The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-01-05
MAYOR HAYNES INAUGURAL
Emphasizes Need Of New Charter as Most
Pressing Question.

Emphasizes Need Of New Charter as Most
49, Pressing Question.
'Mr. President and Gentlemen of the
City Council: ~.-.
-'.Agreeably to the provisions Of the city
charter, we have assembled here to-day
for the purpose Of organizing the city
government for the ensuing two years.
1--WE have listened with great profit and
interest to the able review Of municipal
matters just submitted by the retiring
acting mayor, and now in obedience to
established custom it becomes my duty
to outline to You, in general terms, my
views in regard to the duties and respon-
sibilities with which the executive and
legislative departments of our city gov
eminent respectively stand charged and
to suggest some Of tho> matters which
may probably demand your consideration
in the future. tsefs.
Need Of Now Charter.
eat the present outset and with all due
respect to it's trainers permit me to state
that our present city charter Is an anti
uuated document that ought to be re-
placed by g. new charter at the very first
opportunity. 1t was sufficient In its time
and has served the community exceeding
ly well, and the people Of this city are to-
day enjoying the benefit of some Of its
| wise ENTHUSIASTICALLY those limiting
the bonding and taxing power OF the coun-
| ell; it was we'll adapted to the needs of \
small town. but the town has become
metropolitan city, with a commanding
| future, social and industrial conditions
| have undergone an immense change.
much legislation effecting cities generally
/ has been passed and now I submit that Il
must be apparent to the most casual OBJ
server ,of public affairs that the time II
| fully ripe for new charter.
| LET us briefly consider the predicanent
! in which we find ourselves as munich
pality. regarding. legislation needed by
! this city from time to time.
"A few years; ago th&estate legislature
| enacted a law empos1E1ng cities to adopt
their own :charterssSihus recognizing the
| doctrine of home rule. This law also au-.
thorized the voters of any city freely to
amend its charter after 1t had once been
1 so adopted. We. have attempted on two
i occasions to avail ourselves of the pro-
i visions of this law, and failed both times
i chiefly because the number of votes re-
quired to pass the proposed charter is un-
4 reasonably large True, ST. Paul has In
the meantime adopted a new charter un-
1 der the same law, but it was done by
/ arousing the people in behalf of the pub
lie schools, which were likely to be
closed for lack of funds unless the charter
. was passed. Duluth also succeeded by q
similar expedient, or by means Of special
!. election, am not sure which AS re-
suit the other two large cities in the state
have both secured home rule with all that
q the term lmpllleS, Whlle minneapolis 10
still dependent upon the state legislature
for all needed legislation.
whenever we appeal to that body for
local favors, we find the st. Paul and Du-
!, luth delegations Indifferent and perhaps
ever disposed to extort favors from our
, delegation to which they are not fairly
). entitled-moreover. we are always con-
: fronted by the restricted provisions of our
), state constitution against special legisla-
ton which are a constant menace to the
validity of any law which our local dele
cation may chance to secure.
81 am confident that unless this situa
ton is speedily changed there Is gray.