Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-02-19
COMMISSION
DIFFERS ON
BASIC POINTS
CHARTER REVISION MAKES
SLOW PROGRESS
SELECTING couNcILMEN PROVES
STUMBLING BLOCK
Messrs. Hunsaker and Works Express
Impotence After Action Is
Deferred Till Next
Tuesday

Members of the charter revision
commission are drifting SO far apart on
fundamental questions that last night
two leading members, Messrs. w. j.
Hunsaker and John D. Works, re-
marked that they thought 1t was time
to quit unless the members coufd come
to some agreement.
I'VE are not getting along at ALL"
said Chairman Hunsaker after adj
journnisnt to q group of members as
they reached for their hats. 1t was
then past II o'clock.
mo, not even on basic questions, and
for one am ready to step down il we
can't make progress" chimed in Mr..
Works.
The charter revision commission last
night wrestled for three hours with the
councilmanic problem.
The three conflicting reports of the
judiciary committee recommending the
ward system, the divided ward and at
large system and the purely at large
system were talked about and at the
conclusion the committeeman were no
nearer together than before.
Defer Till Next Week
Finally E. B. Tufts interrupted Com
missioner Mesmer's speech to state
that he had to catch a train In ten
minutes and as he was anxious to vote
on the question he hoped the matter
would be laid over till next Tuesday.
The cue was taken, a motion to adj
journ was made and the members dis
persed.
One feature was brought up when the
following report was made by the judi
ciary committee and filed:
1.-TWO questions of law have been
submitted to this committee for an
swer:
"First-Can an entire city charter be
submitted as an alternative PROPOSE
ton?
"Second-Can more than one alterna-
tive article or proposition be submitted
on any single article or proposition in
the charter presented as a whole?
'As to the first of these, your COM
mittee is of the opinion that an entire
charter cannot be submitted as an al
tentative proposition, but that as
many articles or propositions may be
submitted as alternatives as there are
articles or propositions contained in the
full charter submitted each as an alter
native to one such article or PROPOSE
ton.
Cite the Constitution
"As to the second question, major
ity of your committee are of the opin-
ion that more than one alternative ar
ticle or proposition may be submitted
TO any one article or proposition in the
full charter submitted. But, in this
connection, majority of the commit
tee also desire to call the attention of
the commission to the fact that the
constitution provides that If a ma
jority of the electors voting thereon
shall ratify the charter it shall then
be submitted to the legislature for its
approval. and suggest that the require
ment making a majority vote essential
to the adoption of charter should be
considered by this commission il 1t
shall deem it advisable to attempt the
submission of more than one alterna-
tive to any provision in the proposed
charter.
JOHN d. WORKS, Chairman"
Lengthy debate followed without any
action being taken.
FinIayson's Solution
Commissioner Frank G. Finlayson
offered the following by way of throw
ing new light
"Resolved, That it is the sense of
this committee that the charter to be
submitted shall contain an article pro-
viding in effect;
"That the legislative authority of
this city shall be vested In council
composed of seven Cd members. and
that such councilmen shall be voted
'That an alternative to such article
be also submitted which shall pro-
vide:
''That the legislative authority of
this city shall be vested in a council
elected from nine (9) wards by the
qualified electors of said nine wards
respective, as follows:
Zach of said nine wards shall elect
one councilman and one additional
councilman for every 1000 votes over
the first 1000 votes cast at the last pre-
ceding municipal election;
THAT at least thirty 800 days prior
to each general municipal election 1T
shall he the duty of the city council to
determine and provide by ordinance
the number of councilmen to which
each of said respective wards shall be
entitled according to said representa-
ton"
Final action was deferred on this.