of Fact st. Louis, H.; second vice
president, Horace l.. Wilson, mayor OF
Wilmington, Del; third vice president.
Emerson Coatsworth, mayor Of Toronto;
fourth vice president. Henry NJ. Boards
ley of Kansas City; secretary treasurer,
John MacVicar, Des Moines, Ia. Ad-
journment was followed by an oyster
roast at Cape Henry. where the delegates
assembled as Norfolk's guests. Munici-
pal ownership constituted the principal
subject of discussion at the closing ses-
sion. Edward A. Moffltt. secretary of the
National Civic Federations investigating
committee, opposed municipal ownership.
His strong address was answered by
President Dunno of Chicago, who advo-
Gated the municipal ownership idea.
In the absence of IL. J. Condor of Chi
cago, a paper prepared by him in oppo-
siton to municipal ownership was read
by Councilman Young of Kansas City.
That the municipal ownership wave has
done good a punishment and warning
is not to be denied. Perhaps the greatest
evil remaining lies in the widespread and
assduousy nurtured impression that the
scheme is potentially meritorious and sus-
ceptible to universal application. There
may be places-a very feW-where II Is
good thing to hold in reserve over corpora
tions holding longtime franchises or per
petual' rights, or where the admission of
other corporations of the same kind is not
feasible. But the American public should
be rescued from the idea that municipal
ownership is an automatic remedy FOR vari-
Gus municipal ills (as the Civic Federations
committee insists it is noD and taught the
/ truth. The truth is nothing more or less
than that successful municipal ownership
under d form of popular government is ex-
tremely hard to attain. II must be the
average American city and rightly classed
as abnormal.
We are entering on an era, ] believe
when the former derision of our govern.
mental efforts to regulate corporations will
be forgotten, by the. successful and salts
properly constituted authorities. Backed by
well-defined and earnest sentiment there
Is no ground to fear that amy law or set
of laws viii be rigidly enforced.
In the past the methods towards reg
ulation have been crude; and effective
because both officials and people recognized
the crudeness. New methods are being
perfected and the support Of the body
A public service corporation under
statutes such as exist in New York and
agents Of the law equipped with adequate
devices to secure obedience The capital
invested In these corporations does not wish
to be devoured In whole or In part. The
only other alternative lies in treating the
public fairly in the matter of prices and
service and living up to the law. This plan
certainly is sounder and more apt to
produce the results expected than the
adoption Of municipal ownership with it's
attendant s,eI, CONFUSION Of direction. suscepi
financial losses and not unusual nefficency.
All that municipal ownership can hope to
save community in a monetary sense are
the profits" which are thought to be maxi
ing the stockholders of service corporations
rich, II is a matter of common knowledge
that these profits are being and have been
reduced to slender margins. and with many
companies, wiped out altogether.
The inability of municipal plants to buy
supplies, materials, brains or labor as
cheaply private Industries more than
overcomes this margin.
Mayor j. Barry Mahool OF Baltimore,
was today unanimously elected president
OF the League OF American Municipalities
Former President Dunno of Chicago was
presented with handsome loving cup on
behalf of the convention by Councilman
Young of Kansas City.