Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1896-11-10
CHARTER COMMISSION
VIII Present a Report to City Council
This Evening,
Full Text of the Report Which is
Signed by DR.. R. w. Hazlett, the
Chairman Of the Commission.
Two Points Upon Which Public
Opinion Appears to be DIVIDED.

ODLulOu ApDbttL5 W DC III y ANOA.
The report of the City Charter Commis-
sion will be presented to Council at its
regular meeting this evening. Accom-
panying the printed draft of the proposed
charter, is the report of the commission,
which is prefaced by review Of the pro-
ceedings Of the committee. The report is
as follows:
TO His Honor, the Mayor. and the Coun-
ell Of the City of Wheeling Gentlemen:
The Commission appointed in pursuance
of your resolution adopted on January
1lth, 1896 for the purpose Of preparing
general revision of the city charter has
the honor to present herewith draft of
bill. entitled. "A BIZ to Amend, Revise
and Consolidate into One Act. the Act of
the General Assembly of Virginia, Passed
March 11th. 1896, entitled An Act to In
corporate the City of Wheeling, in Ohio
/ County. and all Subsequent Acts, both Of
( the General Assembly of Virginia, and Of
the Legislature Of West Virginia, which
/ form a Part Of the Charter of the City Of
/ Wheeling"
| As the title of the bill implies, this is
revision of the entire charter of the city.
If adopted by the Legislature. it will COM
bine into one law the great number of acts,
running through a period of sixty years.
which at the present time make up the
/ citys constitution.
I Your committee although conservative
/ i'm its action. has introduced several fea-
/ lures which are new i'm our municipality.
/ but which have been tried and approved
/ elsewhere. and which the commission be-
/ Iicve will. if adopted, prove Of material
/ value to our city and citizens. Several
/ Of the most important changes seem to
meet with such favor that it is unneces-
/ sary to particularize them here, although
we omit a special mention of them at the
risk of giving undue prominence to other
| provisions about which a difference Of
! opinion exists.
| Your commission. by a unanimous vote.
I
! for the purpose of ascertaining the wish
of the people. this charter be submitted
/ to vote OF the people at a special cleo
ton.
one of the changes which a large ma
-oritv Of your commission strongly favor
D is The provision requiring the Chief OF
/ Police TO be appointed by a Board of Pub
! lie Safety. with the approval Of the Coun-
Gil. instead of being elected by the popu-
! lar suffrage as he is under the present
| charter. Your commission knowing that
/ there is. on the part of some of our fellow
citizens. "A strong demand for the reten-
| ton of the present mode of choosing the
! Chief of Police, and believing that this is
n question in which the people are vitally
| interested. as a matter of affecting the
| lust and equal and unbiased enforcement
| Of the laws. have unanimously resolved TO
recommend to your honorable body that,
at such special election df it be your
Measure to order an election). there be
separately submitted to the voters of the
/ city the question whether the Chief Of Po-
/ lice shall be appointed as provided in the
/ charter reported herewith. or shall be
elected by the popular suffrage.
]
| charter. i'm sections frcm G6 to so, inclusive,
provisions i'm regard to the civil service of
/ the city. which provisions by the terms
| thereof. will not. If passed by the Legis-
/ laure. become operative or in force as
"a part o. the charter unless the Council
shall. within three years after the cleo
tion of the first Council under the new
charter. ratify and adopt the same.
The principal aim of the civil service
provisions is to secure. as far as pracica-
bic. a enforcement Of the business opera
tions of the city from partisan politics,
and al the same time to secure for the SER
vice the best that can be had as the result
of fair competitive tests adapted to the
various positions to be filed.
Your commission recommends that, at
the same time that the charter is submit
ted to the vote Of the people Gf it shall be
the pleasure Of the Council to order an
election for that purpose. the question
of the adoption of these civil service pro-
visions be separately submitted to the
popular vote-a test in which it is claimed
th..t the civil service. or merit system
has never yet suffered defeat in the
! United States.
During the deliberations of your com
mission upon the subject Of offenses and
the punishment thereof. a discussion
arose upon the fact that there is by the
laws of the State "a triple jurisdiction over
| the onrenses of fallen women. which may
not I'm all Instances be exercised for the
public welfare: one of these jurisdictions
being vested in Justices of the Peace, an
other I'm the Criminal Court of Ohio coun-
~. and the third in the Police Court Of
the city. Tn the two former jurisdictions
fees are received by officers In the Police
/ Court they are recoverable but as they
must be paid into the city treasury, no
CITY officer has q personal interest in
making fees. BY direction Of your COM
mission. two bills have been prepared for
submission 10 the Legislature. separate
from the city charter, providing for such
amendments 10 the State law as Will.
whenever the ordinances Of the city shall
prescribe penalties commensurate with
tbos, authorized to be imposed 10y the JUS
tices OF the Peace. and by the Criminal
/ Court give TO the Police Court of the city
| exclusive Jurisdiction Of such offenses
committed within the city. The said bills
are fled. but not printed, with this report.
The charter commission was so appoint
cd that fl was nearly equally divided IN
noliticaI sentiment. a few Of its mem
hers have been engaged in the pending
noIitical struggle and have taken little
mart I'm the work Of the commission. 1t
gives the chairman pleasure to report that
those who have actively engaged in the
work of the commission have throughout
been devoted to the interests Of the peo-
ple of the city. and that while there have
teen differences Of opinion. both in the
-onr,rnItfee and In the general com