The Detroit times., 1912-11-27
M'CARTY MAKES
FRESH MOVE FOR
CHARTER CHANGE
Offers Resolution Providing for
Election of Commissioners
January z
COMMITTEE WILL.
TAKE UP PROPOSAL
Big Fight Over Sidewalk En-
croachment Won by Cor
man Hat co.

Aid. Charles z. McCarty introduced
another resolution in the council,
Tuesday night. looking to the revision
OF the city charter. McCarty's first
resolution, introduced in the meeting
last week. proposed TO put the council
on record IN favor of general re-
vision of the charter. The resolution
was referred TO the committee on
charter and city legislation. No re-
port on 1t was made by the commit
tee, Tuesday night. McCarty then in.
troduced another resolution naming
Jan. as the date for an election TO
elect 81 members OF a charter COM
mission. The resolution was referred
by unanimous vote TO the committee
charter and city legislation.
II propose to fight, If necessary, for
a general revision OF the charter"
said McCarty TO The Times. II the
council will not arrange for the cleo
ton OF a charter commission l intend
taking the matter to the courts. The
people voted for revision OF the
charter. While the law does not speci-
fly the time when the commission shalt
be elected l have legal opinion that
60 days is q reasonable period"
McCarty's resolution provides for
the election OF one commissioner from
each ward and three commissioners
at-large. The date named for the pri-
maries Is Dec. 10. The resolution ap-
propriates $4,000 to defray the ex-
pense OF the special election.
The council adopted resolution
granting the German Hat Co. permits
sion TO build showcase projecting
IL inches over the sidewalk at the in
tersection of Lafayette-blvd. and
Michigan-ave. The vote on the resolu-
ton was 81 to four and was taken az
ter a lengthy discussion OF the en-
croachments of buildings, stands and
show cases on city property, SUD
iect which has been thorn In the
flesh for the council ever since Detroit
put off its swaddling clothes. The
permit was granted the German Hat
Co. on the ground that TO refuse 1t
would be TO discriminate against one
company while many other conceStis
enjoy such a privilege. The German
Hat Co. was once granted such per
nit but il was later reconsidered and
voted down. Tuesday night was the
lnlTu Iluc INC pIOpOoitlOh vas 1871
on.
During the discussion in the council
Aid Allan declared that nearly every
office building, mercantile concern and
theater within the mile circle Is en-.
croaching from three INCHES to three
feet on the side walk. Commissioner
Haarer asserted that the policy of his
department was against granting per-
mits to build on or over sidewalks
and streets.
The four aldermen who voted
against the German concession were
Lodge, Thompson, Vernon and Bur
ton, who expressed themselves as op-
posed to granting any permits to
build over public property.
Aid. Lynch then introduced reso-
luton directing Commissioner Haarer
to clean out" all the stands which
are now encroaching on city property
This was referred to the committee on
streets. There is at present an ordi-
nance which gives the owners of prop
erty on Cadillac-sQ., permission to use
three feet of the sidewalk In front OF
their property to display their goods
These property owners have leased
such right to fruit and notion dealers
and from three feet the stands have
been gradually stretched to four and
five feet. The movement to clean
them out" is periodic and spasmodic
in the council. A repeal Of the ordi-
nance Is all that Is necessary to give
the police department free hand TO
"clean them out"
The council appropriated $1,000 for
the Board Of Health with which to
combat a threatened diphtheria cpl
demic.
A communication from Postmaster
Homer Warren, urging action on the
plan to renumber the city streets, was
referred TO the committee on ordi-
nances.
The vote by which all the Fifteenth
ward north OF Mack-ave., was placed