V
MAY, 1917
The Commoner
33
bo employed, w insist that equal pay for equal
work shall prevail without regard to sex.
Finally, in ordero safeguard all the inter
ests of the wage-earners organized lahor should
have representation on all agencies determining
and administering policies for national defense.
It is particularly important that organized lahor
should have representatives on all hoards au
thorized to control publicity during war times.
The workers have suffered much injustice in
war times by limitations upon their right to
speak freely and to secure publicity for their
just grievances.
Organized labor has earned the Tight to make
these demands. It Is the agency that, in all
countries, stands for human rights and is the
defender of the welfare and interests of the
masses of the people. It is an .agency that has
international recognition which is not seeking
to rob, exploit or corrupt foreign governments
but instead seeks to maintain human rights and
interests the world over, nor does it have to
dispel suspicion nor prove its motives either at
home or abroad.
The present war discloses the struggle be
tween the Institutions of democracy and those
of autocracy. As a nation we should t profit
from the experiences of other nations. ' Denu
ocracy can not be established hy patches upon
an autocratic system. The foundations of civ
ilized intercourse between individuals must be
organized m upon principles of democracy and
scientific principles of human welfare. Then a
national structure can be perfected in harmony
with humanitarian idealism a structure that
will stand the tests of the necessities of peace
or war.
We, the officers of the National and Inter
national Trade Unions of America in national
conference assembled in the capital of our na
tion, hereby pledge ourselves in peace or In war,
in stress or In storm, to stand unreservedly by
the standards of liberty and the safety and
presem.tion of the institutions and Ideals of
our republic.
In this solemn hour of our nation's life, it is
our earnest hope that our republic may be safe
guarded in its unswerving desire for peace;
that our people may be spared the horrors and
the burdens of war; that they may have the
opportunity to cultivate and develop the arts of
peace, human brotherhood and a higher civil
ization. But, despite all our endeavors and hopes,
should our country be drawn into the maelstrom
of the European conflict, we, with these ideals
of liberty and justice herein declared, as the
indispensable basis for national policies, offer
our services to our country in every field of
activity to defend, safeguard and preserve the
republic of the United States of America against
its enemies whomsoever they may be, and we
call upon our fellow workers and fellow citizens
in the holy name of Labor, Justice, Freedom
and Humanity to devotedly and patriotically
give like service.
SPEECH OF WELCOME
r
Speech of welcome, by Mayor A. C. Oulla
han, of Stockton, California, upon the occasion
of the luncheon In honor of William Jennings
Bryan, given by the Rotary club of that city,
on May 9th, 1917.
It is one of the functions of my office to wel
come strangers to our gates, but I am out of a
job on that score today, for I see no stranger
here. We all know Bryan. We speak of him
in familiar terms, as wa speak of the man next
door. He belongs to Stockton, because he be
longs t6 every community in the nation. He is
one of the greatest figures in our contemporary
history. And the history .that will be written in
another day will tell how some men differed
from him, and how some men agreed with him,
hut how all men honored and respected him, be
cause he , battled always for some noble ideal
and some lofty principle. He pretends to be a
man of peace,, but we know he Is the greatest
single-handed fighter of his day and generation.
We are proud to have in our midst that states
man and patriot who is rich In all those graces
and attainments which make a man a man.
In the name of the city of Stockton, Mr.
Bryan, in the name of her people who hold you
in affectionate esteem, I bid you a sincere and
hearty welcome.
Charles W. Bryan as Mayor of Lincoln
filed Sn ltUnd tW, TCjPOrtS PrParCd and
SJ,Hn J YL ? Clty councI1 of Lincoln, Nebraska,
during the two years that Mr. Charles W. Bryan
was mayor. Lincoln Is under the commSS
I nffrtVnnmSnt- Mr' Bryan s clccted on
a platform that demanded tho reduction in the
rates for public utilities' service, in favor of
adopting legislation to enablo tho city of Lin
coln to compote with other cities in growth and
development and to enforce tho law against tho
evildoers of the city.
Although a majority of tho commissioners
elected were supported by eloments thnt wero
unfriendly to Mr. Bryan's candidacy, and al
though for awhile after he took up his duties
as mayor tho majority of tho commission en
deavored to prevent him from carrying out his
progressive program, yet ho gradually over
came tho opposition, and during tho last year
of his term, tho majority of tho council sup
ported practically all tho measures which ho
initiated.
Mr. Bryan's term as mayor ended May 7,
1917. Practically the entire platform program
outlined by him when ho announcod his candi
dacy for mayor was carried out during his term,
together with a large number of other measures
and reorganizations that could not bo foreseen
before entering upon his official duties. Mr.
Bryan's progressive, business administration
met with such general approval of the public
that, no representative citizen was found to
stand as a candidate for mayor at this spring's
election until Mr. Bryan announced, a short
time before time for the primary, that he would
not stand as a candidate for re-election because
he could not make a further sacrifico of time
and nerve force to continue in tho position.
After Mr. Bryan's announcement that ho
could not serve again as mayor, Mr. J. E. Miller,
one of Lincoln's most prominent business men,
was drafted to stand as a candidate for mayor
and was elected, and has npw , entered .upon, .his
duties.
