The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1892-01-08
SHAPING THE CHARTER.
The Freeholders Listen to the Reports
of Their Committees.
Two Propositions Regarding the Funded
Debt Commission Submitted-The
Legislative Committee.


The Board of FreeholdeIs, having in
hand the formation of a proposed new
charter, met last evening for the purpose
OF hearing reports from the various COM
mittees.
Chairman Devlin called the meeting to
order, and upon rolI-call eleven Free
holders responded to their names.
The Chairman stated that before calling
for the reports of the standing committees
he would ask the committees what pro-
gress they had made. The Legislative
and Funded Debt Committees were the
only ones that had their reports ready
Clinton White announced that there
would be a minority report of the Com
mittee on the Funded Debt. The Com
mittee on Revenue and Taxation asked
for further time.
TO PRINT THE REPORTS.
Clinton White called the attention of
the Freeholders TO the necessity of their
having typewritten copies of the various
committee reports. He did not think
they could get along without them. He
therefore moved that a typewriter be en-
pIoyed and paid salary of $50 per month.
treeholder LaSue thought ii would be
better TO have the reports printed. So did
Judge Armstrong. The latter said there
should be more than one copy for each
member, and Jhe moved as an amend
ment that the reports be printed.
Alter some further discussion the whole
matter was referred TO the Ways and
Means Committee, with power to act.
Judge Armstrong did not think it
would DO proper to proceed further with
OIL nrSJ lDNlngv the rnrpffG rorilfgI
that the members could thoroughly IA
mIllarize themselves with the recon-
mendatiOns Of the committees. II was
decided, however, to read the reports
! first and atterward decide whether they
should be printed or not.
LEGISLATIVE REPORT.
The Legislative Committees report was
first taken up. 1t provided that the
! boundaries of the city should remain as
they now are: that it should be divided
into eight wards; the city shall be gov
erned by Board Of Trustees, nine in
number zone from each ward and one at
large), presided over 10y the Mayor; in
case of a vacancy in the board the Mayor
shall appoint; each Trustee shall re-
50 shall be deducted from this
for every session missed by the Trustee;
ordinances must be passed by bill, and
by an aye-and-nay vote: every ten years
the board must redistrict the city and
edualiZe the eight wards as nearly as pos
slble; every i've years all OF the Ordin-
anceS must be compiled; no contracts can
be made for longer than one year; no
contract amounting to moro than 500
! shall be authorized except on vote Of the
/ board: all contracts after passage shall be
submitted TO the Mayor tor his approval,
I but if he yetOes it six members may pass
! it over his head: the Trustees shall have
I n into g,.g.v
office by majority vote, when charges
are preferred against them, and To remove
any appOlntee on the vote of seven, when
they shall conclude that the public well
fare will be improved by such removal:
/ the board shall have the power to regulate
the storage and manufacture of explosives
within the city limits, and to
REGULATE TANNERIEs,
Acid works and the like; to license sa-
| looms, hotels, bankers, brokers, express
companies, railroads, auctioneers, the
aterS, concert halls, cOffee-stands; to sup
press gambling, houses Of ill-tame, prize
lights, etc; to establisha Board of Health.
prevent the spread OF contagious disease
and establish a city inirmary; to control
the waterfront, fix the rate OF wharfage,
and provide for the mooring Of steam
/ boats; TO regulate and change the routes
OF street railways; to license haclzmen,
eXpreSSmen, etc.
The Trustees, by the report are futher
! empowered to arrange for all elections,
and designate precincts; 10 examine and
audit or reject all claims against the CITY:
| to compel street and sidewalk improve
ments; to establish pound; to prohibit
/ the use Of steam boilers, electric wires
within certain limits; and to regulate en-
frances to theaters, concert halls,
churches. etc.
When the reading of the report was
0nnclnial II Oh ! Il, -
be useless to proceed with amendments
until the report was printed. He there
fore moved that the Legislative Com
mittee's report be printed and a copy be
sent to each member. The motion was
carried.
THAT FUNDED DEBT.
The Funded Debt Committees major
Ity report was next taken up. The con-
clusions Of this committee were given in
the RECORD UNION recently. The re-
port showed by comparison that the CITY
would do better to keep the Funded
Debt Commission in existence as it
would get the city out of debt and have
q surplus OF over $4,000 by 1898. Ac-
cordlng to the report it would prove too
expensive to dispense with the COM
mission.
THE MIN GRITTY REPORT.
The minority report submitted nv
Clinton l.. White was listened TO with
marked attention. Mr.. White does not
agree with the majority of the committee
that the Funded Debt Commission should
continue in existence, and proposes to
abolish 1t with the adoption of the new
charter. He gives his reasons in detail.
his report Is herewith given in full:
Mr.. Chairman: The undersigned, one of the
Committee on Finance and Bonded Indebt-
edhess, WnlIe agreeing substantially with the
computation made by the Chairman of the
GOlninlIteC TO tie TOTAL nTOkahip e
discount OF the bonded Indebtedness OF tie
city that could be secured through the agency
of the Funded Debt Commission, were the
same 10 DC continued during The next six
years, viz, 81, 244, begs leave to submit
some further considerations, which lead to
the conclusion that the best interests of the
people OF the City Of Sacramento win be sinh
served if the charter shall provide that the
Funded Debt commission shall cease to exist
when the charter shall take effect or al
IuIthest, by the lst OF January, 1894.
The estimated saving viii not be of equal
amounts during six years. On the contrary,
the estimated saving during the present wear
will be $50, 35s; for the year 1893, SI6.q65
and for ali the four years next succeeding
but S33,S92 or an estimated average or but
S5,46S, per year during the last four years OF
the SIX. AS, however, the proposed charter
cannot go into effect until ratified by the
legislature which does not meet until jan
uary, 1898, the item of discount Tor 1892 of
$40, 30S, is not factor to be considered so
that the total saving after the charter can
take effect, as by the figures of the Chairman
viii be At most but 500 $50. Ana if the
charter is made to go into effect say as late
as August or september, 1893, the Funded
Debt Commission could be permitted to save
the discount tor that year, also, which, ac-
cording to the estimate made, would be SIG
965, leIving but S33, 672 as the Probable DIS
count after the charter shall take effect
While this appears TO be q handsome sum OF
money, yet it is in fact but 80 cents per capita
per year for each inhabtant of the city and
certainly not nearly equal to the drug bills
paid by our people as the direct result of a /
defective sewerage system. The estimated
total saving that could be made after the
CHARTER goes into effect bears the proportion