The Portland daily press., 1897-01-14

provided to be elected on general
ticket. was because 1T would give an op.
portunity of getting much better men
for the offices than they can under tho
present arrangement. MIR. Chapman
said that the trouble the people in
Ward s had last year in getting cnndi-
date for school committeeman had done
a great deal to influence him In favorlng
the election of school committeeman on
a general ticket.
The reason that the commission on
the new charter had not favored the cleo
ton of board Of overseers in general
ticket, was because it would be better
to have these oyerseers from the wards
in order that they might act with more
intelligence in relation to the oity's
poor.
EX-ALDERMAN MCGOWAN
said that municipal reform seemed to
be general fad all over the country.
All changes, however, in charters are
not necessarily reforms. Mr.. MCGOWAN
discussed at some length on the history
of the present city charter. He said he
believed that it was better to hold on
to all That was good in the present char
ter aud many features of it arc as good
as they can be made.
Mr.. McGowan then discussed the pro-
posed change in the election of the school
committee. He said that the school
board as it now exists consists Of two
Glasses of representatives. The mayor
elected at large. presides over the board
and directly represents the people at
large. Then seven members are elected
from wards to represent the various
sections of the city. Mr.. MCGOWAN
thought that this system was the best
that could be devised inasmuch as it
nas been evolved after 25 years of study
and experience. Mr.. MCGOWAN discussed
the history Of the school board and the
various ways in which it had been elect
ed in years past. He said that he al
ways relied on the fair indedness of
the voters. He said that some times in
the performance of his duty he enters
the public schools and there found seat
ed side by side the Jew and the GENTLE,
thu rich and poor. ths Catholic and the
Protestant. These form the bulwark of
our Republic and Mr.. MCGOWAN said he
should regret any change that would
take fromssthese children what is their
right, fair representation on the school
board.
MR.. f. b. WINSLOW,
mem Der of the commission on the
new charter, said that he had not felt In
drawing up the charter that he was re-
presenting minority. He did not think
that the system proposed in electirg
school committeeman would tend to dis
enfranchiss any religion, political belief
or faith. On the contrary he believed
the proposed system OF thus electing the
school COMMITTEES would work to the sat-
isfaction of the. people of all faiths. Mr..
Winslow thought that single board
would work more rapidly and more to
the satisfaction of everyone. 1t would be
placing the city under same govern
msnt as that under which large corpora
tions are run.
COUNCILMAN DOUGHERTY
asked Mr.. Winslow if he believed that in
electing the school committee ON gem
ernl tick ct the voters of the city would
ever rise above party lines AMI elect any
representative Of the minority to that
board. MIR. Dougherty referred to the
manner of elecuiug aldermen in Boston
on general ticket as an exampls OF
what would happen If the school COM
mitree were chosen in the same way. In
answering, Mr.. Winslow sAid he believed
the voters would entirely disregard par
ty lines in electing the school board and
vote for the best men irrespective of par
ty.
SIDNEY W. THAXTER
asked Mr.. Winslow why the charter COM
mission recommended commission for
the fire department ana not for the po-
lice department..
In replying to this question Mr.. Win
slow said the whole aim of the proposed
charter was to give the mayor as much
power as possible and to hold him re-
sponsible for his acts. For this reason
the police force ha6 been placed under
his immediate charge as this department
of the city comes closer to the citizens
than doesyany other depai tment.
At this point brief recess was taken
during which the proposed new charter
continued to be discussed in groups of
three or four. When the council resumed
it's session, Mr.. Chapman stook the floor
again and commenced to answer ques-
tions which were asked him by mem Der
OF, the City Council In reply to ques-
tion propounded by Councilman Dough-
erty, MI. Chapman said, among other
things, that IL the mayor did not do
right in administering the city's affairs
the eople could rise and strike him.
Chow are they going to strike him2'
asked Alderman Ilsley, "wheD the mayor
has under his control all Of the city de-
partmepts and can usa their influence in
perpetuating himself in officer"
Mr. Chapman didn't think the mayor
would have all Of these departments un-
Il = l..