The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1900-11-14
THE CITY CHARTER.

A hearing before the joint committee of
the Senate and House on the bill Introduced
Ivy Senator DeBoer to amend the charter of
the city OF Montpelier, was held In the Sem
ats chamber last evening.
Mayor Brown, Aldermen Kent, Laird,
Harlow and Wheelook we're present, also
| City Attorney Carleton and Hon. W. A.
Lord. City Attorney Carleton opened the
session by stating to the committee the va
riUus reasons why the amendment to the
charter became necessary. City Attorney
Carleton called the attention Of the commit
tee to the fact that the original charter was
hastily drawn and in many ways has been
found faulty and inadequate.
he said that when application was first
III AIDE for charter, the idea not to make
city out of village but to give village
city government. The scope of the amend
ment asked for is to simplify the working
of the old charter. He would also ask the
committee to amend the amendment before
them aud add a provision for the appoint
IN ant OF park commissioners whose term of
ufiice should be for five years. This Is the
result OF an afterthought, since the amend
ment of the charter was drafted and sug.
gtsted by the will of the late j K. Hubbard,
leaving to the city park and endow IN ent
for the same.
Mr. Lord followed Mr.. Carleton He
said he was present to obi ct to that portion
OF Section % OF the amended charter, apply
ing to the chief OF p lice, This provides for
the appointment and removal of this officer,
subject to approval OF the city council ard
provides that the chief may appoint such
number OF regular and special police Off
GERS as The city council shall author ~, and
may remove and appoint others in the r
places at his pleasure. He said that lie ap-
peared as attorney for police officer who
had been In the service of the city for the
past twenty-five ears and he believed that
this portion OF the section WAS dangerous
and was giving undue mower to an appoint
i've officer over other officers who may de-
pend upon his favor for their appointments
He also obje ted to the provision made,
whereby the police officers fees shall be-.
long to the CT ty. He said so far as his
knowledge went regarding municipal at.
fairs, none OF the tax payers had found
fault because a police offic.r, taking the
risks he did at times in IN king arrests re-
ceived these fees. He said he was ready to
substitute An amendment to this part of the
bill, whic in substance " iuld provide for
the same arrangement practically AS the old
charter.
Mr.. Carleton and Alderman Laird sus-
tanned the new provision. They held that
the police we're under salary and the matter
OF allowing them fees was the same as
placing premium on arrests. The regular
police are paid S14 each and investigation
shows that, in add ion to their regular pay
they received over $500 in fees for work
done on the city's time. They agreed that
chief OF police AZ the chief had no control
over other officers and it is from this fact
the provision in question was made ia the
amended charter. Mr., Lard held III A.
under the old char er there mas been con-
slant friction between the chief of police
aud psrrOlmen and he believed that it
would be better TO abolish the office of
chief than to continue under the provisions
of the Old charter
II. O. Shurtlt # iuterrogsted the city coun-
oil .
of grand juror from an elective TO an ap-
poiniive office. Alderman Laird replied,
stating that the city council had to shout
der all the blame for the expenditures of
the year, about much OF which the city
council has had nothing to say in the past.
Last year the CITY had deficit of over
1000, Of which $3.50 VAS from the grand
jurors work of the year. He said the grand
Jurors had done thriving business during
the year trying cases, losing them, trying
and losing them again bnt the city had to
pay the bills. Mr. Shurtleff objected to this
amendment suggesting that it deprived the
grand jurors of the cover 10 criiicise the
city council and lef the matter The ma
tnre of political pull. He also objected to
the provisions for h laying OF highways.
Senator DeBoer spoke in favor OF the
amended charter as whole and while he
believed the grand juror, like the auditors,
should be elected by the people an should
object TO the councils swapping his gravel
pit, even though it gave him the right of
appeal but ~ the new provisions rein
forced with just limitations, he should not
object to their passage. He believed from
perusal OF the new charter that it gave the
council chance to retrench on the annual
expense OF the city and placed the burden
OF negligence fairly upon the councils
shoulders, il deficit follows in the future,
He desired TO see the amendment pass.
T. X. Gordon argued sg 4inst the provision
for the appointment OF grand jurors. He
said 1t was possible that The council
might be 80 constituted that it might desire
to run the city agency, high license style,
a 80 would object to appointing grand
juror who would enforce rigidly the pro-
hbitory law. He also found fault with The
construction of the bill from several stand
points, stating that th.re were 1000 errors
or theresb)uts. Alderman Wheelock sup
ported the grand juror section and sug-
gested some minor changes in he wording
OF other sections, after which Senator s Jan
ton, chairman Of the committee, adjourned
the hearing