Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1916-09-01

:
CONVENTION OF THE LEAGUE
or WISCONSIN MUNICIPALITIES
AT OSHKOSH, AUGUST 1918, 1915.
In conformity with the appointments
that were made by the mayor on July
5th. Alderman Hanson and the Mayor
attended the convention in Oshkosh,
and were both very agreeably sur
prised both at the attendance and at
the interesting discussions which
took place. There were in attendance
about 225 delegates, representing some
forty odd cities of the state.
It was source of qualification to
both of Your delegates to learn that on
several matters which have been def
nitely settled in this city, similar ac-
ton was taken in other cities. CHIEF
among these, is the attitude of our city
in refusing to consider any more ma
cadam pavements. Mayors Konkel OF
Superior, Sayle of Madison, Adams OF
BeIoit, Mulva of Oshkosh, Dee of Chip
pewa Falls, and Smith of Merrill, IN
discussions both before the convention
and with your mayor, stated that they
had positively refused to consider any
further macadam pavements in their
cities.
A very interesting discussion took
Mace on a report that was submitted
by the committee on municipal indebt-
edness. 1t was proposed by this COM
mittee to favor legislation which
would insure the establishment of a
state national bank, of which five OF
the chief state officers were to be di-
rectors. The object of this bank was
to receive bonds issued by municipali-
ties and to deposit these bonds with
the United States Government as col
lateral for the issuance of currency in
a similar amount. The bonds were to
bear interest at from four to six per
cent, and this interest was to be paid
by the municipalities to the state ma
tional bank, which institution was to
deduct from one-half to one per cent,
which would be necessary to cover the
costs of operating such bank, and
credit the balance to the account OF
the respective city as a sinking fund
In this way a city would pay only one
half to one per cent on bonds, which
would in the course Of time decrease
the bonded indebtedness. While most
of the members of this committee
themselves regarded this as radical
measure, they were, nevertheless, very
much imbued with its feasibility.
A very interesting discussion took
place on relative merits of different
standard asphalts, the gist of which
seemed to be that the so-called man
ufactured asphalts were superior to
the natural lake asphalts.
Honorable Thomas E. Lyons. of the
Wisconsin Tax Commission, spoke on
the probability of paying taxes twice
a year, but it seemed as though he
hnnself was of the opinion that a
change from the present method could
only be brought about by radical
change in the entire tax system.
Mr. Arthur j. Sweet, consulting en-
gineer, delivered a lengthy discussion
on the new street lighting. in which he
favored a semi-municipal ownership,
somewhat along the lines that were
suggested by him when he appeared
before our Common Council sometime
in May of this year.
To our general regret, the discus
sion on street oiling, tarvia, road oils,
oil distributors, and scarifying, did not
take place.
Alderman Frank Lucas spoke on the
highway law and it's injustice to cities,
and pointed out the manner in which
the legislative act of 1915 reacted to
the detriment of cities in favor of the
towns and villages Your honorable
body will perhaps recollect that in
1915 the legislature repealed the law
which was responsible for the build
ing, by the county, of our present
pavements on State street, insofar as
the state or county could not financial
ly assist in the building or improving
streets through cities. There seems to
be considerable hope among the dele
gates who were in attendance, that
this law would be changed in the next
session of the legislature to apply also
to cities.
A special session held by the mayors
of those cities under the commission
form of government was attended by
your two delegates and was of a very
interesting nature. The immediate
discussion was upon the desirability OF
giving the mayor in cities governed by
three commissioners, the power of q
veto. While all the delegates that
present at this session represented cit
les of this nature, they all seemed tC
be of the opinion that the veto power
was not practical except in cases
where the commissions consisted Of
five or seven officers, and that for the
government of any cities in the state
CT Wisconsin, excepting Milwaukee
three commissioners We're ample. You
mayor, who has always ben an admirel