The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-11-09
CHAPTER TWO OF CHARTER.
1t Is Observation-Disclosures Elections
to Re Held i'm the Spring


Shall municipal elections be held in the fall
or in the spring? This Is the question with
which the charter commission struggled last
night. There were champions for both sea-
sons of the year, but the friends of spring
gentle zephyrs stormed the fort until they
captured 1t, and if the action taken last
night is the final one the first Tuesday after
the first Monday in April of each odd num-
bered year will be municipal election day.
The matter came up with the reading of
the second draft Of chapter two of the pro-
posed charter. Section five provided that gen
eral elections under the charter be held on
the first Tuesday after the first Monday in
November. Commissioner Winston opposed
this and gave his reasons for doing SO. He
was very strongly in favor of spring cleo
ticns. Commissioners Davenport, Haynes,
Atwater and Gjertsen agreed with Commits
siOner Winston. Commissioner Cohen cham
pioned the cause OF fall elections Commission
er Winston moved to amend by substituting
April for November, which motion was car
ried by vote Of seven to six.
The consideration of chapter two was the
main business of the meeting. The sections
adopted provide briefly as follows:
That the elective officers shall be mayor
treasurer, comptroller, clerk assessor, at.
the city attorney and of aldermen at large
shall be four years. The term of office of
other officers shall be two years, except as
specifically provided elsewhere in the charter.
Provisions are made for the filling Of any
Office which may be omitted in the charter;
for special elections; for appointment of Of
of judges of the municipal court; for re-
moval of an officer by a two-thirds vote of
the council: for the trial of an offending Of
ficer; for the declaration of forfeiture of
office for various causes; for the resignation
of an officer; for the filing of vacancies; for
failure to elect an elective officer; for the
prevention of a public officer having any
connection whatever with a city contract; for
punishment of officers who shall violate any
of the provisions of the charter; for the in
crease or decrease of salaries; for annual
and special reports from elective and ap-
pontive officers.
Commissioner Wins.ons amendment sub
stituting April for November as the date OF
elections, necessitated reference back to the
drafting committee of six of the first ten
sections of the chapter The chapter had
been drafted with the understanding that the
section relating to the date of elections would
stand and after considerable effort to
remedy the various sections by amendments,
it was found that the several sections would
have to be redrafted and they were there
fore sent back to the committee. Before the
meeting adjourned Commissioner Hawley
gave notice that at the next meeting he
would move to reconsider the action taken on
Commissioner Winstons amendment.
Commissioner Gjertsen presented a draft
of the chapter relating to municipal owner
ship of franchises, but as 1t had not been
considered by all OF the members of the
committee 1t was referred back and placed on
special orders for next Monday evening.
The commission decided, before adjourn
ing, to meet Thursday night Of this week,