The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1893-04-27
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REORGANIZATION.


law when we have a special one Of oui
ownp Adopt general charter that is
supposed to be sufficiently elastic to ap'
ply to cities in any and all parts OF the
state, when we have charter that was
made by ourselves, for ourselves, and
adopted to our peculiar necessities and
conditions? Is the old charter worn out
80 soon that the Latter Day Saints
demand recognition Let us see how
the old charter was prepared.
All the citizens OF North Yakima who
have been here long enough to get Their
feet rested, will remember the days OF the
Provisional government" of the New
Town" when we had committee, ap
pointed by the citizens in mass meeting,
to look after the government OF the town,
and TO take up subscriptions to pay for
the same when in mass meeting the
citizens appointed the attorneys residing
in the town as committee to prepare q
charter. The attorneys, after thoroughly
investigating the charters then existing
In the then territory. and examining the
charters Of many cities throughout the
United States, having carefully examined
the law writer's on municipal corporations
with reference to the subject in hand,
prepared the existing charter OF the city
1t was submitted to the citizens in meet
ing and duly ratified by them before be-
ing presented to the legislature, so the
citizens of North Yakima adopted their
present charter.
The charter was drawn with special
reference to our climatic conditions, and
the typographical and geographical loca-
ton of the city. 1t was drawn for this
city, and this city alone. 1t is not vol
luminous and can be quickly read and
readily understood by anyone. 1t has no
superfuous sections; nothing about har-
Dor improvements, water fronts, wharves,
tide lands and such matters that have no
application to our location. 1t is a special
charter granted by the legislature to us
and as long as we live under it we will
not be subject to the whims and caprices
of every legislature that meets. It places
as in measure independent Of legislative
control and yet We can take adv antage OF
any general law pertaining to incorporated
cities should we so desire. We have now
lived under our present charter for over
seven years and nearly everyone is famil-
lar with its provisions, and We can safely
continue under it until we again wish to
adopt charter Of our own making-when
we reach $1,000 population.
Now as to the general charter provided
by law. which reorganization means we
must accept. There is general charter
provided by law for cities hereafter to be
organized, or for cities already incorpor-
ated that wish to abandon their old char
tiers for this new general charter. As al
ready said this general charter is intended
to apply to any city in any part Of the
state; to city on Puget Sound or one in
Yakima county. 1t is a good law, and
made necessary by the provisions OF
the state constitution, and is intended for
new cities or cities having detective or
unsatisfactory charters. Under the law
cities are classified into three classes,
first, second and third. North Yakima
would fall under the third class. The
charter provided for cities Of the third
class was passed by the legislature Of
1890 and 1891, and of course, several years
after our present charter was prepared
and passed. The former contains almost
all Of the provisions of our charter and
looks like it was largely copied from it.
Being general law its terms are, of
course, not as specific as ours. The gov
eminent provided for by the charter for
cities Of the third class is in the main like
ours--mayor seven councilmen, treasurer,
city attorney, clerk, marshal, assessor,
health officer, street commissioner. Our
charter does not provide the office OF as
SCISSOR or health officer, but provides a
sexton. The general charter provides a
more expensive system OF government,
more officers and allows pay to the coun-
cilmen when sitting as board OF equaliza-
ton, etc.
Our charter fits US best. To re-organize
would disorganize Us for some time to
come, and there is no value received for
the trouble, expense and uncertainty.
The general law passed In 1888 was de-
clared unconstitutional by the supreme
court. The law OF 1891 has not been be-
fore the court as yet. AT least we should
wait until all questions regarding its con-
stitutionality are settled.