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OF THE

MILWAUKEE CONFERENCE

FOR

Good City Government

AND

SIXTH ANNUAL MEETING

OF THE

NATIONAL MUNICIPAL LEAGUE

HELD SEPTEMBER 19, 20, 21, 1900

At Milwaukee, Wis.

CLINTON ROGERS WOODRUFF, EDITOR

PHILADELPHIA

NATIONAL MUNICIPAL LEAGUE

638333
(0.7.154)

US 1561,19

12231 Geo. 9. Wright, Cambridge

NATIONAL MUNICIPAL LEAGUE

OFFICERS

President, JAMES C. Carter, New York.

First Vice-President, CHARLES RICHARDSON, Philadelphia.
Second Vice-President, SAMUEL B. CAPEN, Boston.
Third Vice-President, THOMAS N. STRONG, Portland, Ore.
Fourth Vice-President, H. DICKSON BRUNS, New Orleans.
Fifth Vice-President, EDMUND J. JAMES, Chicago.
Secretary, CLINTON ROGERS WOODRUFF, Philadelphia.
Treasurer, GEORGE BURNHAM, JR., Philadelphia.

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INTRODUCTION.

In presenting this, the sixth volume of Proceedings, it may not be inappropriate to point out briefly what the National Municipal League has thus far sought to accomplish. In the first place, the Conferences for Good City Government held under its auspices have served as annual reunions of those devoting their time and attention to the solution of municipal problems. Officials, students and public-spirited citizens have met upon common ground to exchange views and experiences. In fact, the National Municipal League grew out of the great need for such interchanges. Previous to the Philadelphia Conference in 1894, each community was working out its local problems as best it might without much, if any, thought as to what was going on elsewhere.

The Municipal League of Philadelphia and the City Club of New York conceived the idea of a conference of municipal reformers about the same time. The result of their joint deliberations was the Philadelphia Conference for Good City Government, the published volume of the Proceedings of which has long been out of print. This meeting was so fruitful of suggestions that the organization of the National Municipal League followed shortly, as a matter of course. Since then its annual meetings have perpetuated the good work auspiciously begun in 1894.

There is now a strong and growing group of men in the United States whose conceptions and ideals of municipal government have been developed and harmonized by the League, and whose activities have been guided to effective ends. Where once there was spasmodic and isolated effort, there is now intelligent co-operation. The figures referred to by the Secretary in his annual address tell the story of the growth of interest and activity in the study of municipal problems.

The several volumes of Proceedings have served as a fruitful means of disseminating and bringing the results of the meet

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