The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-07-16
MEETS AND OUTLINES ITS
WORK.
COMMITTEE TO MAKE A DRAFT
TO BE PRESENTED AT THE NEXT
MEETING FOR DISCUS
SION.
ExrERIMENTERs END THE WORK
of President NOrthrOp-WOrk of
Saddlers.

The charter commission held a pre-
liminary meeting at the Minneapolis
Commercial club romos at 4 O'Clock
yesterday to arrange for its organiza-
ton. The meeting was called at the
instance of John B. Atwater and ten OF
the fifteen members responded. They
are j. H. Steele, Jacob Swift, N. f.
Hawley, J. G. Haynes, c. A. Pillsbury,
Emanuel Cohen, ]. B. Atwater, Thomas
DOwnes, H. ]. Gjertsen and L. b.
Walker. OF the other members it is re-
ported that S. r. Childs, Benjamin
Davenport and P. B. Winston are out
of the city and John w. Hernlund is
known to be in town with the where
aboutS of D. P. Jones uncertain.
The ten members of the commission
had no trouble in getting together. MIR.
Atwater had taken the precaution to
have a form of oath drawn up, and a
notary, A. G.. Braden, was on hand to
administer it to the commissioners. 1t
is in the conventional form and binds
them to administer the duties of their
office to the best of their ability.
A temporary organization was af-
fected by the selection of Judge John
H. Steele as chairman, and IF. Hawley
secretary. The matter of a permanent
meeting place was referred to Thomas
Downes, with the understanding that
he would attempt to secure such d
place in the new court house and city
hall.
In view of the absence of five of the
members of the commission and the ir-
best to do no other business until the
absentees could be communicated with.
The secretary was directed to mail
notices of a regular meeting to be held
at the Commercial club rooms next
Monday at 4 o'clock, and at the same
time to attempt to open Geographic
communications with them if possible.
Incidentally the method of carrying
forward the work of the commission
was brought up. Mr.. Cohen said he
thought it would be a good plan to
invite suggestions and opinions from
the people, These suggestions should
be in writing and they could be re
ferred to the proper committees or be
acted upon by the board. There was
a general discussion of the advisable ty
of put lie meetings and hesa, tCO, favot-
ed by Mr.. Cohen and Mr. Haynes. MI.
Downes suggested that the board wo II
not be able to do any work if it per-
mitted every man that might think he
had an idea, which he thought he
would like the commission to listen
to, to come and make a. speech.
1t was also suggested that the work
of the commission could best be done
by committees, and there was some
idea of prompt division into commit
tees, but this was considered inadVls-
able, because the commission had not
decided upon the general plan of the
charter, or the important features
which should mark it, so that the COM
mittee's labors might be in vain.
Mr. Hawley suggested that a commit
tee of three be appointed to present TO
the commission such questions as
should first be decided before the mat
ter of charter making can proceed,
among them being such questions as
council government or mayor govern
ment, ore body or two to compose the
city council? Elections to be with the
general elections or in odd-numbered
years? etc, Mr.. Stoft protested against
going so fast. He said the commits
sion was not organized, and it looked
like a piece of high-handed business to
proceed with the appointment of COM
mittees. But the other members SAID
that it was only advisory and tentative
and could not be objected to, as it
would only have to be taken up at the
first regular meeting and it would only
save so much time. This was assenteG
to and the committee was voted am
appointed by the chair, as follows:
Messrs. Hawley, Haynes and Atwater.
The meeting then adjourned to meet
at the same place Monday at o'clock.