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comprehensive studies of twenty-five city governments, and, notwithstanding the fact that Rochester still retains the old type of organization, the results and conditions which were found there are superior to those which have been found in any other city.'

"As a result of the examination by the New York bureau, the Rochester bureau of municipal research, a permanent organization, was established. With the co-operation of this new bureau all the officials of the city government are constantly striving for the betterment of conditions in general." Mayor Walter R. Stone, of Syracuse, who has served three years, having been reelected last fall, sets forth the five important things in a concise manner. Syracuse has a population of 145,293 and is one of the big chain of cities in the State between New York and Buffalo, being located in about the center of the commonwealth. Mayor Stone answers the questions as follows:

"1. The elimination of steam railroad grade crossings, for which preliminary plans have been prepared.

"2. The construction of a modern sewage disposal plant for the sanitary treatment of all the city's sewage, which now is deposited in Onondaga lake.

"3. The erection of a refuse incinerating

plant, possibly in connection with a garbage reduction plant, the ten-year contract with a reduction company expiring next June and the company having recently gone into the hands of a receiver. The city is temporarily operating the reduction plant.

“4. A public market with adequate facilities for bringing the producer and the consumer together, to the mutual benefit of both and reduction in the cost of living.

"5.

5. The erection of enough schoolhouses to provide room for all pupils, seven being now in process of construction and plans being made to start several others in the near future."

Mayor James D. Smith, of Utica, with a population of 80,589, is opposed to any big improvements for the municipality during the war. He writes:

"I would very much like to comply with your request, but I have taken the position. that the matter of extraordinary public improvements should not be considered or agitated at this time on account of the war. By this I do not mean that the city refrain entirely from carrying on any work, but rather that our efforts be directed to maintenance of existing structures and equipment and the performance of such work as extreme necessity demands.”

No city in New York State has made. more big improvements than Albany, the capital and oldest of the municipalities. Albany has a history going back three hundred years, and for a time appeared to be at a standstill in its community spirit. During the last six years, however, wonderful advances have been made in the improvement of the Hudson river front and in the general appearance and extension of useful municipal functions. Within the last month it has added nearly 1,700 members to the chamber of commerce, each pledged to pay $25 a year membership and all imbued with the idea of making Albany one of the great centers of industrial activity. Albany now has a population of 107,979.

Last fall Albany elected a new mayor in the person of James R. Watt. Mayor Watt's

reply to the question of STATE SERVICE is:

"1. The completion of the improvement of the approaches to the city.

"2. The completion of the river front improvement.

"3. The completion of the program for repairing and resurfacing streets.

"The deepening of the Hudson river, with an unobstructed channel.

"5. The physical development and welfare of our youth."

One of the most effi

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New York cities is the conference of mayors and other city officials, with headquarters at Albany. At the head of this conference at present is Mayor Cornelius F. Burns, of Troy. Mayor Burns is known throughout the State as one of the "live wire" executives. In his opinion the five things needed for Troy are:

"1. Establishment of what is known as the city manager plan of municipal government. Under that plan cities could be more economically governed.

"2. State ownership and development of water power, SO that cities may receive the benefit of cheaper electric power and lighting.

"3. Amendment of second-class city charters permitting a larger measure of home rule.

"4. A more economical system of conducting elections.

"5. Amendments to the tax laws to provide for a division with the municipalities of revenues collected therein

but which are now

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wholly appropriated by the State. In this way the burden of real estate taxation may be relieved and the municipalities compensated for the losses they are now sustaining by reason of the falling off in revenues derived from sources other than municipal taxes."

Kingston, with a population of 26,354, is one of the oldest cities in the State. At one time it was the site of the State legislature, and it was here that Governor DeWitt Clinton, the first State executive under the stars and stripes, was inaugurated in 1777.

Mayor Palmer Canfield, Jr., has been diligent and progressive in his efforts to make the old city one of the up-to-date and beauty spots of the Hudson valley. He answers the question of the magazine in this fashion:

"1. A bigger, better and busier Kingston, with more citizens taking a greater interest in civic affairs.

"2. A real public market under efficient management, with storage and canning facilities, to purchase from farmers and producers at New York market price, according to grade, and to dispose of each day's supply to householders and dealers, and through the New York market, or by storage and canning.

"3. A barge canal terminal at Kingston, which is the principal market and trading center for the people of an area of twelve hundred square miles, and which has a volume of transportation by water of between one-half of a million and a million tons each year.

"4. The elimination of the grade crossing of the West Shore railroad at Broadway, over which about four million people collectively pass each year, with a waste in time to them of over fifty thousand hours unless conditions make it advisable to postpone action on same.

"5. Amendments to charter, including provision for creation of purchasing depart

ment and changes to make possible further equalization of assessments.

