A regular meeting of the executive committee of the United Societies was held last night at the Bismarck Hotel. Its main business was the appointment of sub-committee and the passing of two resolutions concerning Chicago's autonomy.

The meeting was opened by chairman George Landau.....

Among the appointed sub-committee chairmen are the following four Bohemians. Messrs. John A. Cervenka, Thomas Lackovic, Josef Elias, and Emil Tehlar. In the political committee there are the following of our countrymen: Messrs. Anton J. Cermak, Jos. Z. Uhlir, A. J. Cervenka, Jos. Smejkal, and C. R. Jandus. Among the seven members of the organization committee are Messrs. Wm. Blaha and Lev. Novak. Mr. Jos. Z. Uhlir is the chairman of the committee on legal matters, among whose nine members are Mr. Wm. Krouzilka and Mr. J. Smolka. On the publications committee (nine members) are Messrs. James Sedlak, Jos. Stastny, 2and Tomas Lackovic. The press committee has ten members, among whom are Messrs. A. J. Cermak, A. J. Zahrobsky, and Jan S. Derpa. On the committee on taxation (eleven members) are Messrs. C. R. Jandus as chairman, James I. Bambas, Ferd. Svoboda, and Jos. Elias.

The meeting passed the following resolution unanimously: "The United Societies for the Autonomy of the City of Chicago express the conviction that initiative and referendum are legislative proposals which should be passed in the State of Illinois in the near future as the only means of offering the voters an opportunity to express in a direct way their wishes, their approval or disapproval of bills submitted to the Legislature.

"The United Societies, however, voice their direct and definite protest against putting the County of Cook to a disadvantage by this bill. The provision requiring fifty percent of the signatures of voters from all counties in the State of Illinois, with the exception of the County of Cook, and not more than fifty percent from the County of Cook would mean, 3in fact, the elimination of voters from that county and a refusal to recognize their signatures on petitions (sic). This provision is evidently aimed against any liberal legislation for the County of Cook and would permit the enactment of laws limiting personal liberty, even against the definitely expressed wishes of a majority of voters of that county. Such an infringement of the rights of Cook County voters was not contained in the proposals submitted to the voters in 1902 or 1910, because those individuals submitting such a proposal knew quite well that they would be defeated by a large majority if such an infringement were committed.

"Therefore we urge the members of the Chicago City Council to recommend to the Governor, the Lieutenant Governor, and the members of both houses of the Legislature of the State of Illinois that they pass only such initiative and referendum bills as would not put the County of Cook at a disadvantage. While we greatly favor the enactment of legislation on initiative and referendum as one of the most urgently needed laws, we are not willing to sacrifice the principle of autonomy and personal liberty."

After the passage of this resolution, the following amendment was added to it by a unanimous vote of the committee:

"Resolved, That the Chicago City Council pass a resolution and by this resolution petition Governor Dunn to call a special session of the Illinois Legislature with the purpose of enacting an amendment of Article IV of the Constitution of the State of Illinois, which amendment would so modify the initiative and referendum bills as not to put the County of Cook at a disadvantage with respect to the required number of signatures on petitions, or the number of votes cast by the voters of the said county on recalls and on proposals submitted for their vote."