The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-01-12
4 Review of the Charter Com
missions Work.
WHAT THERE is IN PROSPECT
The Make-Up of the Council and the
Question of Municipal Owner
ship of Railroads.

fact. the members themselves have.
general review of the subjects that nave
so far occupied the attention OF the COM
mission, and the action that has been
taken upon them. may aid in compre-
hension Of the work Of the commission
But there are many difficulties in at
tempting such a review. There has been
such a variety of matter introduced. the
discussions upon them have been so diver
gent and such new lights nave been
thrown upon the details OF municipal gov
eminent that II is as yet almost too soon
TO say that the opinions of the commits
sion have crystallized on any defined
course of action. Another difficulty IN at
/ tempting such review is that every
clause of the new charter is open 10
amendment until the very moment that ii
Is voted upon as a whole and passed.
Again many new bills may Yet be pre-
scented.
Still. ii may be said that the divergent
views of the members of the commission
are beginning TO crystalline and take per-
manent form. and some predictions. but
only predictions, may be made as TO the
nnal results.
The Council.
II is not yet certain, for instance. of how
many members the city council viii
| consist. That there will be one body in
stead of two may be relied upon, and bill
has been passed that this one body shall
ward But the commission seems to favor
a larger body, consisting of one represen-
tative from each ward, one from each
three wards, and one member at large,
making the unlucky number of thirteen.
The member al large is TO be voted for on
the same ticket as the mayor and is to be,
in fact the vice mayor, occupying the re-
lative position of the vice president of the
| United States, the mantle Of the mayoralty
falling upon his shoulders in the event of
an unexpired term occurring. His official
title has not yet been discussed; president
Of the council has been suggested.
No Utopial schemes.
There have been no Utopian schemes
| brought forward, and, in fact the
| only one that bears in this direc-
ton Is Andrews bill that the city
shall acquire the street railroads AL
ready bills have been passed giving form
to the popular vote that the city should
adopt the Cedar river water system, that
ii should own its own water plant. electric
light plant, and also sell surplus electric
power. Andrews bill, therefore. was no
innovation, but simply a step further in
the same direction. He managed TO get it
passed, but Mr.. Bausman brought In a bill
on Friday TO repeal it, and the fact that
this obtained a majority shows that the
commission is undecided a present upon
the scheme. Bausmans argument was
that there was no precedent for such a
proceeding. Other arguments Will be pre-
scented against ii next week. 1t is said that
the street railroads are bonded for twice
what they could be laid down for, and if
| the council has TO buy them al this yalua-
| ton they will come dear. Then there is
| the franchise. Will the council have to
| buy that, too? 1t is said that no street
| railroad has an exclusive franchise to GER
tain streets, such as are issued in other
| cities, and that the city could open new
/
| in operation. But this would take time,
| and there are people who would think such
| "A line OF action would be-well, say undig
| nihed for a municipality.
| To own the lighting apparatus of the city
| Is not beset with any such complications,
| and Mr.. Andrews thinks the city could
/ furnish its own lights for % per cent. of
| what il now costs the council. This sud
| den reduction. however, would not be
! made to the taxpayer at once. as the city
| needs more lights and TO be better lighted
| generally.
The Question of Economy.
Many members of the charter commits
| sion believe they were elected TO cut down
| the expenses Of the city Their Will is
| good but so far they have not found a
/ place for the knife TO cut a real slice. AZ
/ Mr.. Joslin remarked, the city expenses are
/ now down TO the lowest notch. Two years
! ago the expenses were Topped to the tune
/ OF $4,000 year, principally in salaries and
| the number Of men employed. The fire and
! police departments were made as low in
/ numbers as they could be made. and the
| policeman OF Seattle gets less pay than his
! brothers in any city OF the same size I'm the
| country Cutting down the city council 10
/ nine members was the first step i'm this
| desire for economy. but even this was met
/ by an attempt on the part of the labor rep
! resentatiNes on the commission 10 double
/ the pay. II is now raised from $500 10 s400
| hut the commission viii probably go hack
| to the old salary. The present council of
| eighteen members costs g., 40 a year i'm
| salaries; one house Of thirteen members
| at tho same rate OF salary. $500 a wear
| would be saving OF $i.Js-a mere haga-
/ tclle. The next attempt at saving was 10
| make the city clerk act also as clerk of tho
board OF public works. but this did NOT
| pass.
\ hin has been passed for the appoint
! ment hy the mayor and council OF a lihr1
| ran. who shall have charge Of the library
| AM employ assistants. and OF a commits
/ sion OF five members 20 bc appointed by he
| mayor. who will work without salary, and
| have no power 20 make purchases. only TO
make recommendations to the council
Licensing of saloons
The bill presented hv Judge Rush SIM,
/ ported hy the Anti-Saloon League. and IN
| troducsd by Mr. Andrews. provides tnat 10
! money once paid into the city treasury for
| licenses shall be refunded that all saloons
! shall Dee closed M II AT night until the
/ f'dD wing morning, and he closed all day n
/ SUNDAY. This has been passed. but Is an
/ alternative proposition for the people 10
I vote on. IL VIII ac divided into two prop0-
s'tons So that The Sunday closing can he
( voted on separately
The question Scussed for SO long as 70
I thr aiyis341iiity ~ proportional representa-
/ to1 has been dropped But a plan OF vot-
/ 'nr. something Ike what is known as the
/ Illinois plan MI in an probability De- a4oo--
! tt It's purpose IS o. secure minority rep
/ r,-sntat-on. ana by 70 a voter may vote
+ f.r al The candidates on certain ticket Or
TaN vote that number on any one caudI-
1 date. or a'str.A3te that number of votes
/ among the candidates.
An afaeud.nA1t has Neeu made 20 the vfas-
I s0f charter hy which The council viii have
/ power % r~i-Strict the wards every four
! instead 90 five years and for every 7.aa} OF
/ population Az present the city's populs-
I t1u WoHla have 70 grow 90 80 49, before
tnsr@ could le more than twelve Nar7s ~