Читать книгу Memoirs of Milwaukee County, Volume 2 - Josiah Seymour Currey - Страница 13

Hon. Daniel Webster Hoan, attorney at law, who for many years has devoted his life largely to public service, filling the position of mayor for five consecutive terms, was born in Waukesha, Wisconsin, March 12, 1881. His father, Daniel Webster Hoan, was born in Canada of Irish parentage and when sixteen years of age emigrated to the United States. He volunteered for service in the Union army and was promoted to color sergeant of the One Hundred Ninety-third New York Volunteers. After the war he settled in Waukesha, Wisconsin, where he resided until his death in 1895. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Margaret A. Hood, was of American ancestry dating back to Revolutionary war days. She was born in Waukesha, where she still resides.

Mayor Daniel W. Hoan obtained a public school education and won the Bachelor of Arts degree upon the completion of a course in the University of Wisconsin in 1905. His professional course was pursued in the Chicago Kent College of Law. His start in life was a humble one. His early youth was spent as a cook and the money thus earned was saved to pay the expenses of his college education. The elemental strength of his character and the laudable ambition which he thus early displayed have carried him forward to a prominent position in professional and political circles. His first big work as a lawyer was the drafting of a workmen's compensation act and the preparation of a brief on its constitutionality for the State Federation of Labor. Both attracted the interest of thoughtful people and led to Governor Davidson's advocating the measure and the creation of a legislative committee which rounded the measure in workable shape, with the result that Wisconsin was the first state in the Union to put such a measure in operation.

In his political views Mr. Hoan is a socialist and his efforts have all been directed toward making Milwaukee in particular and the world at large a better place in which to live. He filled the office of city attorney from 1910 until 1916, resigning the position in the latter year to assume the duties of mayor. One who has been an interested witness of his public activity writes of his services as city attorney and as mayor as follows: "While serving as city attorney he fought the railroads public utilities and secured a legal enforcement of their duties according to their franchises and the statutes under which they were operating. In this way local improvements approximating fifteen million dollars in value were wrested from the companies, such as elevating and depressing railroad tracks, paving, sprinkling and removing snow between the street railway tracks and reduction of rates. Another accomplishment of his was that the amounts paid out annually in settlement of miscellaneous damage claims against the city was reduced over three hundred per cent. This saving alone equaled the salary of himself and his staff during the six-year period. During this time he and his staff compiled the city charter laws and the city ordinances in separate volumes.

"City Attorney Hoan also managed to defeat in the common council by a narrow margin of one vote, an attempt to railroad through a proposed ten-year contract between the city and the electric company for furnishing city illumination. This contract would have burdened the city with a costly and inefficient privately owned lighting system. Its defeat brought about the adoption of the present scientific and economical street illumination with its municipally owned distribution system designed for beauty as well as utility. Its construction was instituted during Mr. Hoan's first term as mayor and is rapidly nearing completion.

"His term as mayor from 1916 to 1921, though marked by a common council set on obstruction has shown our greatest advance in civic progress. Tremendous strides have been made in city planning, including the civic center, the passage of the zoning ordinance, the development of arterial highways, the securing of a municipal airport, the expansion of the greater municipal harbor plan, the filtration of our drinking water supply and the restoration of the central purchasing bureau unfortunately abolished after Mayor Seidel's defeat.

"He succeeded with the aid of his able housing commissioners in securing state legislation authorizing a modem and progressive housing program under a plan which secures the benefits not only from the economy of wholesale home building and the desirability of private ownership of homes, but also secures the cooperative benefits of community playgrounds and other Joint opportunities for the development of good citizens as a group.

"The labor policy of his administration beginning with the drafting of the eight-hour law and the minimum wage ordinance during his term as city attorney continues to stand out as a real accomplishment.

"Organized labor is consulted on all questions in which it is interested and is fairly represented in the various commissions and departments of the city government. Mayor Hoan has not hesitated to state his stand without compromise. His reply to the local Association of Commerce when they requested him to invite the King of Belgium to this city was: 'I stand for the man who works, to hell with kings.'

"The police department has carried out, at the mayor's request, the labor policy which meets with the approval not only of union labor but good citizens generally, namely, that no violence or destruction of property in times of strikes is to be permitted but every constitutional right of the worker on strike is to be strictly enforced. This policy has kept Milwaukee free from the disorders which have taken place in most American cities during labor disputes.

"In addition, Mayor Hoan undertook a thorough investigation and clean-up of the police department in which several prominent members resigned rather than face the mayor's charges. This clean-up has been followed by courtesy and efficiency on the part of the police force and has earned the commendation of every citizen.

"During the years 1918 to 1920 the high-cost-of -living problem was met by Mayor Hoan personally because the city government had no legal authority to take action. On his personal credit he bought and sold over two hundred carloads of food products direct to the people at a saving of over one hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars. These sales, together with the operations of the public markets which were carried on despite much bitter opposition, forced down prices not only of the products sold but of other related articles.

"As a socialist party leader and as mayor of the city, he has led the fight in the legislature which secured the passage of the home rule amendment and of measures granting authority for municipal ownership, city planning, city forestry and housing.

"One feature of the mayor's work has been the constant effort to arouse public sentiment against militarism as well as promoting sentiments for peace.

"In conclusion. Mayor Daniel W. Hoan and his socialist associates have been a powerful factor in achieving clean and progressive city government.

"From 1910 to 1921 he has been successful at the polls five times, four times by a majority vote of the electors. The mandate of these elections to carry out the policies here reviewed has been very clear and the construction of his majority at every election has been unique. In the five elections he has never yet carried a single ward in the down-town rooming-house, so-called slum districts, nor has he ever carried a single ward occupied by the very wealthy. Mayor Hoan's support has been from the solid, substantial hard working productive element in the community which has encouraged him to pursue this progressive policy and which has strengthened his hand at every turn."

At Morris, Illinois, October 9, 1909, Mr. Hoan was married to Miss Agnes Bernice Magner, whose grandfather was one of the early well known settlers of Chicago, Michael Walsh. He sold his holdings at the time of the epidemic and removed with his family, including Mrs. Hoan's mother, to Morris, Illinois. To Mr. and Mrs. Hoan have been born two children: Daniel Webster and Agnes Bernice, aged eleven and five years. Mr. Hoan's activity during the World war lay along the lines of work taken up by the Milwaukee county council of defense, of which he was chairman. Fraternally he is connected with the Knights of Pythias, with the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, the Fraternal Order of Eagles, and Traveling Men's Protective Association, and he is a member of the Community Club. His interest centers in those channels through which flow the greatest good of the greatest number and his activities have at all times been forceful factors in bringing about reform, progress and improvement in public affairs.