The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1903-03-20
Brief Session Held Last Evening, but
Nothing Is Done.
Commission Has No Power to Offer
Amendments Now.
Judge Severance to Prepare a SSate.
ment for Publication.
People Do Not Understand the Merits
of the New Charter.
From Tuesdays Daily.

From Tuesdays Daily.
The charter commission held short
session last evening at H. J.. & j. w
Schmitt's office, but decided to offer no
amendments to the charter. This de-
eision was reached for the reason that
the lawyers on the commission are of the
opinion that the commission does not at
this time have right to offer amend
ments. If the charter should be adopted
it would then have a right to prepare
any amendments that it sees fit
The only formal action taken by the
board was to adopt motion made by
DIR. Andrews, that. Judge Severance be
asked to prepare statement in regard
to the new charter, for the members to
sign, and to be published. This state
ment will give brief synopsis of the
new charter, showing wherein it is an
Improvement over the present one.
The members present were Chairman
F. M. Currier, Secretary H. L. Schmitt,
Judge Severance, DR.. Andrews, w. E.
Young, S. B. Martin, Geo. NJ. Phillips
and Frank Halstead.
Previous to the meeting being called to
order, an interesting discussion as to
the merits of the proposed new charter
was had. 1t was the general opinion
that the criticisms that have been pass
ed upon the document have not been
justified in the main. 1t was admitted
that the omission of any provision for
ascertaining the amount of damages to
be assessed in case of the condemnation
of land for streets is a grave one, but
the city at present has no way to con-
denim property, in the opinion of many
attorneys. When it was sought some
years ago to condemn land belonging to
L. G. M. Fletcher to straighten Mime
sofa street, Judge Severance held that
the charter provision was weak. The city
appealed to the supreme court, but the
case was settled. Under the new charter
the city would be no worse off than it
is now AS soon as the new charter
was adopted the commission could pre-
pare an amendment remedying the de-
feet.
The members of the commission did
not see any merit nthe other objections
that have been raised to the new charter,
being of the opinion that the objections
come principally from members of the
present city administration. 1t was
thought that the aldermen do not care
to lose their present patronage.
1t was pointed out that the assessor
has in the past elected himself. The
last three assessors, at least, have been
outgoing aldermen from the Sixth ward,
and they assisted in their own election,
and at least one of them cast the decid-
ing ballot in his own favor. The new
charter provides that the assessor shall
be elected by the people. 1t also pro-
vides that the city attorney shall be
elected by the people instead of by the
council.
The statement which Judge Sever
ance is to prepare is to be signed by each
member of the commission, and will be
ready in couple of days. The ques-
ton was asked whether it was thought
that the new charter would pass or not,
and opinion was divided. All, however,
agreed that it would pass if the people
understand its merits. 1t was thought
that parties who would be hit by the
new charter are trying to throw dust in
the eyes of the voters, to prejudice them
against thing that is distinctly to
their benefit.
An effort will probably be made to
have all the voters vote one way or the
other on the new charter, as every bal
lot counts, whether the charter is vot-
ed on or not.