Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-12-01
mrsrcirAL nrronm MOVEMENT

AZ tho fr,innll conference on city
roytrnmen, that met ycsefdhy Nov.
30. at Indianapolis, = r1rprt win be
made BY q committee thn, has outlined
plan Tor me government of American
/ cities. This document. which has been
prepared hy Horace 4. Denrng ESD
o. New York. Charles Richardson. "
Philadelphia; Albert shaw and Prof =.
J. cuodnow. Of Now York; lion. elm
ton Rogers woodruff and DR.. 1@o 2.
Rove. OF Philadelphia. and Prof r. j.
James. ~ Chlchgo. cmb1dies che re-
forms believed 90 be necessary IN muni-
cinai government. It's provisions are
c'lrs,ncd under the following four
heads. Hehton Of the municipality 90
the state. powers ut the municipality
procedure IN tho exercise OF municipal
funorona and she electoral franchise
ana che application Of the merit prnel.
pie Of the adm nis,ra,ivc service.
ID Under the nrst head ihe committee
says;
'yrhc inadeauacy Of the constitutional
provisions usually aG picd ~ provide
against special ieasslati1n has been an
experience common 10 most OF our
American states. In the uplrpn Of She
cnmm,.ieo the two main causes of such
failure are.
1.-THE absence ~ definition "
special legislation In the Constitution
itself the result ~ Which u 10 permit
such minute classification M O. open
the way 10 special legislation under the
Rulrc " general laws.
Tho t.urHNaH VtwsNr UrnuffN a
cities which hocessi.1ics constant az.
plcauon 10 the legislature Tor further
powers AMI thus systematically de.
vcOps the habit ~ legislative inicrfer-
encc. Tho committee has therefore at
tempted % defne special legislation
~ legislation which " not made appil-
cable 10 al the cities Of the states or
all the habliants thereof. Tho System
proposed requires for such measures the
acton " nm overwhelming majority ~
the legislature. md IN case OF the DIS
approval OF any ~ the cities Affected
increases the safeguards by rcqu, sng
that the two-thirds minority shan IN
ciude threc-fourthn OF the members ~
the legislature from districts outside OF
the city VI cities affected.
In order further % r,dyse the nee
cgsliy for special legislation tht hMrfnd-
mcnt pr,yldea for a liberal grant "
murlripai powers. thus diminishing ths
dependence % the city upon the state
irgisihiurg. The committee has felt thai
sins method Of rcEulw;inE SPECIAL lcgis-
hton VIII project the paramount inter-
csia o. The state. and. NJ the same time.
assure 10 the cities all necessary free.
dom Of acflnn. A. further gulrarsy
10 such freedom 81 action, lhe amend.
meni provides that all cities having a
population Of $1,000 or over may frame
their own charters. subject 10 the con.
atltnbon ana 60 such power u the leg
iEAiure 81 pass laws under the rcsirlc-
tons regarding special iegislstlon
above outlined"
The section treating of municipal or.
Rnnsxation PROPOSES 90 abolish nxed
terms Of oillcc except Tor officials elect.
cd by popular vote. The mayor ana
the members N the city council are the
only officers 10 elected. Reductions are
further placed on the ability 10 oontrac,
debt except indcbicdncur Incurred Tor
the purchase or construction u rev.
cuue'pfpduo.ng public works. which are
held rot Ia represent real financial
burden. since tnterosi AMI sinking
fund charges are usually paid out OF
the profits Of those enterprise.
~ 70 ffanekscs. the committee
says;
careful constitutional Provisions
have been formulated as 10 the method
.. FtinlinH franchises. That such frin.
,hlres should only be Frtutt-l for a
llmited period N princlple that has
now received very general acceptance.
Th' application 90 fhlH principle is uf
Importance 81 a country like thr tfnlt.
ga states, where ths legislative author
ny 70 restricted by che constitutional
guhtanilct To vested rights. with ua tho
grant Of "a valuable franchfo for an
/ lthennlie pcfild d. Ia flUf, it u.t boz ttV.
irrrvpgahle. The enormous Nlme nf
such q frarehHs mikss DO rrIl. lUtilv
/ impossible ilr q rlly 90 r.uurHh.ar n
without seriously lmfllrinr ta
/ hrance'. The end which Oh commit.
zee bar hnl In virw has been to mlk,
thr franchise rraf' iu ths rtiur1 700 81
tam 90 which ihc ctv. ha lnss1r. ,1taf.
mao plssgHalon. The limits nf the icaa.
| have been Used az tWpnty-one an
ttatf; a term amply sufficient o. on p
/ nll ncc0 ftty lGducrmenB O. pr,lii.
/ curpuAiions."
Regarding no organization % the
cay council the committee says .n par..
"Ths imilnoatlon Tor tho division of
~ lANN'NkAhNNN NNAN"N NNfu TWO LlNaWa
/ hers o. % %, found IN the desire 20 pro
| ifci thh NO. liberty und property "
Z me citizen against h1Hty nr l.conald.
[ cred lurlfh.vo action The Reasons
| aupp1Wlus Huoh a system nrt consider.
upy WWkanNi when The main dangers
/ fMn Mfiy action are guarded agiinf.
I lu ih' constitution. This hls been dlne
M pf.aer.hlng ih' conditions In in.
frluiiuE c' lr1uehise1, lmIIur mlHht.
/ lnU 50 90. The history uf American
uunlr.palAleH ma proven tht thu
I moci of the hlrlW'rll Fyatfm lris bHrr
| o. disHlrafr, ~ MT % deHffly. rall
pon.bllHi. The provision Tor uul.
( cimonl legislature ls hut ih, logical
/ application of me ldca uf plltloli no..
HTlns|hIiiy which has como to ~. "A
/ guidinE principle 10 ths efforts Tor mu.
uicipal reform"
The r1,lonnl municipal league was
orglnlzcd In New York In 1894 II h
r'w an organization OF about one nun.
drcd societies, which are striving Tor
ths ins;@u,l9n aud main nance Of
good clly government 20 Leagues
1i1eos q 90 promale tn prlprrnanage.
mont " riiles Is municipal corpora.
'lens disentaugled from issues OF stsee
and nation. broadly thls might he
said 20 Involve principlss essan,s,l
to the "ell-belng Of the city, the dis.