Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-03-24

Maine city charters have not been attempt
ed to be made uniform. but each charter
has been so arranged to suit local con-
ditions. OF late ii has become the Gus
tom of the Legislature. and "A wise custom,
that when any change in a city charter
has been proposed, to leave that change
10 the voters OF the city rather than TO
act upon il in the first instance on the
part OF the Legislature. That has been
our general rule for The past two or three
sessions During the last three or four
years there has been more or less of an
agitation through Maine 10 Substitute for
our old system of city charter the new
for Of city '1arter known as The commits
sion form OF government. Two cities APP
piled to the last Legislature for a charter
which lie people submitting it believed to
be such heir voters would approve
They were submitted back 10 the cities 10
vote upon. believe in both instances
they were rejected. At this session two
other cities, Watervillc and Gardiner, have
presented charters. The Legislature with
OUT going into the details of those charters
submitted 'ho-. back TO the voters of Wa
tcryilo and Gardiner 10 apt upon do
not see wha, else Il Legislature could do
" It'-!t RI iltR JiiitS nero ana Ks for
thing for itself that concerns nobody else
do not sea what else a Legislature could
do but to permit those matters to 20 TO
the local voters But thar is not this Act
nder this Act some charitably inclined
gentlemen Of Portland have sought TO frame
city charter for everybody. If Portland
came here and said they had a charter
the would Like 10 submit 10 HE voters of
Portland Board Of Trade, il il became in
WIS no possible argument 10 be made
against it, bun do not know why the
Portland Boar OF Trade if il became in
terested in hat sort OF thing did no. pro
pose city charter for Portland Now here
i, ii proposition HAT there shall be en-
acted into 'h" general law OF your State
form Of charter aud ii any city wants
TO adopt a commission charter there is the
form already made for Them. Well il
would fit SON" OF the cities perhaps bur il
won't fin them all. A. understand The
laws OF Maine, where there is a general
PROVISION Of law under which you NAV
properly ac', you must avail yourselves OF
mat general law, rather than TO 90 to the
Legislature and ask for Il special right.
II IS SAD that this charter is Il copy Of
IN" lleS Moines charter. In getting up
lhe proposed charter for Natervill.. il
was matter Of careful thought. They
did not adopt the Dcs Moints charter
and that charter is not synonvmouS with
the others. The Galveston charter diff
fers materially from the Des Moines
charter. The IIayerhill charter and the
commission was what started the move
in h,,i,4
Iiaverhil charter is no more like the iDes
Moines charter than the present charter
of Portland is like the charter of Water
vile. 1t differs mattrallv When Port
land citizens come ana say: I'VE will
make a charter and put it in your gen
eral law and when some of you other
folks think You would like one of these
modern. up-tn-date commission charters
you take our form, / do not believe ii |
is right. / do not know that il is neces-
sary for rs to jump at the conclusion
that every city in Maine wants to change
its city charter to the model of the Dies
Maines plan because somebody would |
like TO change theirs. The initiative and
referendum has been referred TO in con-
nectiun with this measure. ! was in favor
of the initiative and referendum when
it was adopted. ] was caught by 4 |
phrase. as many Of us are. If this mat
ter was to come up again | should vote
To take it out of the constitution at ono. |
for / believe that it has been of no use
tn Maine. When a charter is submitted |
To the voters of Wat+ryille | want the |
people of Watervile To write that charter |
our people took Two years to frame their |
charter and even after ii was submitted |
have them put in. 1t is difficult thing |
to frame Il city charter which strikes a |
local condition. We know more about |
what We can pay in salaries than the |
Portland Board of Trade does Why
don't You leave Your law as il is so that |
when city wants its charter changed it |
can squar,ly and frankly come To- the |
that charter. not somebody else's but |
that charter. back To the voters Of that |
city to vote upon? ! hope the motion to |
substitute the minority report for the re-
port of the majority will not prevail.
Mr. DAVIES: Mr.. Speaker. I do not |
that there is any application
in the bill whatever to any city unless it |
adopts it in the way provided for in the
bill do not understand the law 10 be |
that no city. providing we adopt this |
charter as proposed under the bill. would |
be precmded from coming here and OBJ |
tanning a special charter providing tn"
Legislature saw fit to grant it.