The Saint Paul globe., 1897-10-16
THE SCOPE OF ITS POWERS.
INFORMAL EXPRESSION INDICATES
THAT THE PRESENT CHARTER
WILL BE ADOPTED
AS A BASIS FOR ALL THE WORK
Probably BE Amendments to
the Existing Law.
President-H. ], Horn. !ll-li1
Vice President-W. P. Clough. ...l..iT =
Secretary-George s. Innis. IL
Treasurer-A. H. Lindeke.

lnlS Was the llSL OIL OIllCeIS SlSCleu
at the meeting of the charter commits
sion last evening. The eleven members
Of the commission who were present
discussed in an informal way the pow
ers of the commission and the best
plan of transacting the business before
them. President Horn appointed
Messrs. Clough, Lightner and Clark as
a committee to report on a set of rules
TO govern the commission and also to
prepare a plan Of procedure This COM
mittee will report at the next session
of the commission, which will be held
at the council chamber next Friday
evening.
Although the discussion last evening
was participated in by only six of the
members, and the session was a short
enc, the fact was apparent that the
final results of the work of the COM
mission would not make any very
great change in the present charter
Just before an adjournment was taken
Mr. Lightner called the attention of
the commission to the necessity of
making arrangements with some one
to secure the council chamber for the
purpose of holding the meetings. He
did not know, he said, just whom to
make application to. The mayor was
nominally the chief executive of the
city, but the court house and city hall
was under the charge of the city hall
and court house commission, and the
mayor was chairman of that body. He
supposed, however, that a notice to the
mayor would be sufficient. This
brought Mr.. Clark to his feet with the
remark that the point was one which
he wished to call to the attention of
the commission. While the members
were appointed to prepare new char
ter, there were a number of matters
which could not be touched upon by
the commission. For instance, the city
hall and court house commission was
composed of city and county officials
and the court house was owned by the
city and county. No action that the
commission could take would have any
effect on this particular part Of the
city and county government. The
board of control, the city hospital, the
county and city assessor also came
under the same head, and in order to
avoid any legal trouble it was neces-
sary that the commission first deter
mine its powers and then keep close
within it's bounds.
But eleven members of the commits
sion were present last evening, those
answering the call being Messrs. Clark,
Horn, Clough, Innis, O'Brien, Alness.
Lindeke, McNair, Krieger, Murray and
Lightner. The absentees We're Messrs.
Butler Parker Dean and LuSk. The
committee on permanent organization
through the chairman, reported that
the officers consist of a president, vice
president, secretary and treasurer, to
be elected by ballot. The committee
also recommended that a communica-
ton be sent to the council asking that
body what provision would be made
for the employment of a stenographer.
In the event that the council should
appropriate sufficient fund to pay for
the services of a stenographer, the COM
mittee recommended that the president
appoint some person to act in that ca
pacity.
Mr. Clark inquired if that portion Of
the report of the committee relative
to the employment of a Stenographer
meant that the commission was to eni-
ploy one. If so he suggested that the
commission had better wait until there
was need for one.
Mr.. Clough said the stenographer
commission might get from the coun-
Gil. If fund was set apart by the
council the president of the commits
sion was then to appoint one, and he
would certainly not do so until there
was need of one. The report of the
committee was then adopted.
On motion of Mr.. Innis the commits
for president Mr. Murray nominated
H. j. Horn for the position, saying
that his candidate was the Nestor of
all charters and should be accorded
the honor of presiding over the delib-
erations of the commission. There
were other members who were just as
competent, Mr.. Murray said, but they
would be needed for work. The in
formal ballot showed seven votes for
Mr.. Horn and one each for Messrs.
Clark, Lindeke and Clough. On motion
the secretary was instructed to cast
the ballot for Mr.. Horn, and this haY-
ing been done, Mr.. Horn thanked the
members for the honor conferred. Mr.
CIough was elected vice president, Mr..
Innis secretary, and MI. L1ndeke treas
urer by unanimous votes.
In the election of Mr.. Lindeke as
treasurer, Mr. Murray said there would
probably be no funds, but II there were
Mr.. Iindeke would undoubtedly fur
nish them.
Mr. Innis said after conversation
with the secretary of the Minneapolis
charter commission he was of the opin-
ion that there should be two additional
committees to those appointed by the
MINNEAPOLIS commission. The com
mittee on order of business to be ap-
pointed should, he suggested, be per
manent one. There should also be a
committee to be known as the draft
ing committee, the duty Of which
ixyiC
the charter In shape as soon as pre-
pared and reported to the commission.
BY this plan the entire charter would
be ready as soon as the work was
completed.
Mr.. Murray, who had been glancing
over the list of the committees ap-
nointed by the Minneapolis commits
sion. said he noticed there had been
fifteen committees appointed, one for
each member of the commission. Thls
he said he did not consider necessary,
as about five committees would, in his
opinion, answer all purposes.
Mr.. Clark questioned whether the
CITY would loan the members OF the
commission a copy of the latest com
piIation of the laws of the city The
the first thing, Mr.. Clark said, to be con-
sidered by the commission, was the
present charter A motion by Mr.
C1o1gh was put and carried, requesting
the city clerk to furnish each member
of the commission with copy OF the
charter.
President Horn suggested that the
commission should as soon as it reached
the proper stage, invite before it those
of the city officers and citizens who
desired to be heard in relation to
changes in the charter.
Mr.. O'Brien said a deal depended on
the way business was commenced He
tLoncht ii InMiSe to follow anY pre-