The record-union., 1896-12-01
AS TO CHARTER AMENDMENTS
Communication From the Committee to
the City Trustees.
1t Accompanied the Report That Was
Published in the ssRecOrd.
UniOn'' Yesterday.

At last nights session Of the City
Trustees the Advisory Committee that
has been at work considering proposed
amendments to the city charter-and
whose report was published in full yes
terday-submitted the result of it's Ia
bors. accompanied by the following
communication:
Sacramento, Nov. 30, 1896.
To the Honorable Board Of Trustees of
the city of Sacramento: Your Committee
on Proposed Charter Amendments beg
leave to submit their report:
The committee was aided in its work
by committee of citizens chosen by
and with your consent. Three of these
were members of the original board that
framed the charter. Not all were pres
ent at all of our sessions, but we be-
lieve that a majority attended all the
meetings held which were open meet
ings to which the public was invited.
The propositions herewith submitted
are as few and brief as in our judgment
could be framed and meet the ends in
view.
Two alternative propositions are sub
mitted and are intended to clear away
ence of the board, and more clearly de-
fine executive and legislative duties and
harmonize the two most important
branches of the city government.
1t is just to say that the proposition
relative to increase Of the compensation
of Trustees emanated from the citizens
associated with your committee, but
that no such increase can affect any
incumbent officer of the city.
The proposition to increase the num-
Der OF Trustees by selecting two at large
appears to be consonant with the best
thought and experience in municipal
government, which inclines strongly
to larger rather than smaller
legislative bodies. The PROPOSE
ton, if adopted, will give the
people of the whole city every two years,
and will lessen the committee work Of
the obard and respond to what appears
to be desire of the people who study
municipal questions
The proposition relative to the Board
of Education is understood by us to be
responsive to the wish Of the State Ed
ucational Department and of the City
Board Of Education. The idea is that
as the city is, under the law, one school
district, its directors should be chosen
by the votes of the whole district and
not by municipal subdivisions.
The other propositions submitted are
SO clear that We do not deem it neces-
sary to add anything by way Of ex-
PLANTATION.
Your committee is unanimously in ia
vor of submitting these propositions to
the people at as early date as is prac-
ticable, that the amendments, if adopt
ed, or such as may be adopted, may be
early submitted to the Legislature about
to assemble
Your committee therefore advises that
your honorable body adopt the PROPOSE
tions and submit them to the people as
by the Constitution provided, and that
you will do so even if in some respects
they do not meet your exact views as in
dividuals, as to what is the best form
for amendment desired, since we are
convinced that 1t is wise to give the
people full opportunity to express their
desire at the polls on these subjects.
The propositions that are submitted
in the form of half-sections are thus
presented to save the expense of print
ing sections they amend in full, and be-
cause as distinct sections they present
only the new matter introduced, thus
enabling the people much more easily
TO understand just what Is proposed