The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1907-06-06
GOOD OFFICIALS
MAKE GOOD CITY
GOVERNMENTS.
Address of Hon. John McVicar
at Valley City on Galveston
Commission Plan.
SMALLER COUNCIL
MORE RESPONSIBILITY
Municipal Laws Are Becoming
More Complex and Graft
More Rife.
SMALLER COUNCIL
MORE RESPONSIBILITY
Special to The Evening Times.

Special to The Evening Times.
Valley City, N. D., June 6.-The con-
vention of the North Dakota NUM-
cipal league and the North Dakota
Civic league will close this evening.
The meeting has been a most success
full one, large attendances being the
rule at every session.
Yesterday afternoon Gov John
Burke made talk on assessment and
taxation, being followed by S. F.
Crane, who delivered very able
though largely technical paper. The
forenoon yesterday was devoted to an
auto ride about the city. Last night
there was public reception to the
visitors.
The session this morning was taken
up by Fred Nessbaumer. who discussed
street parking and by discussion,
'What Can an improvement League
do" which was highly interesting and
brought out many interesting points.
The afternoon session was opened
with an address by Hon. C. NJ. Loring
of Minneapolis. Outdoor Art" by
Mrs. Oliver of Lisbon, Mrs. Bolley Of
Fargo, and Miss Reeve of Buxton fol-
lowing the address of Mr.. Loring. This
evening there will be a lecture on
civic improvement by Charlotte Bart
lett Crane of Kalamazoo, Mich. The
convention closes this evening.
The address of Hon. John McVicar
of New York city. secretary and treas
urer of the American League of
Municipalities, delivered on Tuesday
evening was of much interest. Mr..
AIcVicar was for years mayor of Des
Moines, Iowa, and is conversant with
the practical problems which confront
the cities of the United States. He
opened his address with brief sketch
of the life of Sam Jones, the famous
mayor Of Toledo, Ohio. better known
as Golden Rule" Jones, because he
attempted to govern a city by the
Golden Rule. After sketch of the
problems confronting cities, Mr.. Nc
Vicar arrived at the conclusion that
it was men rather than measures that
cities needed. The tendency OF the
day is toward the smaller council with
more direct responsibility to the peo-
pie: it is also toward more complex
laws tending to make men good and
wise. While he considered that gov
ernment by commission was an inn
provement over some of the old sys-
tens and contained many excellent
provisions. he believed that Galveston
had a good municipal government be-
cause good men were placed at the
head of the government; the same is
true OF any city where pure and prac-
tical city governments have been MAIN
tained. 1t is men and not measures
which the country needs. state and
national government. Graft is abroad
in the land and the self interest par
ties stalk through the cities looking
for favors. Simple laws where the
responsibility is fixed and good level
headed, straightforward business men
are needed. The simple good man is
not enough. A good man without abil-
ity is worse than a scoundrel with
good talent who is tied down and
regulated by wise laws.
Reform is needed in municipalities
and the trend is in that direction.
Mr.. McVicar was given most care
full attention throughout his address
and the interest manifested was proof
that the people We're interested in the
problems of city government.