The Dalles times-mountaineer. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1882-1904, 1897-01-16
A NEEDED CHANGE.

One of the most bunglesome and un-
called for systems of legislation in
vogue In Oregon is that of submitting
city charters to the legislature. The
consideration of city charters and
amendments theretois work entirely
foreign to state legislation; it takes
up the time of the representatives of
the entire people, and besides encumb-
ers the session laws and, causes un-
necessary expense to the state in
printing city charters and amend
ments In the acts of, the legislature.
The legislature has attempted to COR
rect this evil by enacting law al
lowing county courts, on petition, to
incorporate cities and approve char
ters,a but it does not make this action
compulsory, hence few cities desiring
to be incorporated have applied to the
county courts for charters, most of
them preferring to get their authority
to incorporate from the state legisla-
ture. AS o result much time of the
present legislature will be consumed
in the consideration of the amended
charters of Portland, The Dalles
and other cities, and when the
session laws are printed, most likely
they will be encumbered with those
amended evidences of municipal gov.
ernment.
Why such stupid method was ever
adopted is unexplainable. Why the
city politics of any municipality should
be dragged into the. legislature ia be-
yond.comprehension. The Portland
charter has been cause of contention.
In every session of the Legislature for
the past twenty years, and has been
the cause of preventing needed legisla-
ton more than any other one factor
that has come before that body. And
besides causing dissensions during the
sessions, it has been submitted to men
who neither have interest In the muni-
cipal government Of Portland. nor
have knowledge of its requirements.
What do the representatives of the re-
mote counties know of the needs of the
city government of Portland? Vir-
tually nothing, for they have no inter-
ests in the city, and have not made its |
wants their study. They are no more |
capable of voting, except in general
way, upon the provisions of charter
for the government of that city than If |
they were residents of the remotest
state in the Union.
Certainly the statutes regulating the
Incorporation of cities require amend
ment. They should be so changed
that whenever a community desires
to be Incorporated, the people within
the boundaries of such city or town
shall be authorized to elect charter
or convention whose duty
lt shall be to frame charter to be
submitted to the citizens at some future
say to be held within thirty
lays after the charter commissions has
tdjourned, for ratification; and if the
thus framed Is ratified by q
vote of the electors within
;he proposed city, it shall become the
organic law thereof. Amendments to
,hsrters could be made in similar
Whenever city or town
council may, by two-thirds vote, de-
ermine the charter should beamended,
be empowered to pass q resolution
citing forth the amendment In full,
o be submitted to the voters at the
lext general election, and upon it's re-
Giving two-thirds vote OF the elect
rs within the corporation, tn become
t full force. In like manner. If an en-
ire new charter is desired, o charter
or commission, composed
hree times the number of the council,
hould be elected, whose duty shall be
o frame new charter and submit the 9
anne to the people for ratification.
Such a provision would establish
urely home government in every in
city in the state, and would c
elieve the legislature of much un-
ecessary labor now imposed upon it.
'esides charters more nearly In accord i
nth the demands of the localities
seking to be incorporated would be :
dopted, and at much less expense to
be people generally than under the
p. s F.. i 4