The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1909-01-16
MAIN FEATURES OF
HOME RULE BILL
OUTLINED
GENERAL PROVISION AGREED ON
IN DETROIT CONFERENCE AND
COMMITTEE is NAMED TO
DRAFT MEASURE. :.

General outlines OF a law which will
carry out the home rule provisions Oh
the new constitution were settled upon
in conference held In the Board OF
Commerce rooms, Friday afternoon. In
which most of the important cities OF
the state were represented. A com
mittee OF seven men, To be named by
Lawton T. Hemans, the chairman, will
draft the bill to be presented In the
legislature and this will come up for
consideration at another conference
to be held In Detroit or Lansing soon.
Hemans was chosen chairman or
this gathering, which was composed OF
representatives OF the state senate,
constitutional convention. State Bar
association, League of Michigan NUM-
cipalities, Detroit Board of Commerce,
Grand Rapids Board of Trade and
Port Huron Chamber of Commerce.
Secretary Sawyer had provided a num-
Der OF copies of the provisional syn
opsis OF bill as prepared by the
Board of Commerce committee and
this formed the basis of discussion.
A large number OF amendments
were made, some provisions taken out
and others added. but the general ma
ture of the bill will be along the lines
originally laid down by the local com
mttee. One thing that developed
strongly was the desire expressed by
the representatives OF various small
cities to have the bill SO drawn as 10
allow them the right TO adopt the
commission plan Of government now
In vogue In Des Moines. Galveston and
other cities.
School matters will not be touched
In this bill, because the state board
Of education will draft school code
applying TO all parts OF the state.
The home rule bill will provide that
there shall be no classification OF cit
les. present charters will be recogniz-
ed and new charters may be drafted
for any city only by an elected com
mission OF not less than nine mem
bers, while amendments TO charters
may be prepared by such commits
sion, by the city's Legislative body or
BIZ petition New charters. revisions
and amendments must all be approx
ed by popular vote before going into
effect
Other important sections in the bill
Will CONtI lut lOllONllS Nv iiShN
OF eminent domain so that cities may
acquire land for sewer outlets. water
or other purposes. either within or
without the limits requiring annual
estimates and appropriations; fixing
limit upon the bonding and taxing
powers OF cities and villages; provid-
ing for uniform system OF tax col
lection and uniform system OF pub
lie accounting; providing for an cleo
tive executive head and a legislative
body in each city; ordering that new
or revised charters or amendments
must be filed with the secretary OF
state: providing for the incorporation
OF new cities; providing for the means
of annexing or consolidating territory.
The conference reached no conclu-
sion on the proposition of allowing
municipalities 10 adopt their own
methods In taxing property. many OF
those present feeling that some cities
would take advantage of this TO offer
tax exemption To manufacturing indus
tries. Police regulation was also
dropped, the men present not reach
ing a satisfactory conclusion. and this
will come up later the question being
as to how much home rule the cities
shall have In police matters.
The sentiment was expressed sew
eral times that the legislature has
shown jealousy of the action of the
constitutional convention members In
pressing their aid In drafting the laws
necessary 10 put the constitution In
effect. The senators present declared
that they did not believe this TO be
the feeling at their end of the capt
toll.
The delegates TO the conference
spent the evening together and some
of the knotty points were reargued.
Those present at the meeting were:
Michigan State Bar association
Clarke f. Baldwin. Adrian; H. p.
Stewart Battle Creek; H. NJ. Gillett.
Bay City; A. NJ. Cummings. Lansing,
and George F. Monaghan, Detroit
Grand Rapids Board of Trade-Ed-
win F. Sweet.
constitutional convention - Henry
NJ Campbell Detroit Lawton T. He
mans. Mason: James F. Barnett. Grand
Rapids; John A. Fairlie, Ann ArDor;
p. j. NJ. Hally, Detroit.
League OF Michigan Municipalities
Lawton T. Hemans, Mason: John A.
Fairlie. Ann Arbor; John Mckay. Sag
NAV; John Ihlder. Grand Rapids.
City OF Saginaw. +. Button.
Port Huron Chamber of Commerce
Lincoln Avery, Louis A. We'll and l..
A. Sherman
State senate committee on cities
Kingman and Fowle.