Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 15.djvu/526

 512 THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY

the league took an aggressive attitude toward a most delicate and involved situation. With the improvement of the council the open, clear-cut issues, on which it was formerly quite easy to line up candidates in two distinct classes, have disappeared. The tests of aldermanic fidelity to the city's interests and capacity to serve them, are not so obvious and decisive as formerly. An alderman's committee work is a better test of his capacity; but the league courageously faced the situation, and election day saw the return of twenty-three candidates that it had indorsed, only nine of those to whom it was distinctly opposed being elected. The Survey pointed out that the total vote of fewer wards re- turning better aldermen were greater than the total vote of many more wards returning disreputable men. So disproportionate has the size of the wards become that the smaller wards with a decreasing population have come to have an undue representa- tion in the city council.

The most notable outcome of the whole election was the choice of Professor Charles E. Merriam, of the University of Chicago, to the council. He was elected by the largest majority polled by any candidate.

Detroit is to reap the benefit of the state-wide liquor law passed by this year's legislature and known as the "Warner-Crampton Act." It provides that no licenses for opening additional saloons shall be granted where the ratio of saloons to population is as i to 500, Where, however, this ratio is exceeded, as it is in Detroit (the ratio is about i saloon to every 250 people), further relief is found in the provision which states that any person engaged in the liquor business who shall a second time be convicted of violating any of the provisions of the act, shall thereupon for- feit his license. Detroit's Municipal League continues an active factor in the intelligent consideration and presentation of munici- pal affairs. Grand Rapids is entering upon a new and helpful period of municipal development, in which the Municipal Affairs Committee of the Board of Trade is playing a conspicuous part. Another series of meetings designed to arouse interest has just been concluded, as well as a civic exhibit.

A federation of civic societies has been formed in Milwau-