The Detroit times., 1913-12-05
Says He's Sure That Proposal
Relative to Supervisors Is
Legally Sound
DEFENDS PREFERENTIAL
BALLOT FEATURE, TOO
Ascribes AldermaA's Opposition
to Groundless Fear that Civil
Service Is Endangered

Aid. Vernon has his knife out for
the new charter. Next Tuesday even
Ing, he expects to present to the
common council. q number Of objec-
tions to the charter-thoaagh what the
council can do about II is hard to
see, for II has no more authority
over the new charter than q back
yard pusy-cat has over President vii.
son.
Controller Engel informed Mayor
Marx's cabinet meeting. Thursday af.
ternoon, that Aid. Vernon, who is quar-
antined In his home because q men,
Der of his family Is sick with diph.
iberia, had discovered serious de-
fects In the charter.
Aid. Vernon will vote against the
charter because he does not believe
that the plan of having a represen-
tation on the board Of supervisors
composed OF FL aldermen and q mum.
Der Of department heads, to make up
the city's quota of 81. is legal. He
fears that It may be found illegal, and
that the city will then have but 81
supervisors. to "a for the rest OF the
county. This, In Aid. vernor's quar-
antined mind, would cause Detroit's
share Of the county tax to increase to
unfair figures.
Another objection to the charter, In
Aid. vernor's idea, lies In the prefer
entail ballot He fears that parties
Will not be eliminated, and that in q
hot fight between q Republican and q
Democrat, the second choice OF the
partisan voters will, In nearly every
case. be Prohibitionist. and that the
Prohibitionist will be elected. though
he is the first choice Of very small
minority.
Concerning Mr.. vernor's objections.
Charter Commissioner Ralph Hall
Ferris said, Friday:
I'm Port Huron, the new charter
provides that all the supervisors be
appointed by the mayor. This scheme
has not been attacked, though the su-
pervisors appointed by the mayor
have sat for two years. do not be-
legality Of Detroit's representation on
the board OF supervisors. as provided
in the new charter.
AID. Vernor's objection to the
preferential ballot Is foolish. As q
matter of fact, the candidate who is
strongest as the first choice Of the
voters, or who is nearest the strong
est, almost always wins the election
when the second choice ballots are
counted. It is almost never true that
the man who receives the smallest
number Of nrst-choics ballots receives
enough votes for second and third
choice TO elect him.
III there 10 strong partisan feeling,
the tendency II for the voter to de.
chine to vote for . second choice.
This eliminates the danger Of elect.
ing q candidate who has q small num-
Der Of flrst-choice votes"
How long has Aid. Vernon been
opposed to the charter" Mrs. Ferris
was asked.
II thought that he was In favor OF
It until he got the impression that
his civil service amendment to the
present charter was endangered by
the new provisions" Mr.. Ferris re-
piled. "As q matter Of fact, civil ser.
vice under the new charter will be as
strong az under the Vernon amend
ment. Aid. vernor's hostility devel-
oped at the time Of my disagreement
with Civil Service Commissioners May,
when Mr.. May denied that he had
made certain recommendations re-
gArding civil service examinations.
do not know whether Aid. Vernon
agreed with Mr.. May, but since that
time he has been opposed to the char.
ter"