The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1911-03-30
MEETING ADOPTS
AMENDMENTS TO CHARTER

One OF lne ndSSleSL mdSS-meeL-
ings ever held in the city was
| held at the court house Friday
to discuss and vote upon a pro-
posed charter for Johnson City.
Tue committee, appointed to draft
the charter, submitted two re-
ports: the one proposal for a
commission form of government,
pure ard simple, as already
adopted by other cities, the other
a proposed amendment to the
present charter. The amendment
was the one adopted. The details
of the two propositions have been
published and circulated in the
city. The committee was in
structed on Monday last to pre-
sent a proposed charter embody-
ing a commission form of govern
ment, and, as explained by Col.
E. c. Reeves, the charter embody-
ing the commission form, pure
and simple, was submitted in
obedience to those instructions;
but Messrs. Reeves, Harr, Lee
and Mathes, members of the COM
Imittee, submitted a majority
report" embodying amendments
to the present charter. This was
adopted with the following
amendments thereto: 1st, That
the judge of the city court be
paid a salary, not to exceed $500,
instead of being allowed fees for
cases tried; I'd, That the city at
torney, the recorder and the po-
lice judge be elected by popular
vote, in the same manner and at
the same time as the mayor and
aldermen; I'd, That the books OF
the city be audited by competent
accountants at least once a year,
and that a detailed statement of
receipts and disbursements be
made and printed and circulated
each quarter. Col. E. C. Reeves
and Maj. G. t. Lee were appoint
ed the draft bill along the lines
mentioned, and containing the
amendments to the present char
ter, as submitted to the meeting,
as we'll as the amendments pro-
posed last night, and to submit
the same to representatives Bur-
bage aud Reeves for enactment
by the Legislature.
As detailed ia The Comet yes
terdav, the amendments to the
present charter are substantially
as follows: 1st, city commits
sioner. at a salary of $1,50O, to
administer all the affairs of the
city, under the direction of the
board of mayor and aldermen; I'd,
provision for initiative, referen-
dun and recall. applicable alike
to elective officers, ordinances and
franchises; Sd, the establishment
of city or police court, taking
this judicial function from the re-
corder; 4th, primary elections, to
be held thirty days before regular
elections, the same rules to gov
ern as in regular elections; 5th,
all franchises granted to corpora
tions must he submitted to popu-
lar vote; 9th, voting and veto
power is taken away from the
mayor, and five or more affirma-
tive votes of the board of alder
men are required for the carrying
of any proposition.
The meeting was not enthusiastic;
it was more than that, 1t was diff
ficult to hear the speakers; although
it must be said that Chairman e. L.
Marshall caused the business to be
conducted in businesslikes manner,
even if it was hard at times to hear
the pounding of his gavel. Of
course, if few citizens sho we'd
their patriotism a little too
boisterously, it does not follow that
everybody was out Of order. 1t was
interesting anyway, despite the fact
that it was hot and smelt mighty
cigarry. A suggestion to elect the
chief of police by vote of the people
was defeated by few sane remarks
by S. c. Williams and E. G. Reeves,
pointing out the danger of such