The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-11-29


to Be Considered at Some Future
Meeting.
The first meeting of the charter COM
mission was held yesterday morning at
the city hall. Twelve of the fifteen mem
bers appointed were present, the alb
sentees being Messrs. c. r. Smith, Nor
man Fetter and E. o. Zimmerman. Judgs
Charles E. Flandrau was elected perma-
nent chairman, and Carl Taylor secre-
tary pro tenn, the selection of a perma-
nent secretary being left until the next
meeting. The members were sworn in by
Judge Jaggard, of the district court.
The question of the limitations and now
'erS of the commission was brought up
by e. 8. Durment, who thought 1t advis-
able that the commission should decide
whether 1t would be competent to act.
1t would be useless, he said, to go ahead
and appoint standing committees and go
to further trouble and then learn later
that 1t was impossible to report charter
that could be enforced even If it was
adopted. In his opinion there was seri-
GUS question involved and it Woul be wise
to have committee appointed and re-
port from 1t as to the limitations and
powers of the commission. By this he ex-
planned he meant the committee was to
consider the constitutional provision and
also the enabling act. A committee con-
sisting Of Messrs. Durment, Childs,
O'Brien, Fetter and Flandrau was ap-
pointed on the question and an adjourn
ment taken to Wednesday evening,
Dec. 6.
There appeared to be a unanimity of
opinion that the relief of the schools was
to be Of first consideration, but the ques-
ton of limiting the work Of the commits
sion to this phase of the charter was not
SO unanimous There was some doubt ex-
pressed as to whether the commission
could legally report a charter that would
make but a Slight amendment to the
chapter under which the schools are OPP
Grated.
Mr.. O'Brien gave notice that at the
next meeting he would introduce a mo-
ton limiting the commission to the con-
SideratiOn of the school question.
Messrs. Taylor. O'Brien and Bridgman
were named as a committee to report as
to the form Of organization and the needs
of a secretary and the necessity of ask
ing the council for an appropriation Of
the salary of a clerk or Stenographer.
Mr.. DOran was of the opinion that the
less the charter was tempered with the
better presentation the commission could
make to the public. The commission was
not costly to the city. Considerable time
could be given to the school question al
though he did not believe the schools
should be the only matter considered and
pointed out that a change was needed SO
as either to give the mayor the entire
charge of the police department or place
it under the charge of police commits
sion. -.s--
There was a general discussion as to the
duties of the committee appointed to re-
port as to the power and limitations of
the commission. It was decided that the
committee was not to report as to the
policy of the commission, that being left
to the commission to say whether it will
attempt to relieve the distress of the
schools or go further.
Chairman FIandrau suggested that the
meeting at which the policy of the COM
mission was to be considered should be
an executive one. Mr.. Durment pointed
out that. such a course would at once
prejudice the people against whatever re-
port was made, and Chairman Fiandrau
withdrew his suggestion. It was decided
however, that the discussion, If there
should be any, as to the policy of the
commission would be confined to mem
berS of the commission ONLY