Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1910-04-07
MUST GO TO ATLANTA
FOR COMMISSION LAW
Will Probably Be City At
tOrney'S Advice.
Plans Toward Extend
ing Commission Gov
ernment in City.

All eyes, politically speaking, are
now turned on the next meeting of the
CITY Council. At that session of the
uocal solons City Attorney Lane is 70
present written report on the right
OF the city to create a commission tC
have entire charge of the water works
and such other departments as it NAV
be deemed advisable to turn over to it
tins being a step preparatory, it is
stated, to another move toward the
proposed municipal lighting plant
Already the police department is in
the hands Of commission, all that the
Mayor and Aldermen having to do with
1t being the establishment of the
salary list and the providing of the
funds for the mems payment. Whether
the tre department will also eventual
ly get into the hands of a commission
II the commission idea prevails, is not
known, but it would not be surprising
to many to see it either put under the
police commission eventually, Or
transferred to a commission created
for it especially.
A commission created by the Citv
Council, by resolution or ordinance
would, if such a thing were pissibIe.
be little more than a subordinate com
mittee of Council A commission Gre
ated by resolution or ordinance could.
OF course, be repealed at any time by
| resolution or ordinance, its powers
could be modified at any meeting OF
council, it could be entirely shorn of
authority, if the majority of the Board
OF Council thought it proper to do so,
at any meeting, and, in fact, it's tenure
OF life and its powers t0>-do business
would be entirely at the mercy of the
majority of Council at any time.
Such commission would amount to
but little, even if it were possible for
Council to legally create such a body
by resolution or ordinance. 1t. is
do bted by many, though, whether
such power to delegate the authority
vested in it by legislative enactment.
by the city charter, is possessed by
Council. A well-known lawyer stated
yesterday that the only way to pro-
ceed would be through the legislature
as was done in the case of the Police
Comission, providing for the creation
OF the proposed commission, setting
forth its powers, and providing for the
appropriation of funds by the Council
which, always retains that power, tc
meet its necessary expenditures.
1t is regarded as quite probable that
at next Wednesday nights meeting
City Attorney Lane will so advise and
that Alderman Allen or Clark will
then move that the City Attorney draft
measure to be presented at the next
session of the legislature carrying
out the majority views of Council. 1t
is understood-that the idea is to con-
stitute cimmission of five citizens tc
whom the entire management of the
water works, and the lighting plant, if
established, will be transferred. This
commissiin will engage and dismiss
| all labor, control the operations of
the plant, and make report at stated
periods to the city. The city engineer
would continue the superintendent of
the water works, as at present, and
presumably of the lighting plant, if
established, and the finances would
all pas through the City Clerks of
fee as at this time.