Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1915-01-19
Municipal League to Start
Bureau of Re
search.
TO HAVE SECRETARY
viii Collect and DiSsemin-
ate Date on Various
City Problems.
GLENN CONDON
tStAff COrrcspOndent).

.
disseminate practical Information
free of charge, to city governments il
this state, were formulated at the or,
Ganization meeting of the Oklahoms
Municipal League, held here last
hrlday and Saturday ana attended by
mayors and other city officials OF
municipalities all over the state.
Professor John Alley, head OF the
political science department of the
state university Norman, was elected
permanent secretary OF the or
gani2ation. He will establish at the
university a temporary bureau of
Information which will later he
converted into a modern bureau of
municipal research, to be I'm charge of
n competent and Well-trained man
and at the services of the citizens OF
oklahoma
Publicity Department.
This bureau will keep a file of all
matters pertaining to municipal gov
Crnment, and upon request, complete
data upon any detail Of this com
pjeN question will be furnished.
\ publicity department will also
be conducted and the press Will be
wen supplied with literature and
other facts concerning the activities
ton and other matters in which the
citizens are interested.
Mayor Frank NJ. Wooden Of Tulsa
is one OF the enthusiastic supporters
Of the leagues work, and predi cts
great things for the organization In
the future Tulsa was we'll repre-
sented a the meeting here the past
week, for in addition to Mayor
Wooden, Police Commissioner Thomas
j. Quinn, City Auditor f.. B. Cline
city Attorney John r. Ramsey and
Municipal Convention Hall Manager
j. Burr Gibbons were in attendance.
one of the vital subjects discussed
by the members Of the league who
gathered here for the two-days' ses-
sion was the need of certain state
legislation affecting municipalities.
As result of the plans outlined 10y
committees named by the league :or
that purpose the present legislature
viii be asked TO enact certain laws
that are urgently needed at the pres
cnt time for the purpose of helping
uutangle governmental mesh IN
which many municipalities find
themselves as a result of the almost
mushroom" growth of the state and
its various units
TO Raise Funds.
law will be asked for that will
enable cities to appropriate money
from their regular funds for the pur-
posa Of paying annual dues" in the
league. and for sending two delegates
to each convention. In no event Is
this appropriation to amount to more
than 81 for each 1000 inhabitants,
This money will go into fund for
the PRONUNCIATION Of the leagues pol
lcles and to carry on the work OF con-
structlye legislation and progress IN
municipal government.
other laws that will be requested
will include measures to simplify the
work OF government in the matter of
street and sidewalk Improvements,
sewer construction, waterworks prob
lens, etc.
L. Ratcliff, mayor of Ada, is
president of the league. Guy l..
Blackwelder, a city commissioner OF
Oklahoma City. has been acting as
secretary, but Professor Alley will
now fill that office, as he Is an EN-
ploye Of the state, deVotes all Of his
time to matters germane to the
work of the municipal league, and is
in position to be of invaluable as
sistance to the organization in many
ways.
ut is the intention OF the state
university" said Prof. Alley Satur-
day night in discussing his plans
with a representative of The World,
ITO cooperate with the municipal
league I'm such a way that immediate
practical and lasting results can be
accomplished
we propose. he continued, "to
establish a bureau Of municipal re-
search at the university that will
measure up we'll with similar iusH-
tUtions i'm other states. In addition
10 teaching our students the funda-
mental principles of government we
viii thus be enabled to do practical
good TO the cities themselves okla
hOma is still in the experimental stage
in the matter of government on ac-
count Of 1t being comparatively new
state. But in remedying our laws
and systems. VIII yshOuldn't we prorl'
by the experience Of older anc
llrger states and cities2 This bureaL
Sill be in a position to assist the OF.
ficials OF the cities OF oklahoma ir
many ways As an illustrations. Sup
pose the city commission Of Tulsa
desires TO change its charter in some
material form. First, however, they
want to know how such change
has worked i'm other cities. They write
to the bureau. We Immediately &c
t. our fiic and secure copies OF SIM
liza. laws that have been adopted bJ
other cities, gather statistics concern
lng the cperation Of same. and pre-
pare q fill report on the subject fol
ths Tulsa commissioners This IS ar
eyumrlc OF one of hundreds Of "dsci
that vii constantly arise where tbt
bureau VIII be OF great assistance tC
tic nun Clpallties OF the state"
Tne league proposes to be an I'm
pOrtant factor in the upbuildin5 q
tho state at large. and Of incalculahl'
benefit to che cities especially.
among the prominent men Wh,
att nded the recent '.eeting wece
W. + Roberts. Ardmore; w. @. VII
liamg shawnee; r. M. Wooden, Tulsa
J J1hn \ ,ey. Norman: Fred +. Sims
Weathcrford; Fred Martin. Henry
eta: w. Scott. Pawhuskai w. r
Scott. Po'denville; X. W. Cune, Dun
can; +. s. Ratllff, Ada: J. z. Nissley
G.thrie John McMullen. Bartlesvllle
Ia Whito. El Reno; ]. b. Burton
Ch-,lt..lG. James L. Garrett Mus
kOgee. Guy e. Bleckwelder. Okla
h9ma CITY: V. V. Hardcastle. Okla'
homa city; Whit NJ Grant. 0klaht mr.