The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-07-14

they will be held responsible neverthe-
less.
CLEvELAND's NEW CHARTER.
Under the amended constitution OF
Ohio, the cities Of that State are given
the liberty to write and adopt their
own charters, subject, of course, to the
constitution and laws of the State,
Accordingly the city Of Cleveland
appointed a charter commission, which
drew up charter for that city, which
was recently adopted at a special cleo
tion. But, as usual with referendum
votes, the people paid scant attention
| to the election, but little more than
one-third of the total registration go
ing to the polls. The total vote cast
on the new charter was in round
numbers $4,000. of which $4,000 was
for the charter and 10000 against it,.
But $4,000 registered voters failed to
vote. This failure to vote probably
was primarily caused by an uncertain.
| ty in the minds of the voters as to
precisely what the new charter pro-
poses, and so the voters considered
that it was better not to vote at all
than to vote "no' on the charter
since they might thus make mis-
take; yet, since they did not realize
what the charter actually provided,
they were disinclined to vote eyes, -
lest here also they might make mis-
ta1- WI bo oh rra ,oJ
on a vote representing but little more
than one-third Of the 100000 voters OF
the city.
The charter provides for the election
of Mayor and City Council, not for
the usual commission form of govern
ment, but designed so as to simplify
and consolidate the city's administra-
tive functions The effort is to avoid
all political partisanship in the city
elections and to have them conducted
on the basis of the city's welfare
alone. No partisan primaries or parti-
san politics are to be permitted. The
nominations are TO be in every case
by petition, and In voting the voter is
to indicate second choice as well as
first choice, this in order to avoid
second election in every case That is,
every voter indicates on his petition
and vote his first choice for Mayor or
Councilman, and also his second choice,
After the election the second choice
counts for the candidate, if none is
elected by first choice. SO that the
one receiving the greatest number of
first and second choice votes is the
one who is elected.
The charter provides for a Mayor
and a Council of twenty-six members,
one from each of the twenty-six wards
of the city. But two officers, there
fore, are to be voted for in each ward,
a Mayor and the member of the Council
from that ward. The Mayor appoints
heads of the administrative depart
ments. These heads are to have seats
in the Council, but with no power to
vote, yet being granted the right to
debate
The administrative officials must
every year submit estimates for the
budget, and that budget is passed upon
by the Council, The heads of the de-
partments sitting with the Council are
subject to inquiry, not only as TO the
items of the budget which they sub
nit, but as to every transaction in
their departments. While it is not
provided that the head of the depart
ment is to be removed from office if
the council disapproves his work, that
would be the natural procedure in the
new municipal form Of government
which Cleveland has adopted, and it is
likely that In the practical working of
the administration that would be the
effect
This Cleveland form of government
is the newest thing in the development
of municipal forms of government in
the United States, and its progress will
be watched with great interest by ev-
cry student Of municipal affairs
1t is now said that the portions Of
Cleveland s newly adopted city charter
which provide for preferential voting
and nominating candidates only by pc
tition are contrary TO the constitution
and statutes Of Ohio, and therefore
invalid. But it does not appear that
this invalidates the charter as whole;
all other provisions contained therein
are in full force and effect