The reports below contain a brief summary
of some of the things that were nccompllshed
under Mayor Bryan's initiative. These reports
are official reports made by Mayor Bryan to the
city council and approved unanimously by that
body and spread upon tho records of the city.
Immediately following tho reports are short ed
itorials from the two most representative news
papers of Lincoln (both republican) comment
ing on Mr. Bryan's work as mayor.
FIRST YEAR'S ADMINISTRATION
The mayor's report to the council covering the
first year of his administration was as follows:
Reduction of the price of gas from $1.20 to
$1 per thousand, saving to tho people of Lin
coln $56,000 per year.
Suit won in federal district court to compel
gas company to return to gas consumers about
$450,000 illegally collected by gas company in
overcharges. Case now appealed by gas com
pany to United States supreme court with every
prospect of final decision fn favor of the city.
People voted $50,000 of park bonds and ex
tension of Antelope park from J street to O
street. Purchase of needed property partly
completed.
People voted garbage disposal bonds to tho
amount of $50,000 and now plans under way for
establishing a garbage .plant to improve sani- .
tary conditions in the city.
Established free legal aid department in In
terest of those unable to employ attorneys. One -hundred
and thirty-nine cases settled from Sep
tember 1, 1915, to March 1, 1916.
y Established free municipal employment bureau
to assist the unemployed In finding work.
Arrangement of city work so as to give em
ployment to labor at a time of year when there
was the least demand for labor by private em
ployers. -,y
Enforcement of weights and measures ordin
ances as a protection to the public against short
weiehts in coal and all other commodities.
Giving Lincoln people an opportunity to pur
chase as an investment over the city treasurer s
colter, paving bonds issued by this municipal-
yConsolidatIon of the offices of health officer
and city physician undor ono head, so as to In
suro prompt medical attention to peoplo finan
cially unablo to employ a physician.
Extonslon by express coinpanloa of trao dtf
llvory zono to includo practically tho ontlro city.
S Successfully rcslstod a ralso In strcot car fare
to school chlldron, thoroby saving about thre
thousand dollars annually to stroot car patrons.
Vestod pardon power In hands of tho mayor
to prevent abuso of pardon power.
SIdowalk inspector placed undor suporvlslo
of city enginoer to promoto efficiency.
Payment by city of premium on city treas
urer a bond duriug tlrno city treasurer drawn no
salary.
Employment of visiting, nurso by cltr for '
honefit of needy.
Purchase of additional automobile for poller
department to enablo it to answer two omor
goncy callB at ono tlmo.
Reorganisation of police department and
bringing pollco of city and county Into harmony
so as to give hotter protection to tho public.
r City budgot made up after an exchange of es
timates between commissioners and after dis
cussion and consideration of tho rolatlvo merits
of the Items In each commissioner's estimate.
Enforcement of the milk ordlnanco to protect
public health.
Put into effoct doubloHflre shift and addod
thirteen now men to tho ffo department.
Require appointments of flromon to bo con
firmed by council, and also roquiro a physical
examination of new flromon when employed, f
protoct city's Intcrost in firemen's pension fund.
Took fire department out of politics.
Built offices In old council cbambor at Tenth
and Q streets for health department to glvo de
partment more room, to sogregato the thre
public safety departments, to protect the pbll
health and to promote olllcloncy of department.
lrbmU new woman's ward in city Jail as a hu
manitarian necessity.
CHARLES W. BRYAN, Mayor.
Tho above report was submitted by tho mayor
and officially approved by the Lincoln council
juuruii xo, iyiu.
N
REPORT FOR PAST YEAR
Mayor Bryan's report, covering the second
year of his administration and submitted to the
council April 30, 1917, is as follows:
To tho members of tho City Council:
On March 13, 1916, I submitted to the coun
cil a report of tho progress made la tho way of
legislation and departmental work of the city
covering tho period from May 1, 1915, to March
1, 1916. Believing that a full report of the ac
tivities of the cjty administration should be
regularly made to tho city council and should
become a matter of record, I submit herewith a
report of progress made .from March 1, 1918,
to May 1, 1917. As repojrts by tho appointive
officers covering their respective activities wore
filed at the first of the year, covering the pre
ceding twelve months, this report covers the
measures, administration work, resolutions, etc.,
that were carried out either by the mayor, thru
his initiative or in response to his recommenda
tions. ANTELOPE PARK EXTENSION
" During the past year, about thirty-five lots,
tracts, or parcels of park land lying between J
street and O street have been purchased for the
purpose of extending Antelope park from J
street to O street. A new channel for Antelope
creek has been cut from M street to J street.
Tho five loops of the old channel through the
city park tract have been filled. Fifteen houses
have been sold, moved off the tract, where 10,
000 yards of dirt have been secured and used fn
filling cellar holes, and raising the park tract to
prevent overflow of water. Boulevards on either
side of the new Antelope channel havo been
graded, crowned, and cindered from J street to
O street, the rubbish and trash cleaned out,
trees trimmed and ground put In condition for
seeding and planting. Shrubbery and trees to
the amount of several hundred dollars have been
purchased for the park extension tract and are
now being set out. Grass seed has been pur-
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