Going still farther down the Hudson valley, near the border of New York city, we come to the city of Yonkers, with a population of 90,948. Yonkers is one of the most rapidly growing cities in the State, owing to its nearness to the metropolis. Mayor William J. Wallin's reply is brief. He says:

"I believe that the big thing' to be done by the city of Yonkers is to have its city government so conducted and its affairs so administered that the city may be of the utmost possible help to our national government in the conduct of the present war."

Three cities in the northern section of the State are represented in this symposium Watertown, Oswego and Plattsburg. Mayor I. R. Breen, of Watertown, with a population of 26,895, names these five big things which, in his opinion, are needed for that prosperous and go-ahead city:

"1. Watertown has a waterpower which, when developed, will produce from 5,000 to 6,000 horsepower. This development should be completed, and the city intends, I think, to make this development in the very near future.

"2. The city should, and it intends to, construct a double-decked bridge crossing Black river at Court street. This bridge will cost about $250,000 and will eliminate a railroad grade crossing which in the past has been very dangerous to life and limb.

"3. The city has about two hundred acres of beautiful park lands partially developed. The development should be continued, and I believe the city intends to continue the same.

"4. The city should have a new and invigorated street car system, as the old system is very unsatisfactory and fails to expand and give the much needed service. Watertown is hampered by its inadequate street car service.

"5. Watertown is growing quite rapidly and is in much need of more houses to accom

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modate mechanics and laborers generally who are coming to Watertown in large numbers for the purpose of manufacturing munitions for war."

John

Fitzgibbons

was elected mayor of Oswego last fall after a lively three-cornered contest. He made his fight on the question of water power to be developed by the city and electricity sold to consumers at the lowest possible cost. He is in a militant state of mind on the subject, as the following will show:

"In the city of Oswego all big things, from a municipal standpoint are dwarfed and become insignificant when compared to the one big thing that affects our city and all the cities of our State, to

wit: the public ownership of electrical and other public utilities.

Cities of our State have gone far along this line, but not far enough, and as I write the city of Oswego is engaged in a legal struggle that prevents the utilization and development by the city of municipalowned water power of

14,000 horsepower that each day is flowing wasted into Lake Ontario, although the taxpayers long since voted $345,000 for its development.

"A taxpayer's action, it is called, but what interest is back of the taxpayer we can only guess.

“The government of the United States is urging economy and the coal shortage in the country is alarming, yet in this water power at our door, its development awaiting only the erection of a powerhouse, we have a cheap substitute for coal that would release thousands of tons of coal for less fortunate communities and furnish power that would turn the wheels of many a manufacturing plant that could be helping us win this great

war.

"I propose to get on the firing line in the matter of the attempts to prevent the municipal development of this great power, and whether the foe be State or corporation. I intend to obtain and preserve for the citizens of Oswego this great boon.

"The individual or corporation that would prevent this development on the theory that he or it should develop it or else it should be wasted, is committing a grievous economic crime and in these anxious days stands on the borderland of treason.

"With this power the city of Oswego could light its own streets, pump its own water for domestic, fire and other uses: could furnish 50 per cent cheaper light to our citizens, and then have thousands of horsepower left to offer to manufacturers at prices that would induce them to come to Oswego, thus contributing to the prosperity of our city and our State.

camps. Mayor Charles A. Barnard calls attention to the importance of the development of water power as a need of the city. He writes:

"Plattsburgh, like most cities, needs many municipal improvements, but to be able to say which are the most important at the present time is a task requiring some thought. To permit of steady progress, the city needs a number of industries employing both skilled and unskilled labor, and for these industries it is necessary that some form of development of the water power of the Saranac river be made in order that a more constant and steadier flow of water be furnished the industries located on it. This, of course, goes far beyond the resources and purposes of the city of Plattsburgh and becomes a State matter. Some plan must be formed to provide this.

"In regard to purely municipal improvements, the construction of the city hall takes first place. The building itself is now well along toward completion and will be an ornament to Plattsburgh. The Macdonough memorial park opposite the city hall, though a national and State undertaking, is also an improvement the city is anxiously waiting to see started, so that the surroundings of the city hall may be in keeping with its dignity and beauty.

"Plattsburgh is well known through the Plattsburgh Idea.' The military training camps which have been located here have brought thousands of visitors to this section. For them as well as for ourselves Plattsburgh has to be not only as good as most cities but better."

Taking another jump to the center of the "Do you wonder that I say the one big State, we find that the mayor of Oneonta, thing?

Plattsburg, on Lake Champlain, with a population of 10,134, is another of the historic cities of the United States. Recently it has been much in the public eye, owing to the location there of one of the military

on the Delaware and Hudson railroad, with a population of 10,474, about midway between Albany and Binghamton, has a definite idea of what ought to be done for the city. Mayor A. E. Ceperley thus sets forth the five big things needed for Oneonta :

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