Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1908-05-16


Boston-In executive session the
joint committees of metropolitan af.
fairs and cities at the state house
will vote to report a bill entitled "An
act relating to the government of the
city of Chelsea" 1t will combine the
commission idea as originally advo
Gated by Representative Robinson
and the citizens committee of Chel-
sea, and Speaker Coles proposition
for an advisory board.
The city government disappears
with the appointment of commits
sion by the governor. to come into
being again in 1912 with the commits,
sion, known in the bill as the Chel.
sea board of review" continuing inde-
tinitely in advisory capacity.
1t is provided that at the outset
the governor shall appoint commits.
sion of five. one to serve till 1910,
one till 1911 and three till 1913. This
commission is called the board of
review" The successors of those
members whose terms expire in 1910
and 1911 shall be nominated and
elected by the people of Chelsea.
This commission of five shall have
the powers now vested in the board
of aldermen, the mayor and the school
committee. 1t shall appoint a school
committee of five, two to serve till
1910, two till 1911 and one till 1909.
The successors of these school COM
mitteemen shall be elected by the
people.
The commission is given power to
appoint all heads of departments and
may remove any officer at any time.
In 1911 the people of the city shall
elect mayor and board of alder.
men, and the Cole idea comes in here.
On the election of these officials the
board of review. as the commission is
called, continues to act in an advisory
capacity having absolute veto power
over all appropriations above $1,000.
After 1912 a commission of three
shall be appointed by the governor,
the members to serve for one. two
and three years respectively and
their successors are thereafter to be
appointed for three years.
The return to city government is
effected through the operation of sec
tion of the bill. which reads as fol-
lows:
I'm the year 1911 mayor and mem
bers of the aldermen shall be nom
mated, elected and hold Office in the
city as now provided by law, the al
dermen shall have the powers and du-
ties now deyolved upon them and
those given to the commissioners by
this act, all subject to the veto pow
er of the mayor, and the mayor shall
have the powers and duties now de-
yolved upon him; except that the
mayor shall make all appointments
and removals and fix the compensa-
tion of appointments, subject to con.
hrmation by the aldermen; and the
board of review shall review the acts
of, and may advise, the mayor and al
dermen; and every vote passed by
the aldermen with the approval or
over the veto of the mayor and every
contract of or for the city involving
an expenditure of more than $1,000,
and every appointment and removal
by the mayor shall be filed with the
city clerk, be submitted to him and
not take effect unless approved by
the board of review, which If it does
not approve shall file with the city
clerk statement of its reasons for
not approving; and the members of
the board after the year 1912 shall
consist of three appointed by the
governor with the advice and consent
of the council, to hold Office one for
one for one year, and successors for
three years, one for two years and
the term of three years from the first
Monday Of January of the years In
which a term expires"