The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1905-01-12
THE DAILY TELEGRAM.
THOSE AMENDMENTS

uOne aions Inc matter OF NEW city
charter. OF amendments to the present
one, that it might provide better
Tor the city water works and furnish
means, 50 far as possible, in solving thc
water problem.
radical departure from tne present
code is made in tne proposed amend
ments as drafted by the city attorney
and publisasd in tae papers The first
thing done Is 10 jump into the clause
providing for elective Offices AMI sucn
curtailment is made as 10 centraliz
power Officers equally important as
that Of mayor are made appointiye, for
Instance street superintendent. COM
missioner of the water works, and chief
of police. Other cities may be emulat-
ed in tine proposed amendment in this
respect, but the people of Clarksburg
feel that these very important officers
slould be elected and not appointed
There Is no real reason why the citizens
of a community are not as good judges
OF the qualifications of men for these
places as tine mayor is and no logical
reason we can think Of why That sec
tion of tine code SHOULD be revised IA
proposed. Again, why except the city
clerk and city assessor. if the others are
to be done away with 50 far as the peo-
pie having any say is concerned? Are
those offices any more important than
the others, and, since they are NOT why
elect them and appoint the othersy
There is nothing especially objections
able That W. know OF about making the
term of Office longer, except that it
should apply TO all alike. and, 50 Jar as
mayor is concerned. W. are inclined to
believe that ne should not. under those
circumstances, succeed himself, as it is
well TO cnange men at head Of municipal
affairs occasionally.
The next section is not altogether
good We do not believe tine council
has any right to define the length Of
Inc term of any appointNe officer be.
yond that Of the appointing council il,
self. Every council should choose its
own officers which are not elective
That thing Of filling a vacancy by 4
majority Of the councilmen present is
all wrong. \ quorum at laast should
be taken into consideration here. 1t i.
wrong the way it is in the book now,
but tine proposed amendment makes no
change in it except 10 climinata what
IS said about officials other tnan those
wno are TO be elected a. stated in 4
previous amendment.
We rather take to the ida in one OF
The amendments. which provides that
the mayor and chief Of police shall 70.
"sive no fees. Cut tnat out and piy,
Them a respectable salary. There is ne
good reason why man should pay tnf
city for getting drunk and in addition
pay Inc mayor for trying him and the
chief for mis- arrest. Cut the costs OUT
any way. Give the officers tae right
salary and let that b. tae euI Of It so
iar as money i concerned
While the mayor should be the chief
executive Of the city yet his duties
should be prescribed, just as well a.
That of others. and We see no reason
way there should be that one-man power
vested in the mayor as sci out in tne
proposed amendments. The federalist
system was tried by a number Of large
cities few years ago and ii failed 10
work
Il any on appoints the police Of the
city other than the council ii should H.
the chief of police himself and not the
mayor, who does not do police duty and
! under no specific obligations to the
people in that respect If the council
appoint them the suggestions Of the
chief snould be taken into consid.rIio
rather than those Of mayor. Ia,
people hold tn chief responsible for the
conduct Of the police department. bnt
y mayor is To be held responsible, for
tnat he would necessarily nave +, no
neld responsible for all The other de-.
partments and there would accumulate
90 many responsibilities that he wonla
be weighed down 50 completely tnat II.
would not know ''where he was att
The idea Of the mayor appointing thc
cnIef of police and then onnnint;,,r