The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1912-01-25
FIRST STEP FOR REVISION
OF DETRO|Ts CHARTER TO
Be TAKEN NEXT SATURDAY
Aid. McCarty VIII Ask Council
To Order Matter Submitted
To Voters Next Fall
MANY REFORMS PLANNED
Municipal Ownership and Civil
Service Two of the Chief
Items On Program

The first step looking to general
revision OF the city charter, To pro-
vide for municipal ownership. civil
service and other civic reforms will
be taken by Aid Charles u. McCar.
~, OF the Thirteenth ward. In an Al.
Jonrned meeting OF the common cotin-
ell, next Saturday, when. he will in
troduce a resolution ordering the
submission TO the voters next fall 81
the question as to whether there
shall be revision. II Is impossible
under the law, to submit the proposi.
| Lion any sooner.
The people have alreadysyoted once
for charter revision. That was m
the fall Of 1910. and the vote was
three TO one in favor OF IL. But Judge
RALLY, then corporation counsel, tack
ed on q provision making a charter
revision contingent on the legisla-
lures failure to amend the home rule
Dill to permit of piecemeaI amend
fnents. The law was changed all
right, but the amendment was recent
ly declared unconstitutional by the
supreme court. Nevertheless the for
nler vote counts for naught The city
must start all over again as though
there had been no legislation what
ever
Aid. McCarty has mapped out 4
program, however, that. II followed.
ought TO result in the submission OF
a revised charter to the people early
| IN 1913. There is nothing to prevent
the nomination of charter commits
sioners in advance II next falls cleo
ton. and the candidates can then be
voted on at the same time the cues
| ton OF revision Is submitted. the
election, OF course. being conditioned
en- whether the proposition carries,
and a bare majority is all that is
needed.
| The charter commission, composed
OF one member from each ward and
three commissioners Mt large, elected
on non-partisan ballot. can convene
immediately after election and may
sit-as long as 1t pleases, but the mem.
bers viii receive compensation for
only 90 days ~ al 3 i. \
To facilitate the work OF the COM
mission, Aid. McCarty proposes to IN
troduce resolution In the council,
appointing "A special committee to
take up the old charter at once and
ccndense II as much as possible. The
charter commission will not be bound
by any recommendation the commit
tee may make, but it could, IL SO
disposed, accept the condensed draft
as basis for its deliberations. This
committee will consist of the city
clerk, the corporation counsel. the
city controller, the chairman OF the
council committees on ways and
means, and city and charter legisla-
ton. the president of the common
council and three aldermen, to be APP
pointed by the president Aid. Me-
Carly naturally will be chosen as one
of tho three. for none has been. more
active on behalf of a charter revision
than he.
This program has been submitted TO
the corporation counsel and he can
find no objection to It, The probable
tiles are that the McCarty resolutions
Will meet the unanimous approval OF
the council, for a majority of the al
dermcn are pledged to municipal own
ership and it Is now quite apparent
that the city's only hope of getting IL
Is through a general charter revi-
sion.
When the charter commission has
completed its work, and before the
final adjournment, the new charter,
| together with such amendments as
may be made by the common council.
goes to the governor for his approval
or rejection. II he disapproves the
commission may adopt II by two
thirds vote, and the council may like
wise pass the amendments over his.
the executives veto. The charter and
amendments then so TO the people,
who have the final say. -