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PRES. BONAPARTE: You have heard the report of the Treasurer. Its substance is sufficiently given in the figures. What action will you take on the report?

THE SECRETARY: Mr. Chairman, the practice was established this year of referring the Treasurer's report to an expert accountant. On March 31st last, the report for the fiscal year then expiring was submitted to expert accountants, and their report certifying to its accuracy was presented to the Executive Committee. I would therefore move that the report be referred to the Executive Committee for such further consideration as may be deemed necessary.

The motion was seconded and opportunity for discussion given. No discussion offering, the motion was put and carried, and the report was so referred.

PRES. BONAPARTE: The next business in order is the report of the Executive Committee, to be presented by Mr. Horace E. Deming, New York, its Chairman. I believe Mr. Deming has been called away temporarily. The Secretary will present it on his behalf.

THE SECRETARY: At this time the Executive Committee usually makes what is really a report of progress. As I said a moment ago in connection with the Treasurer's Report, the fiscal year of the League ends March 31st of each year. That date is a historical date, as we formerly had our meetings in the Spring. Since we have been meeting with the American Civic Association, the annual meetings have been held in November, thus throwing them into the middle of the fiscal year. It has been the custom of the League on April 1st of each year, or as soon thereafter as possible, to send a formal report of the League's activities so far as the Executive Committee is concerned, to the members. I have here the report that was presented shortly after April 1st of this year.

Increase in
Membership

The increase in membership since last October is as follows: There were 36 new members added in November, 10 in December, 1908, 31 in January of the present year, 15 in February, 66 in March, 52 in April, 35 in May, 16 in June, 9 in July and August, 11 in September, and 25 in October; the net increase for the year being 132, after eliminating resignations, and that rather small class, the delinquents.

The total membership as reported a year ago at the meeting held in

Pittsburgh was 1442, with 90 contributors, not members. This year the total membership is 1661, representing 1570 annual members and 91 contributors, not members.

The fact that we have been passing through a year of somewhat difficult circumstances financially so far as the general country is concerned has resulted in a number of resignations; but the gross addition to our membership was the largest of any single year in the history of the League.

There has been another increase which is encouraging and significant. There were a year ago affiliated with the National Municipal League 154 organizations. The organizations of course are of a shifting character. They come, and they go. Except so far as business bodies are concerned, local reform organizations have not yet achieved any very great permanency of organization. A year ago we had 154 such affiliated members, and their enrolled membership represented 146,000 people. This year our affiliated membership has increased to 181, and their enrolled membership is 181,096, which in a way may be considered as representing the constituency of the League throughout the country.

These are the two important items of membership. There are various phases of the activities supervised by the Executive Committee which are reported upon from time to time; for instance, the Executive Committee had supervision in a general way of the work of the committee reported upon yesterday by Prof. Sheppard in the matter of instruction in civics in the elementary and high schools, and of the work of instruction in municipal government in the colleges as reported by Prof. Munro. There is one other item of business that I desire to report from the Executive Committee. At the meeting held Monday afternoon in this city

it was decided to recommend that provision should be Vice-Presidents, made for two additional vice-presidents, in order to give additional representation to the increasing interest in the work of the League. So on behalf of the Executive Committee I desire to present for the consideration of this annual meeting of the Board of Delegates the following resolution:

Resolved, That the by-laws of the National Municipal League be amended, and the same are hereby amended, so as to provide for seven vice-presidents, in place of the present provision for first, second, third, fourth and fifth vice-presidents.

We now have five vice-presidents, designated as first, second, third, fourth and fifth. This resolution if adopted will eliminate the notation of first, second, third, fourth and fifth, and provide for seven vicepresidents in place of five.

On behalf of the Executive Committee, I move the adoption of this resolution.

The motion was seconded.

PRES. BONAPARTE: You have heard the report of the Executive Com

mittee. It does not seem to require any action of the League except with regard to the resolution presented by Mr. Woodruff, which provides for the amendment of our by-laws so that the invidious discriminations between the different vice-president shall be done away with, and they can all feel themselves enjoying an equality of eminence; and it also provides that two more vice-presidents shall be added, in order to assist us in the work of the League. Is any debate desired on the proposed amendment of the by-laws? If no such debate is desired, those in favor of adopting the proposed amendment will signify it in the usual manner; contrary, likewise.

So far as the Chair can see, the motion is carried unanimously and the amendment is adopted.

I have been informed that there was probably a desire on the part of some members of the League who heard my annual address on Monday evening, to discuss certain of the views expressed in it which they regarded as more or less heretical. It appeared to me that an eminently appropriate time for such discussion would be just before the receipt of the report of the Committee on Nominations, since the appointment and action of their committee was referred to as an illustration in the address of the necessity for making provision for a body of similar functions in municipal organizations. I learned from the Secretary, however, that it having been understood that I would expect to speak myself on the subject, it is now considered inopportune to have the discussion in question. [Laughter.] I do not of course mean that there is any connection of cause and effect between the ascertained circumstances I have mentioned and the desire, or the absence of desire to discuss the question. I shall be very happy to recognize any one who wishes to discuss the question mentioned, namely, the merits, demerits, and general significance or insignificance of the paper in question. [Pause.] If, however, there is no desire to discuss it we will pass that.

MR. ROBERT TREAT PAINE, JR., Boston, Mass.: I suppose there is no desire to discuss the question of the address of the President delivered last Monday night. It would seem to be rather an inappropriate time, in a certain sense, to do that. I doubt if any of us would like to pass judgment and say that in view of anything said in the address that our honored President is no longer worthy of being re-elected.

