sion that to most people the municipality
is an industrial accident, its government rather a matter of police,
fire and health administration, some public schools and a police court,
a street and water department; that they wanted just enough of these
things, and at the lowest possible cost, to enable men to go about their
daily business.

"That," she said to herself, "is the average man's conception of the
uses of a municipality. Some day we shall look back upon such an idea of
a city as we now look back upon the straggling tepees of an Indian
village. The city of tomorrow will be a people's city, doing countless
things, all for the welfare of the people."

"And you expect to put that idea into practice here?" asked Mary Snow
somewhat incredulously, as they sat at lunch together after a morning of
hard work. "You expect Roma to stand for all that!"

"Her Honor" smiled back across the table. "Yes," she said, "I expect to
start things in that direction, and to create such a public interest
that my successor will be chosen especially to carry on the work that I
mean to begin. I know of one city which already views these things as a
necessary part of a good city's administration. It is not content with
doing as few things as possible; it does as many things as possible for
its people. Its public bath-houses give hundreds of thousands of baths
every year. They are equipped with gymnasiums, where public instructors
teach the children. Thousands of families are entertained free of cost
by the baseball games played upon the public diamonds scattered all over
the city. A number of city leagues have been organized, composed of
clerks and workingmen. In the winter, skating carnivals are held and two
score artificial skating ponds are maintained. The children are invited
to the parks for May-day and romping-day festivals. All of these things
not only enlarge the life of the people, but also identify them with the
city in a way that was not dreamed of a few years ago. By following
these lines, Roma may be a people's city, a city that serves, that
brings happiness to thousands whose life is otherwise encompassed with
the dreary drudgery of toil."

"If you could bring such an ideal state of things to pass," said Mary
Snow, "Roma would call you blessed among women. And you would never be
allowed to stop being mayor."

"Well," returned Gertrude, "the best way to fight the saloon is to offer
a substitute greater in interest. In my