St. Paul daily globe., 1895-10-06
GUSHING FEATURES
OF 1T.
THE POWER OF THE MAYOR
is ALMOST UNLIMITED IN THE
NATTER OF RUNNING THE
CITY.
Council Has the Rights Now Vest
ed i'm the Public Work De-
partment.

Should the common council see fit
to pass the ordinance submitting to
the vote of the people the question of
adopting the Howard charter as a
system of government for st. Paul,
the people would at once raise the
vital inquiry, What is the Howard
charter?" If they were told to read
1T and find out, not one voter in
fifty would spend the time necessary
to acquaint himself with it's pro-
visions. The Howard charter is a
bulky bill. In pamphlet form it fills
ninety-four pages of regular book
size, and is divided into nineteen
chapters containing In all $50 Sec
tions. A great majority Of these Sec
tions, however, deal with matters of
detail essential to the administra-
ton Of the general law itself, but
not important as distinguishing it
from the present city charter.
With the view of giving the pub
lie a general idea of the distinguish
ing features of the Howard charter,
the G l o b herewith presents a
~ AAOkNoiS VI lllO VI Wv lSlOIlS lIldI uS-
fine the powers of the mayor and
council and specify the manner in
which the various municipal depart
ments shall be controlled:
Chapter one, which comprises the
first forty sections of the Howard
charter, is devoted exclusively to a
recital of the steps necessary to
bring any village or city under the
operation of the charter. The vot-
ers of st. Paul will find nothing to
concern them in this chapter, as it
in no wise touches upon the plan Of
municipal government.
Cahpter two, containing seventeen
sections, deals in general way with
the election, appointment and duties
OF officers. 1t declares that in all
cities with a population exceeding
10000 the elective officers shall
be mayor, treasurer, city comptrol-
Ter, one alderman from each ward
and eight aldermen at large. 1t also
provides that the terms of all Off
GERS elected by the people shall be
two years.
COUNCILS POWERS.
The city council is given the pow
er to remove any appointed officer
for cause only by a vote Of two
thirds of all the members of the
city council
one OF the important provisions of
this chapter is contained in section
%, which empowers the city council
by three-fourths vote of all it's
members to fix the salaries of all
officers and employees of the city,
but prohibits the council from in
creasing or diminishing the same
during the term for which the Off
GERS have been chosen.
Chapter prescribes the powers and
duties of the mayor. 1t says that the
mayor shall be the chief executive of
the city and makes it his duty to take
care that the laws of the state and
the ordinances of the city are duly
observed and enforced within the CITY.
He shall see that all other officers of
the city discharge their respective
duties, and shall from time to time
give the city council such information
and may recommend such measures as
he shall deem advantageous to the
with reference to the signing and Veto
ing of ordinances and resolutions are
granted to and imposed upon the
mayor.
The mayors appointing powers are
restricted to the police department, the
park board, the health commissioner
and the workhouse superintendent.
Section GA says that the mayor shall
be chief magistrate of the city and
shall have command and control of it's
entire force of police.
Chapters 4 and are devoted to pre-
scribing the duties of the city comp
troller and city treasurer, which are
substantially identical with these of
ficers' present duties.
Chapter 6 contains 46 sections, and is
as important as it is lengthy. 1t de-
fines the powers and duties of the city
council and constitutes the main and
distinctive feature of the Howard
charter. To summarize, it bestows
upon the city council the entire APP
pointive power except as to the depart
ments previously mentioned. Full
power to transact all the city's busi-
ness is granted to the council 1t is
authorized to condemn land, erect and
| maintain buildings of numerous clas-
ses, vacate streets, appropriate
| moneys, award contracts, enact ordi-
nances, grant licenses, to regulate
various businesses, to prevent all un-
| lawful acts, in short to
LEGISLATE GENERALLY
for the city. 1t is even granted the
| power to establish gas, electric and
| other lighting plants, and to maintain
| water works. In the matter of enact
| ing ordinances the regulations are
| specific in declaring that the council
| cannot pass any ordinance until it has
| had three readings at three separate
regular meetings or adjourned regular
| meetings.
Chapter devotes II sections to the
police department, defining the method
of organization and the duties of the
| department, which are similar, of
| course in all cities. The fire depart
ments duties are likewise set forth in
the succeeding chapter.
| Chapter TX. provides for the appoint
ment by the mayor of a board of park
| commissioners to consist of five MEM
| bers, who shall hold office for the term
| of five years, and serve without COM
| pensation.
Chapter x. inaugurateS the civil
service plan. 1t provides that all as
sistant engineers, inspectors and as
sistant inspectors, the proper dis
charge of whose duties requires tech
nical skill, knowledge or training, shall
| be appointed only after a fair COM
petitive and open examination of all
applicants. All clerks employed in the
various departments shall be appoint
| ed for competency only
| Chapters XII, viii, kill and xiv. pre-
scrive the duties of the city clerk, city
attorney, city assessor and city en-
| gineer, all of whom are appointed by
| the city council.
| Chapter XIV. contains seventy-five
sections, which discuss and prescribe
the powers of the council relative to
the condemnation of land, the making