PRES. BONAPARTE: He will not refuse.

MR. PAINE: It seems to me that for the good of the League the question should be entirely changed from such a statement. Some of those who have known about the history of the League I think would approve of the proposition which I am going to suggest in the shape of a resolution that I am about to offer. If in place of the discussion of the address

of the President this resolution be held in order by the President, (unless he prefers that it be deferred until a later time), I will offer this resolution: Resolved, That it is the sense of this meeting that the Executive Com

Resolution

mittee should, before the next annual meeting, consider whether a longer term of office, than one year, for the president; and some provision for a due change in the occupancy of said office, would not prove beneficial to the best welfare of the League.

PRES. BONAPARTE: You have heard the resolution of Mr. Paine. This resolution proposes to refer this question to the Executive Committee for consideration, and I suppose for report at the next annual meeting. Is any debate desired on the resolution? If no debate is desired, those in favor of this resolution-which I hope everybody understands refers, merely directs the Executive Committee to consider the question to which it refers and to make a report on it-all of those in favor of adopting the resolution will signify in the usual manner; contrary likewise. It is adopted, and will be referred to the Executive Committee for the action stated. The next business in order is the report of the Committee on Nominations.

Mr. William B. Howland, of New York, Chairman of the Committee on Nominations presented the report of the Committee, as follows:

OFFICERS.

President-CHARLES J. BONAPARTE, Baltimore, Md.
Vice-Presidents-* A. Lawrence LOWELL, Harvard University.
* GEORGE MCANENY, New York.

CHARLES RICHARDSON, Philadelphia.
GEORGE W. GUTHRIE, Pittsburgh.

WALTER L. FISHER, Chicago.

HENRY L. McCUNE, Kansas City, Mo:

THOMAS N. STRONG, Portland, Oregon.

Treasurer-GEORge Burnham, Jr., Bailey Bldg., Philadelphia. Secretary-CLINTON ROGERS WOODRUFF, North American Bldg., Phila. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE.

HORACE E. DEMING, Chairman, 11 Williams St., New York City.

PROF. ALBERT B. HART, 19 Craigie St., Cambridge, Mass.

ROBERT TREAT Paine, Jr., 16 State St., Boston, Mass.

HARVEY STUArt Chase, 27 State St., Boston.
DUDLEY TIBBETS, 33 First St., Troy, N. Y.

WILLIAM G. Low, 44 Cedar St., N. Y.

NORMAN HAPGOOD, Collier's Weekly, New York City. * RICHARD S. CHILDS, 127 Duane St., New York City. * EUGENE H. OUTERBRIDGE, II Broadway, New York.

*New members.

* ROBERT S. BINKERD, 55 West 44th St., New York.

* RAYMOND V. INGERSOLL, Brooklyn.

FREDERICK ALMY, 19 Tupper St., Buffalo, N. Y.

MERWIN K. HART, Utica, N. Y.

CLARENCE L. HARPER, 715 Chestnut St., Philadelphia.

THOMAS RAEBURN WHITE, West End Trust Bldg., Philadelphia.

J. HORACE McFarland, Harrisburg, Pa.

OLIVER MCCLINTOCK, 545 Liberty St., Pittsburgh, Pa.

H. D. W. ENGLISH, 341 Fourth Ave., Pittsburgh, Pa.
CHARLES H. INGERSOLL, South Orange, N. J.

M. N. BAKER, Montclair, N. J.

WILLIAM P. BANCROFT, Rockford, Wilmington, Del.
ELLIOTT HUNT Pendleton, 519 Main St., Cincinnati, O.
* CHARLES E. MERRIAM, University of Chicago.
J. L. HUDSON, J. L. HUDSON & Co., Detroit, Mich.
JOHN A. BUTLER, 230 Grand Ave., Milwaukee, Wis.
HON. DAVID P. JONES, 113 S. 4th St., Minneapolis, Minn.
DWIGHT F. DAVIS, 220 Security Bldg., St. Louis, Mo.
FRANK N. HARTWELL, 12th & Maple St., Louisville, Ky.
ERNEST C. KONTZ, Century Bldg., Atlanta, Ga.

*G. A. GORDON, Savannah, Ga.

*R. W. CHISHOLM, Colorado Springs, Colo. FRANK J. SYMMES, Redlands, Cal.

* MEYER LISSNER, Los Angeles, Cal.

(Signed)

WILLIAM B. HOWLAND, New York, Chairman.

CLARENCE L. HARPER, Philadelphia, Pa.

ROBERT S. BINKERD, New York, N. Y.

CHARLES H. INGERSOLL, South Orange, N. J.
CAMILLUS G. KIDDER, Orange, N. J.

PRES. BONAPARTE: You have heard the report of the Committee on Nominations. Other nominations are now in order. If no further nominations are received, the matter now before the League is the election of officers for the next ensuing year. Regularly the election should be by ballot. It has been not infrequently the course of the League to adopt a motion directing some designated person to cast one ballot for the League.

MR. BURNHAM: I move that the report of the Nominating Committee be received and that the Secretary be instructed to cast a unanimous ballot for the election of the various nominees therein named.

The motion was seconded, stated by the Chair, and remarks invited.
No discussion offering, the question was taken, and the motion carried.

PRES. BONAPARTE: The Chair hears no negative vote. The motion is unanimously adopted.

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