The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-03-14
TALKING OF REVISION.
CounciImen Discuss the Char
ter With Citizens.
THE CRITICS GET SHORT sHaiFr.
Attacks on tho Administration Re-
PEELED = II an Early Fiectfon
Observation-Disclosures Meeting.

e,.ss1ss Tor three hours if the city hail
yesterday afternoon al he gc8nt meeting
OF the Swo house Of che clay coH8-
Gil wifh committees from tss ma
nseipal League. Chamber Of Commerce
ard Hefereadafn Club The meeting y as
breezy, being opened by :. J, AetiiisrA
VINO. az chairman OF the committee FROM
the Municipal League. after reading pa
r@r setting forth the wishes Of the e0fa*
r4itfee. made direct attack on both
mayer aud council. intitaatirx that Il tie
coun9l; did not 81 once act In the matter
tire Municipal League ~oai9 kf1oS what &c
do Hls remarks brought number OF TIE
coaac8lmen 10 their feet later on In sell
defense. resulting IN Mr AcGiivra bach
iag down and apoiogtziEg, dtsclaiminE any
intent 10 reflect on the couucilmen az IN
xisiduais or as a body. War Horae"
white followed In the same line ard was
also sat upon IN tic same manner, BE
going so far as 70 predict that the coan-
Gil would defer tho election until the max.
regular election. Members Of the Chamber
OF Commerce. principally DF. S. Ramsay
and e. O. Graves. defined their position
az opposed 10 the violent measures de-
manaed BY Mc;ilyra and White, and ex-
pressed their desires to leave the matter
10 the good Judgment Of the eounci.nen.
who could lee trusted to act in the best
interests OF tho people About a dozen
epecrkes we're made which developed the
fact. that outside Of the couI8ciimeH. about
oHe~naif % those present favored taking
tine to consider the matter Of cost more
fully. and what actual saving q new
charter would give the city. At the end
OF three hours OF talking. during which
several passages at words occurred, an
adjournment was taken 10 o'clock next
Wednesday at which time the various
c1Tnitfees were Instructed 10 como pre-
pared 10 show what saving 10 the city
q Egew charter would make.
At o'clock. the hour set for the meet
Ing, the following eouncilmen were pres
enf. Aldermen I4eaf:der Miller a. Ander-
con. H. H. elise. II. r. Compton. T. NJ.
Dauiton. !. Il. Jordan. NJ. w. Loyejoy.
j. +. Sweeney: Delegates W. Chapman,
j. Gleason, F. ". Goeslhue, r. III. Hurd.
j. A. James. A. Kistier, r. A. Little. W.
tolgt and j. e crichton, The Munich
pal League was represented by the fol-
lowing committee: j. J. MeGilvra. w. H
White Dexter Horton. John kinnear and
NJ j. carkeek. fhe Chamber of Com
nssrca's committee was. DIR. s. Ramsey,
T.. .. Graves. John schram. Tracy III.
Robertson and Andrew Knox. The Refer
endum Club had present w. J. Larkin. Ed
Morse. w. Il. Wilson. Howard Waltz. w.
w Noyes. ". W. Easter and NJ. +. Knox.
The labor organizations were represented
by W. ID. Harden.
AZ first there were not over a dozen
spectators In the room. hut they grad
tmlls dropped I'm one by one. and by the
time the session vas well under way the
space outside the railing was fairly well
crowded The men. however. appeared
10 b. such as usually attend all meetings
more "a matter of curiosity than as
representative business men.
The meeting was called to order ny AL
sderman paulton, and Alderman Miller
was elected chairman and City Clerk
Stewart secretary
]. j. McGilvra then read the following
paper:
The Municipal Leagues Request.
mir. President and Gentlemen of the
City Council of the City of Seattle
I'VE are delegated by the Municipal
Geagte. of the city of Seattle. 10 call
your attention TO an act OF our state leg
isature. viz: Senate blu No. a12. entitled.
An act TO authorize cities of the first
class 20 alter. change. revise. add TO or
repeal their respective charters, approved
by the governor March I. 1885, and request
that you exercise the power therein con-
ferred 10 cause an election 10 lie held. at
which election there shall he chosen hy
the qualified electors of said city. fifteen
freehoiders thereof. who shall have been
residents thereof for a period of at least
two wears preceding their election and
qualified electors whose duty Ii shall he
TO commence within ten days after their
election aud within sixty days thereafter
prepare a new charter for said city by
altering, changing, revising. adding 10 or
repeating their existing charter, together
with all amendments thereto without pc
tition.
We make this request with great con-
fdence Of Tia being complied with. not
only on account of the saving of time
and expense bat because II is the esi-
dent desire Of the great mass OF the
qualified electors. and In pursuance OF the
Demand of the electors by whom you
were chosen 20 oil your present official
positions. as expressed In the county
platforms,
While we are ss tisfed, and we believe
that the taxpayers generally are salts
-nrd, that the present city council and city
government have made an honest and 10
some extent successful effort TO economics
and reduce the expense Of the city gov
eminent, ihey believe and we believe that
h. Is impesshie 20 vers materially reduce
said expenses under oar present cumher-
some and expensive city charter.
We believe the eny effective remedy
Is ~ strike al The root ~ the evil revise
our charter and substitute Cor The pres
ent more simple ard tess EXPENSIVE
municipal government
Two several attempts have been made,
without market success. 10 improve our
charter in tho ordinary WAY by amend
meuts eruanatinfe from the city council.
now teo people desire to undertake a
thorough revision through the Instrument
fality of new charter commission.
No wen Informed peTson can he so YER
oant as 10 suppose that a revision OF our
present charter is go bring about q 'rau-
nioipal millennium as one OF .;s Trainers
und admirers puts IL
our large municipal indebtedness Of
over sSSssl.Da remains. The annual infer.
est On this Indebtedness amounting 20
some 1Na,1a must he paid our firc and
police departments must be maintained.
ana car streets Kept In yvnair. hu; tn,
machinery 20 provide ways and means OF
defraSing these ana ether necessary ex~
EsAsases can be reduced and sInipHHed. so
as, IN cur opinion. 20 he mora effective
with less friction and less expense.
simplicity fn goyeTnment as we'll as
mechanism IS true economy.
This demand foe revision Of oar city
charter is 80 meTT spssm OF popular
opinfon. Ii Is the deliberate Judgment OF
the great mass OF taxpayers after long
elaboration and sad experience.
I'VE submit thar the request made IS
reasonable and prorer one aud should
b. eheerfally and promptly complied
VITA
Nct'ilvra Makes Demands
AIR. MeSslvTa thee said. This Is the
synopsis OF nslr position Which as A .>oysl-
mistee We submit for Your consideration.
As an Individual am somewhat, aizap-
pointed with the mayors message 20 catl
You together. This COMMITTEES called GA
the mayor and asked him 10 recommend
fsat the council comply Win this request
and call thts election without fogsnality
HE has sailcd ;o DO So.
The senate biN fast passed saws thai