The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1902-12-13
SALEM
CHARTER
FEATURES
Information About the Old
and the New
Some Attention will Be Given
TO Vital Statistics

A municipal charter, to truly serve
the city of which It is the organic
rode, must expand, symetrlcally, with
the growth OF the community Il stands
Tor. II varies from a constitution in
that il deals with the active potentiali.
ties of public life, rather than with
basic principle OF law only. A city
grows at a swifter pace than a state or
nation, and the fundamental law nm.
her which 1t operates becomes re.
stricted and unservlceable unless IL is
amended frequently, and kept to the
full standard of advancing require.
ment.
The original charter of the city of
Salem, which has undergone six
thanges at the hands Of the Oregon
legislature, in the course OF 80 years.
viii soon be again submitted for
amendment, and 1t is hoped the new
Instrument will fully meet the expec.
Iations of municipal life, as represent
ed by the flourlshing little capital of
oregon. The present charter. known
as the Citizens charter, was. appar.
ently adequate for the greatest needs
of Salem at the time of It's passage
put the remarkable progress made by
the city since 1899 leaves a good deal
% be desired in the way of charter.
authority, and It is 70 supply this hla.
lps that the charter commission ap.
pointed, Jointly, by the common coun.
sd and the Greater Salem CONNER.
cinl Club, is now faithfully working.
The existing charter contains many
provisions that will call for the en-.
fercement of policies absolutely new
70 the people Of Salem and the most
of them have worked for the public
GOOD; this, after all Is said and done,
"a the paramount purpose Of all such
codes, and when the charter commits.
sion shall have reported new amend.
monts, there will be a better and
broader basis upon which to construct
the manifest destiny of Salem among
the cities of the great Northwest.
In the remarkable detail OF city bus.
mess it is exceedingly difficult to
irnme a charter that shall cover every
phase of action, and the weakness OF
many a provision is not discovered un.
~ deliberate effort is made to operate
II Under the guise of an ordinance,
fhese failures must be made good by
amendment, though the original pur
pose of the provision is not disturbed
and this class Of amendment Is enter.
lng largely into the work of the pres.
emit commissioh but there are mum.
bers of new elements of civic law en-.
aging It's attention.
u would be of immense benefit to
no municipal corporations OF Ord
son If general law could be framed
nf the legislature comforting upon
eouncils, subject to the approval of
c|lizens interested, the right TO
amend their charters without refer.
enee to the law-making power of the
ainte, This could be done by pre-.
scribing certain limits of operation by
t'Aies Of various degrees of population
aud by enforcing constitutional OBJ.
eeryances, and would relieve the legis-
|eture of a burdensome task, and give !
me people Of towns and cities a clos
er grasp upon the organic law in |
whieh, as taxpayers, they are, solely |
Intefested.
The ten men now at work upon the
nhaTter Of Salem are seeking, disin-
'efestedly, TO put the law of the city
"a snch condition that nothing shall
oe Acking in the expediting Of pub
ic anairs safely and creditably, and
we endeavoring to cover all the lapses
'ppRrent in the present law. They are
'n4nng with some very important
fNIpres bearing upon the boundaries
'Hhnce, adornment and safety Of the
'lt4 and will soon submit a group of
'mendments that have been drawn
'ltt the utmost care, to the end that
f'em may advance readily and con
|Net her general business securely,
lhout the hampering incident Of in
Netion and irresponsible interfer.
ttf though il is certain no such in
'fpment can be so nearly perfect as
2 Escape criticism and legal attack :
'psether; but the opportunity for
etiying the work may Ne reduced
p minimum.
hnong the newer provisions being
q np by the commission, is that re-
AIling the maintenance of vital sta
t|IPs, the public record OF births.
'afhs, disease and sanitary inspec-
~. safeguard no city of the size of :
Alenl should be without; and the mo
W pperandi prescribed will entail no
ita and costly charges IN the estab-
.nMent Of a health department, but
Il b. so arranged that the cost will u