The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-03-18
aldermen at large and would not DO afraid

aldermen at large and would not DO afraid
to run for alderman In that way"
Hon. ID. A. Cory favors tho charter. II
do not ind ono Questionable feature in
it," he SAID. sIt is certainly designed for
the progress OF the city and ID badly needed.
II we do not like il we can do away with ~
but Let us give it a trial. Our streets need
improvement and and Thesis will come best
through a board Of public works. / believe
that a salary of $4,000 a year while not
large will attract good men for that posi-
tion. certainly hope that the voters o.
Helena will give tho new measure a trlal.'
MIR. II. Ii. Floyd-Jones said, - believe
the defeat of the chatter would be q public
calamity. If it is not adopted the work or
street improvements will he at a standstill.
We want new sidewalks and better thor
oughfares and this work should be IN the
hands Of men who will have proper powers
and see that it is done. This charter IL
similar to the charters OF st: Louis, Du.
luth, Nashville and Spokane Falls, except
that in the former city acknowledging
are not ele ct sd. because of the influence
of tie politicians. The commission en-
deavureu to Incorporate the best features
of these charters into the Helena charter
and they worked hard and c"onsclsntiously
to this end. The charter should be tried,
and ii it is found bad it can be dropped:
uG 0xpSuS6 VI dA CiSSticA a
anyhow, and why not give 1T a chance.
Mr.. John c. Curtin Is on the eve of de-
parture for California, and will not be here
to participate in the election. Neverthe-
less, after carefully reading the new ch8r-
ter he regards it with favor. 1T 10 not per-
fect," he says, but it ie better than the
present one. 1t is u decided improvement
in that it seems to fix some checks on the
city officers. There is not an opportunity
afforded in it for loose methods. think
the board of public works, where both par
ties are represented, will prevent any IA
voritism, if there is any disposition IN that
direction. SO far as the bugatoo ABOUT
salary and expense is concerned, that Is a
mere bagatelle compared with what q COM
petent board will save the city. In the
matter of CITY work everything must be con-
tracted for except tritiing pieces of work
costing $50 or less. This is a good check on
the board. The proposition for apportlon-
ing the expense for opening streets 10 an ex-
cellent thing. There is no good reason WY
a man living on ono street should pay the
expenses of paving a street IN front OF an
other mans property
There is one feature of the new charter,
however, which Mr.. Curtin thinks could
have been improved, and that one he does
not agree with. 1t is the election OF alder
men Nv the entire vote of the city. He
thinks the citizens OF one ward know better
who is fit to represent them than those of
another ward do. II it were proposed to
change the present system he thinks 1t
might have been more satisfactory to allow
the wards to choose each one man In the
old way, and allow the other half to be
elected by the entire vote of the city.
Mr.. L. b. Edeerton, while not working
against the charter, has refused to endorse
it. 'On general principles / am opposed
to too much machinery" he says. II be-
lieve in simplicity in the management OF
city affairs. and am opposed to running in
debt. 1t seems to me that a board of pub.
lie works is too cumbersome for a CITY OF
this size. Fourteen good aldermen should
be able to do the work. When you bring
the matter down to whether they have the
time to attend to the duties, l think they
have plenty. When it comes to a question
of honesty. if you cannot get fourteen hon-
est aldermen you cannot get three honest
members of the board of public works.
Then again there is the danger OF the board
becoming q big political machine. 1t is 80
in the larger cities of the east. Another
thing which l think somewhat dangerous ia
the matter of assessing improvements to
property owners. While that is a good
thing in a general way, it is possible to
make it work great hardship IN cases."
MIR. Edserton says he recognizes that it
public improvements. but believes thee is
such a thing as owe doing matters i'll tLat
line. He points to the example of Kansas
City, which. he says, went ahead in an en-
tel prising way, and built away ahead OF the
business of the place. He does not think
that Helena is oyesbuilt but says that while
there may not bs any vacant store room,
new places being erected, will give plenty
Of accommodations.
There js too much disposition to run in
debit he says. ''Take the matter Of fund
ing tie city debt. AS soon us that is done,
people get an idea that the money is paid
and get into debt again. For that reason I
do not know whether or not l will vote for
the ISSUE of school bonds"
My opinion" says judge D. G. Wade,
sis that the new charter is in direct conflict
with section 26 of article five of the consti-
tuition, which prohibits the legislature pass
ing special or local laws creating Offices,
prescribing duties, etc. The decisions in
California under a similar constitutional
provision accord with my opinion. 1t is
also in direct conflict with section 25 of the
same article, which provides that no law
shall be revised or amended by reference to
its title only, This charter proposes to
amend the old charter, but does not desig-
nate a single amendment. Section Is of
article six of the now charter. taken in con-
nection with other sections, seems to put it
in the power of the board of public
equal to the general levy provided.
This would make double taxation.
Unlimited power is given to the mayor and
city council in section four Of article one,
to buy any amount of property outside the
city for the purposes of parks and other
public works. This is a very dangerous
power, in my opinion. 1t is simply provid-
ing that property in the city shall be taxed
for the benefit of property outside the city.
There are some good things in the new
charter, and if passed as a general law, all
constitutional questions would nave been
avoided. 1t could ave been made applica-
BILE to all cities of the first class"
The New Charter: A suggestion.
An esteemed subscriber makes the follow.
ing suggestion in regard to meetings to b.