The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-11-14
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the best and most able men to arrive
at the helm of any great German city.
Almost without exception. they are
mon of university training. They
never obtain their Offices az reward for
party loyalty or by means of political
preferRent, but are .invariably elected
on issues which are purely local
The speaker went at length into the
actual machinery of. government in
operation in Frankfort and other Ger
man cities. pointing out features that
might be adopted with advantage by
American municipalities.
AT this momept," he said, the Ger
man people, with some qualities which
arc not altogether umiable or attrac-
tive possess, in my opinion, "A larger
snare OF civic virtue than any otner
nation in Europe. except perhaps little
Switzerland. NO tunas are spent in
corruptlng the electorate. Not only
the law, but public sentiment. renders
this Impossible. Peculation is almost
unknown. and the funds OF the public
are administered with fidelity and skill.
II is only under such conditions that
Il city dare undertake the manifold
industrial enterprises which the city
Of Frankfort is successfully pursuing.
Time TO begin Here.
Our own municipal education has
not yet gone so far. We have still in
our electorate a vast body of men with
very dim notions of their municipal
duties. and with very little ability to
perform them y man high In the
Prusstan service said TO me: You will
finally be able to do what we are
doing. but IT will still take you long
time. II comes by degrees He spoke
the truth Municipal aptitudes are nos
made in a day. They grow with the
development of municipal life. Our
city governments have been the dark
est stains on our institutions
Things are now beginning to i'm.
prove. There has been n great moral
awakening of our people, the neces-
sity OF better government is perceived
by all 1t might be unwisc for us at
this moment TO attempt at once all
the varied activities which are so sue
cessfully undertaken by Frankfort. We
may have 10 content ourselves at first
with smaller things. But II is time to
begin"
Secretary Fisher Presided.
The convention was formally opened
by Secretary of tile Interior Walter l..
Fisher at o'clock with u few words
OF greeting To the delegates. AS IL
member OF the Municipal League he
welcomed the delegates 10 the seven
teenth annual meeting. observing
humorously that in common with them
he had come TO Richmond TO ind
out from this city how to govern our
own cites"
He presented Mayor Richardson.
who offered the delegates the official
greetings of the municipality and out
| lined TO the convention the machinery
| OF government in vogue at the cunven-
| ton city. ~ previous engagement
| compelled the Mayor TO leave the hall
Immediately upon the conclusion OF
! his speech.
Secretary Fisher replied to tho vel
| come of the city on behalf of the dele
| gates. and. proceeding to the business
! OF the evening, emphasized the inn
| portancc OF the work in which the
! league Is engaged, churacterizins this
! need of municipal reform as the over
| Swallowing problem of present-uay
government IN America lie then pre-
| scented President Foulke, who deiv-
| cred the address OF the evening.
| session We'll Attended
| While it was stated at league head
! quarters that great many OF the
| dciegHtes had not yet arrived, more
than 200 of these were present at the
! opening meeting last night. These
| came from widely separated sections
OF the country, representing upwards
, Of twenty states and several colleges
| and universities.
The character of the questions dis
cussed al the meetings make them Of
, special interest to students OF govern
msnt and practical men generally, and
Il large attendance from the local col
leges and from tht student bodies was
in evidence last night. one professor
from Il local college Was heard TO re-
mark that the meetings OF this con
vention We're equal III value to a
course in municipal economies at any
college, and that he is going to brIuE,
his class in political economy to at