The Detroit times., 1913-04-19
\.
Ferris Offers Resolution Com
hitting Revisers To Plan,
While Ingram Advocates
Public Hearings First
LATTER PROPOSITION
LIKELY TO WIN OUT
Planned to Have Vote Taken
May l After Question Has
Been Carefully Canvassed

". c04Ttor COMMISSION, IhtIOuNNSu
i resolution looking 10 the establish
n ment OF commission form OF govern
/. ment for Detroit. The resolution wa
laid on the table for IS hours. unue
the ruieG.
The proposal is to give 10 the com
ron council, which In numbers IRON
X be greatly reduced in numbers iron
x the present body. all executive ah'
legislative powers and duties no"
exercised by the various boards ah1
n commissions, except those or lh'
school board; and that the counci
prescribe the duties OF officers ane
employees, assign them 10 one or more
departments, and direct them In the
\ proper discharge of their duties
either directly or through city man
n ager.
The adoption OF this resolution
would commit the charter board 70
the commission form OF government
II 10 doubtful, however, that the
resolution will pass.
The present plan OF the charter
board Is rather TO proceed along the
h lines laid down In resolutions by Com
missioners Ingram and DENLY. Mr.
DENLY moved, Friday that vote oe
/ taken May !, at IL a. N, on the pro-
posal to submit to the electors the
h present charter, with such amend
I ments "A NAV be recommended by
4 the commission.
The adoption OF this resolution
4 will not commit member OF this
board for or against the commission
plan" Mr. DENLY explained. 1t Will
4 merely provide time at which the
question of whether We are TO adopt
commission form will be decided.
! Mr.. Ingram's resolution provides
Il that public hearings be held from
April 81 TO May | on the ACCESSIBILITY
OF changing TO the commission form
n OF government Both resolutions were
I laid on the table for two days, under
the rules
Mr.. Ferris seems to be the only
member who is outspoken in favor Oh
the commission plan. Mr.. Ingram
likes il, but hesitates over the advis-
ability OF coupling It with municipal
q ownership. which he believes Is the
main thing 10 be included in the
charter. CsY irman Dust fsyors As few
changes as possible, and viii vote
against the commission plan, Unless
public sentiment appears so over
i whelmingly In its favor as to preclude
the possibility OF the defeat OF the
charter with the commission plan in.
8 cluded.
Commissioner Campbell said, Fri
day, that he had not made up his
mind regarding the commission plan.
Commissioners Wesch and Guthard
are opposing 1t because they fear 1t
4 would cut down the city's representa-.
ti0n on the board of supervisors
Either the makeup OF the board OF
supervisors would have TO be
changed, or the country members
would outnumber the city members, =
said Mr. Wesch The city OF De-
troit pays about 50 per cent OF the
county's taxes II we had no repre-
except our few councilmen under the
commission plan, we would be gov
erned by the townships"
Commissioner Wreford, who spent
week In Des Moines. investigating
q the commission form there, is also op.
posed to II.
1T has received a great deal of ad-
vertising, and the people OF Des
Moines appear to favor II, but when
they talk conndentially they admit
they don't like 1t and would prefer
the old system. he said mo city OF
Detroit's size has experimental with
II. The people might be very careful
v for few years or even for a genera.
d ton, to elect capable men To the small
council demanded by the commission
form, but there Is danger that the
wrong men will come into power and
B will Tammanyize the city"
Commissioners JOY and Tossy also
expressed themselves against the
commission form
Mr.. Ferris explained. after the
meeting, that ia case the board de
cides against the commission plan, he
Will still favor the abolition OF the
mayors veto.
ITO abolish the veto power would
concentrate responsibility for legisla.
tiUn on the council" he said. Our OBJ
ject being TO make the city govern
ment responsible 10 the people, II
seems to me that this would be one
I way OF fixing responsibility
Some Of the measures introduced
y Thursday by Commissioner Ferris are
meeting with approval There appar
b emily IL little opposition TO changine
the term Of the mayor TO four years
and to making the terms OF other on
cials. appointive and elective. coter
minous with that OF the mayor Their,
& Is decided sentiment. also. In favor
Of separating the city election from
\ the state and county elections.
Commissioner Tossy began his cam
paign. Friday. TO secure more recog
4 milton for labor. He introduced two
Ireoolutions, one providing that the
\ Per diem system be substituted fol
i contract work in the city's undertak
tnga, the other that the minimum wage
for men and women engaged In thu
city's work be e2.25 for an eight-houi
day.
Il do not believe that the city car
I 10 Oh IL own work. but 1 do believ,
hat e should have that power" sale
NJ Tosey. some Of our work vii
7 6p1enbtslly have to be lot to contract
oro, bat We should be In . position Il
10 q ourselves, n We % desire.'
4 0omUisojoner Ferris. In IN attempt
KS unake certain that the commission
.nN0 eneooA money 10 pay it, OK
1A m1xo6ucol . resolution tina,
1,Q1o ~ .pst1tloaed 70 giv(
6A s1n6 - 6ms-foe the com