The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1891-07-18
THE CONTROLLER AND THE CITY CHARTER.

The city charter says "the Common
Council shall have power to supervise
and investigate all departments, officers
and employees of the government of.such
city," Other clauses of the charter give it
very large powers in this direction. The
obvious intent was to give the Council
general supervisory control of the city
government, at least to the extent of
seeing that its affairs are properly adj
ministered according to the charter.
There cannot be any question as to the
right or duty of the Council in this re-
gard.
The fact that the charter is new and
that its machinery has just been put in
operation makes it incumbent on all the
city officials and the Council TO see that
its provisions are strictly complied with.
1t was framed with great care by per-
sons who know the force of language
and understand the exact use of words.
Every provision in it was inserted for
purpose, and intended to have full force
and effect 1t is not to be presumed
that one part of the charter Is i'm
portant and another unimportant.
one clause essential and another
uDessential, one provision to be OBJ
served and another to be disregarded.
The whole charter, and every part of it,
must be obeyed. 1t is important that
it should be construed right at the be.
ginning, and that every part of it should
be given full force and effect. That
which appears to be small abuse or
trivial violation of the charter now may
grow to be a very important one. Such
things should be nipped in the bud. The
only way to obey law is TO obey it I'M
plicitly.
The investigation of Controller Wool
lens methods shows beyond doubt
that by an arrangement between him
and the treasurer it has been violated.
The fact that the city has suffered no
pecuniary loss counts for nothing. That
has not been charged. nor has the con-
troller's awful "integrIty" been i'm
pugned. No doubt he is fully as
honest as the other city officers
and members of the Council. The
point is that the charter has been
violated. Of course, majority
of the committee will report that
it has not been, as the Sentinel said
they would do the morning after the
resolution of inquiry was introduced,
but the facts show the reverse.
The charter says the controller "shaH
issue all city licenses of every nature
whatever upon the presentation of the
receipt of the treasurer showing the
payment of the license fee." This re-
Guires all license fees to be paid to the
treasurer. No exception is made. and
the controller is nowhere authorized to
collect license fees of any description.
For reasons of his own he has collected
dog-license fees. The Sentinel says:
The plan adopted by Controller Woollen
in the matter of dog licenses is to not only
collect the - cents controllers fee, but 10
cents for the license, which saves appll-
cants the trouble of going to the freasurers
Office. pay ing the money to him, getting
receipt therefor. ana. upon presentation OF
the same at the controllers office. getringa
dog license.
This is the controllers plan, but it is
DOt tie ClldttcE pidu. AS IOT tuO -
cents controllers fee," there is no such
thing. The law does not create or recog-
nize any such fee, and the controller has
no more right to collect that than he has
to collect license fee. In justification
of his action the controller produced a
letter from the treasurer authorizing
him to collect the license fee. Such a
letter does notconfer any authority. The
treasurer cannot authorize the controller
to violate the charter. If he could
authorize the controller to collect
dog licenses he could authorize him to
collect saloon licenses and all others.
In this way some of the most important
provisions of the charter might be null
lifted. 1t is the duty of the treasurer, as
well as the controller, 10 obey the char
ter, anu they are not at liberty to devise
any arrangements of violating it for their
joint convenience.
The motive for tins arrangement was
that it would save the treasurer some
clerk hire. If the dog license fees were
paid to him. as the charter requires. he