Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-09-23

| the people in order to catch votes for
their vicious charter
The same crowd whD got up this
charter got up a movement last year
to dispose of Lakewood by placing an
inCumbranCe of 100000 upon il. with
the conditions that d bCud issue
should be placed before the city could
| redeem it. That meant the losing OF
that property to the city of Atlanta.
The people overwhelmingly ~epudiat-
ed that transaction last year Tn
daunted by the reputation of last
fall of their scheme TO dispose of that
property they have stealt"jly placed
it in the present charter, giving the
Mayor and General Council the right
to sell exchange or lease As it would
| be illegal TO lease for term of five
years, as they could not bind future
| councils. their evident inteG ion is to
sell that property or exchange it, That
is a most valuable piece # property
to the city of Atlanta, and ] can not
believe that the people will favor such
disposition of it.
! Takes Authority From Voters.
The General Manager Of the Water
works is elected by the people under
the present charter The public come
in daily contact with the business Of
that Office, and they have expressed
it at the ballot box that they desire
to have something to say as to whom
they shall transact their business
with. The provisions of the proposed
charter place that officer under Il
board and entirely remove him from
the people.
The Chief of Construction, the m Ist
| important business in the city. is also
placed und-r a board, that board to as
elected by Council and the people
have an opportunity to vote for Coun-
ell, so it is easy for any person to
judge for himself a to what effect or
weight he would have in that depart
ment when it is so far removed from
him.
| wish again to emphasize that sec
ton of the proposed charter which
deals with the fee system. Under sec
ton 4T9 of the present charter the
Mayor and General Council has pow
er and authority to establish a zoe
bill for the officers Of said city. Sec
tiOn 499 of the proposed charter con-
tains precisely the same words Of sec
ton 479 of the present charter, except
that the words for the officers of
said city have been omitted. There
can be but one meaning to this, and
that Is that they have eliminated en-
tirely the establishment of fee officers
=
system to apply to each service tas
city does for the citizens, and under
that section as il reads ii is within
the power Of tile General Council IT,
establish a fee bill for services rem
dered to the people that would even
surpass the ad valorem tax 1t is
entirely too much power to give u
any set of people who will meet in 4
back caucus for the purpose o.
fr,rr rFat r
Product of Back Room Caucus.
The history of this charter move
ment this year ought to be very vivid
in the minds of every citizen. They
have been slapped in the face by the
General Council at every turn they
have presented themselv, to the
Council in the interest of charter re-
form: notably the mass meeting
the Kimball House, the mass meeting
al he Auditorium and the postal cara
vote of over $500 people demanding
that all charters be submitted to them
to be voted upon. You We're finally
met with the statement on the COun-
ell room floor that they would not
trust the people: tint the people did
not know what they wanted. and that
they, the Council, would give them
what they pleased, fina'lv resulting IN
the peoples charter being thrown In
the wastebasket and the Darkroom
caucus charter being substituted
therefor. II appears 10 me that II is
a display of a great deal OF gall Tor
that body Of men to ask the people &c
indorSe such actions az that and ap-
prove of their work.
Let me again implore the people If
this city not to go to sleep over tbs
matteT-it is of too vital importance
to them and to the future Of this