The record-union., 1896-02-07

ter compared with the old lies IN the
fact that the executive branch has been
distincly separated from the legisla-
tive, and that the legislative body can
not, as rule, pass upon its own acts,
which was unavoidable under the old
charter, where the executive and the
legislative body were one and the same
The prime weak piont in the present
charter, in my opinion, lies in the fact
that responsibility has not been suffi-
GENTLY centralized.
An able and progressive Mayor can
accomplish little if he has not the full
est privilege in the selection Of his
heads of departments. through whom he
expects to bring about whatever mu-
nicipal reforms and improvements he
hopes to accomplish.
The provision in the charter which de
crees that the Mayors appointees shall
be confirmed by the Board of Trustees
is likely in the future, as in the recent
past, to seriously handicap him. If
the Board of Trustees do not happen
&c be in harmony with the Mayor, he
must accept for lieutenants, not the
men Of his choice, but such men as the
board are willing to confirm, thus prac-
tically reducing his power to that of
tenth Trustee; enabling him, however,
to shift all responsibility for poor mu-
nicipal results to the Board of Trus-
tees. The board, in turn, can shift the
responsibility for poor municipal man
agement to the Mayor on the grounds
that they confirmed the best men sub
mitted by him for their approval. Thus,
responsibility is destroyed and good
results are likely to be purely accidental.
Yet another weak spot in the new
charter lies in the election of School
Directors. Following the example of
many progressive Eastern cities, these
officials should be appointed by the
Mayor. The supreme work of the Board
of Education lies in the selection Of a
School Superintendent, upon whose
skill and abilities largely depend the
welfare Of our schools. The Board of
Education should be free to secure the
ablest educator for Superintendent
available for. the salary offered any
where within the boundaries of the
land. But under the existing charter
the members of the Board of Education
are, as a rule, elected under the pledge
to vote for certain candidates for Su-
perintendent, without knowing or car
ing whether abler or filter men are
IL
their moneys worth in the matter of a
School superintendent, it is again likely
to be an accident rather than the result
of judgment and intelligence.
Yet another defect in our present
charter is in the matter of electing
Trustees by wards The various city
wards have no conflicting interests to
be preserved, but all are alike interested
in, IoA ioir he
Hence, no special advantage is gained
by the present system of electing Trus-
tees by wards; whereas, on the other
hand, the people are entitled to the
services in their City Council of the
best available men, regardless in what
ward thes aay live Furthermore, an
inferior caGQ3aate would find it far
more difficult to be elected at large than
to be elected from his own ward.
Hence it is that electing Trustees at
large would be likely to insure better
general results.
The limits laid down for this paper
will not permit me to further criticise
our existing charter Let me rest at
this point with the statement that,
while as compared with the old char
ter the new is a step in the direction of
progress, there is yet much room for
further Improvement This organiza-
tion can perform no higher, no more
important nor more patriotic duty than
to encourage the study of the existing
charter and how it may be improved.
If by its influence this club can educate
our community to know the weaknesses
in our municipal form of government,
and to arouse among our people de-
sire to remedy such weaknesses, it's
members will be per forming one of the
highest duties of citizenship, and will
prove themselves worthy of that glori-
Gus and honored title, the title of an
american citizen"
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