The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1905-01-16

At the special meeting of the city
council Saturday night the message
of Mayor Boyd was read asking for
charter amendments to increase the
power of the mayor and to place with
the chief executive the responsibility
for the efficiency of the fire and po-
lice department and the board of
public works.
The changes asked for give the
mayor absolute power to remove in
competents and to enforce a more
the readers of The Press may study
the changes proposed the mayors
message is given in full.
1t may also be pointed out that
these reforms are in line with the
movement of the business mems
party who would elect a mayor to
serve without salary. The candidate
proposed, d. C. Corbin, objected to
making the race mainly because Of
the handicap a mayor Is laboring un-
der. With the changes outlined the
mayor would be given sweeping
power and the objection Of Mr.. Cor
bin would be removed. The message
reads:
SPOKANE, Wash, Jan. IA, 1905
Hon. President and City Council
Gentlemen: Your prompt action in
taking up the question Of charter
amendments as suggested in my mes
sage submitted at your last meeting
t.. a HI Ir,I
appreciates the necessity of energetic
action in order to get the proposed
amendments before the people at the
Forthcoming municipal election.
The weak points in our present
charter have become so apparent
through years of experience, and
have been brought out so distinctly
by the experience of the last Is
months, that men who have the best
interests of the city at heart ought
to have little difficulty at this ime
in getting together on amendments
that will tend to secure for Spokane
an administration of its municipal af-
fairs that will be more economical
and businesslike than any that has
been possible under the present char
ter. Years of experience in the pub
lie service in Spokane, supplemented
by a careful study of the charters
of other cities in recent months,
prompts me to believe that I am able
at this time to offer some sugges-
tions in the way of amendments to
our organic law that will tend to
simplify and strengthen our charter
in manner that will result in posi-
tive and lasting public benefit.
The main trouble with our char
ter at present is that the responsible
ity is 50 divided that II can not be
fixed anywhere, and that the execu-
tive has not sufficient power to COM
pei subordinate officers to properly
perform their duties. One appointive
another, which would not be possible
if one official were responsible for
the acts of all. There should be one
man who is responsible for the acts
of all officials under him, and that
man, manifestly, should be the mayor
who appoints them. The theory that
the mayor may create an official. who
in turn may appoint subordinates.
and that the official thus created, to-
gether with the subordinates whom
he appoints, no matter how incompe-
tent or dishonest they may prove to
be, may defy the official head who
created them 10 disturb them in their
positions without first securing the
consent of the legislative body, which
for purely political reasons may de-
sire to retain them, is absurd.
while the executive should be
given sufficient power to remove in
competent officials, enforce his poll
cies ana protect the interests of the
people, care should be taken that he
is not invested with power that
would enable him to place corrupt OF
incompetent persons in places of pub
lie trust, or for personal or political
reasons remove members of the fire