Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-02-24
NATIONAL MUNICIPAL LEAGUE
Preserved In n Large
Volume.

The National Municipal League has Is
sued in bound form the proceedings Of the
twelfth annual convention held at Atlantic
City, n. j., last April. The volume COM
prises 500 pages and is fully indexed for
reference. The work was edited by Clinton
Rogers Woodruff, secretary OF the league,
North American building, Philadelphia, to
whom inquiries on the subject may be
addressed.
This volume comprises the largest record
of the proceedings OF the leagues annual
sessions, but the merit of size is due to the
fact that this year'es proceedings were of
an unusually interesting and important
character. The papers and discussions
covered the widest possible range and were
brilliantly Illuminating in their direct and
practical bearing upon the problems OF
municipal government, although the annual
meetings of this body have long enjoyed
pre-eminence along these lines Not only
did the program include papers of a sug-
gestive and recommendatory character,
but many citations Of practical experience
in solving some of the most perplexing
difficulties attending the administration OF
cities. Chief among the former was a
paper by Hon. Charles J. Bonaparte, secre-
tary Of the navy, who is president of the
Public Servants and How We Can Get
Good Ones'-a subject which appeals
potently to nearly every municipality in
the country-and among the latter are vari-
Gus papers giving results OF practical opera
tons along suggested lines Of municipal
in the papers; so also municipal ac-
ton of public utilities is given large space
In the papers; so also are muicipal ac-
counting. the police question. the control
of public service corporations and other
subjects of high Importance. In addition
to full discussion of the formal papers,
is a detailed report OF the Round Table
Conference" known as a feature of the
leagues annual meetings, which afford OPP
portunities for free 'heart-to-heart'' talks
touching matters of pressing interest.
The direct influence of this league upon
the practical operation of municipal gov
eminent In this country has been surpris-
ing The work of its committee on mu-
nicipal program, perfected at the Columbus
meeting, in 1899. has been adopted In part
by many municipalities which since that
time have had new charters or important
amendments TO existing ones. The prac-
teal value of It's system of uniform mu-
nicipal accounting, on which the committee
Is still at work, IS attested by the state
ment of a member OF leading firm of &C
countants. that to-day there are no less
than eighty cities using financial state
ments bearing the stamp of the work OF
the league, and the United States census
have made use of them in the collection
and classification of municipal statistics"
The league has been instrumental in having
instruction in municipal government In
cluded IN the educational courses OF col-
leges, universities and public schools. This
work OF its committee on the relation OF
public service corporations TO municipali-
ties is sure to be valuable in its recommen-
dations as the committee will consider the
question from a severely practical stand
ard, and without suggestion Of the dema-
gogism that invariably attends the at
tempts OF political agencies to solve this
great problem
The annual dues for membership In the
National Municipal league are s., and menu
bers are entitled to these privileges: Par
ticipation in the annual meeting, which
is not only a place for the reading OF pa
pers and exchange OF experience OF those
actively engaged In its work, but also an
admirable means Of acquaintance and So
cial intercourse between people OF Ike IN
terests; CODY Of the annual volume OF pro-
ceedings including all the papers ana dis
cussions at the annual meeting; copies OF
all literature issued during the term oa
membership.