The evening herald. (Klamath Falls, Or.) 1906-1942, 1913-02-27
THAT NEW CllARrsR
Editor Herald:


portant question before the psoD1s u
the city just now IL the securing q .
legal chsrter--a charter that thoy
can amend to advantage ~ occasion
demands and experisncs polnts the
way.
II will be conceded, think, that II
would be practically impossible 70
frame a charter In the flrst instance
that would eompIsteIy meet the sp-
probation Of every body, but II The
measure. In the main, " sstisfsctofv.
and there is no question raised ~ u
the legality Of its submission. II
would seem to be the better policy 10
adopt II; place the city on . legal
basis and then amend II IN Whatever
particular the judgment Of . majority
Of the people desired.
Unusual ere has been exercised IN
submitting the present measure In
order To avoid the errors and omis-
sions 80 apparent In the submission
Of former treasures. To those Of our
people who favor tho commisslon
form OF government In prefsrsnce 70
the aldermanic. II must be apparent
that the adoption OF the pressnt meas
urs In no way tsnds TO hamper o. -
fer the submission Of that question 70
the vote Of the electors. In fact. ths
adoption Of the present measure win
give them an uuQucstionsd legal basis
from which 70 start.
II is hardly possible within the
scope Of one Of two short articles 70
discuss all phases Of the present
measure. but shall take up one or
two Of the moro important sections
and give my visws for what they ara
worth.
In the matter OF franchises Il would
be diiilcuit TO more thoroughly safe
gard the interests Of the people In
the yranting thereof than was done
by the commission in framing sse-
tions I0<-5-s-7-s-s.
Tho outside limit for the life Of q
franchise was nxed At atty years.
That does not mean that . franchise
will be granted for nifty ysars under
any circumstances during the life At
this charter. The number Of ysars for
which . franchise shall BE- granted 10
% be determined By the council ssd
must be In the form Of IN ordlnanrs
embodying all the terms and eondl-
Tins: the ordinance must b publ'ak.
I'd at the sxpsnss Of the applicant for
the franchise At least twice b Tie city
oflicial newspapsr: such publication
must b completed not lee than twsu-
" nor more than ninety days before
the nnal passage Of the ordnance;
anA the ordinance sraatins ~
franchise cannot b put upon ~ Anal
passage short Of sixty days aftsr IL
nrst introduction.
n WIN b observed. By rsfsrsaes 70
section II OF the act Of 1907. making
applicable tho initiative and rsfsrsn-
dunn to cities and towns. that the or
cannot 90 into effect until
thirty days after its passage. Il IL st
once apparent that the granting Of q
b Il for nvs. ten. twenty
i've or atty years. 10 . matter wholly
within tho control Of the people thsn-
selves. They have ninety days after
the Introduction Of the ordnance pro-
rosins TO grant the franchise In which
10 determine whether the same sAall
be referred to the people or not Tor
thS11 approval or rsjsctioa.
What possible objection can then
he urged to placing the outside Nmit
At nfty years. % long - the people
themselves are the nnai Judges In the
matter.
rho commission. rsalising - they
did the unpopularity Of long term
very carefully considered
lhis matter from all. staAdpoints. and
arrived at the conclusloa that In Z
rapidly growing city IKE klamath
Falls. depending for IL future great
meas and prosperity upon the installa-
tion Of large enterprises Involving
the outlay Of vast sums OF monsy.
there might arise an instance whore
. shorter term than nfty ysass would
prove an insurmountable barrier o.
the obtaining OF suficicnt capital 70
finance and inaugurate much desir~
Cd public Improvement or enterprise.
Appreciatin9 that possibility. and
that tho psopls thsnselves,
under the law. were the fnal 1udges
OF the reasonahlsness Of any fran-
chiss applied for under the charter.
A a.