The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1911-01-26
Sank Centres Charter Commits
sion Makes Haste Slowly
SEVERAL MONTHS IDLE
Draft of Proposed New Charter
Practically Agreed Upon
Last February

slowly.
A report in the form of new char
ter was practically agreed upon last
February, but that report has never
been filed as required by law and
there has been no meeting of the COM
mission since.
The charter commission was ap-
pointed October 30, 1909, by Judges
NJ. d. Taylor and L. L. Baxter of the
Stearns county district court, upon
petition of the city council of the city
city of Sank Centre. That commits
sion, thus appointed, consists of the
following citizens of Sank Centre:
L. S. Bishop E. J. Lewis
J. w. Ward G. M. Sprague
J. A. Dubois J. N. McGibbon
L. L. Kells ID. C. Van Camp
w. S. Dean A. M. Welles
W.. A. Morse G. D. Marshall
A. w. Austin Geo. G. Ingram
w. O. P. Hilsdale
All had qualified by Nov. IS, 1909,
the date required under the law, ex-
cept A. NJ. Welles, who was ineligible
owing to the fact that he had not
been a resident of Sank Centre the
requisite length of time. Anton Lar
son was appointed to fill the vacancy
and had qualified by Feb. 10, 1910.
The commission met in due time
and organized by the election of L. S.
Bishop chairman and Geo. G. Ingram
secretary They proceeded to frame
new charter and as noted above had
practically completed their work by
the last of February of last year.
Since then nothing has been done,
not even a meeting having been held.
This has caused more or less criticisms
on the part OF the public and in order
| to ascertain the reason of this condi-
ton of affairs, The Herald took the
matter up and interviewed several
members of the charter commission.
The Herald has been unable, however,
to find member of the commission
who could give any reason for the
failure to proceed. 1t seems as
though the matter had gone by de-
fault, though not through any fault
of any member of the commission.
Every man interviewed by The Her.
aid expressed the opinion that the
matter should be taken up and car
| ried on to completion.
There has been some difference of
opinion as to the date on which the
draft of the proposed charter should
be filed with the proper authorities.
In fact. one member of the commission
said to The Herald that the time had
expired. The Herald had this mat
ter investigated by L. L. Kells and
w. A. Morse, both members of the
commission, with the following re-
suit:
Art. ", Sec. 36 of the state consti-
tuition, relating to city charters,
states that: 'That board shall, with
in six months after it's appointment,
return to the chief magistrate of said
city or village, draft Of said charter,
signed by the members of said board
or majority thereof"
This would seem to indicate that
the time has expired within which
the report of the commission can be
filed. But in the general laws of
1909, Chap. 236, Sec. 3, is found a
clause that states that: at is not
obligatory to report to the chief mag
istrate within six months" This act
repeats all acts or parts of acts incon-
sistent with it. Unless this act is
unconstitutional, it means that the
commission can take practically its
own time in which to submit its re-
port.
When the charter commission was
appointed it was with the expecta-
ton that the draft for new charter
would be ready to submit to the
voters at the city election in April,
1910. As noted above, however, the
commission did not report and the
proposed new charter was not sub
mitted.
The law requires that the proposed
charter shall be submitted at the
next election following the submits
sion of it's report to the chief magis-
trate. That being the case, the COM
mission can, if it gets to work, have
its report ready in time to have the
CONTINUED from page H.