The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1913-09-04
CITIZENS BOARD OR COUNCIL.

Ol14LGND OOk14bO O4G SOONSAA'
The following comment on the
"Citizens Board" which is the same
as the council provided in the new
Greater Fairmont bill with Identical
ly the same powers, will be Of inter-
est to the voters OF FairmOnt, since
this feature of the charter has been
to some extent criticised. The Herald
Dispatch only finds one objection to
this board and that is that 1t is too
"unwieldy" or has too many members
to get together. This the committee
framing the Fairmont charter after
the Huntington plan took into con-
sideration and reduced the number
of councilmen to two from each ward
which will give 16 members to the
board under the enlarged plan. 9th
or than that there was not word or
letter changed which In any manner
gives the counSil different authority
than that of the Citizens Board Of
Huntington which only has veto or
negative power In light of the in
formation now at hand from Hunt
ington It will be seen that the legis-
latiye committee Of the Chamber OF
Commerce and the Business Mems AS
sociation acted wisely in reducing
the number Of c0uncilmen to two
from each ward,
The Herald-Dispatch says:
The Citizens Board.
1.-The Herald Dispatch has no crit
fcism for the Citizens Board, which
became Quickened into actual life on
Monday night after lying dormant
for more than a year, except that 1t
Is too unwicldy, rendering the matter
Of securing q quorum extremely dill
ncult. The Citizens board is com-
posed of thoroughly substantial men,
and 1t is mighty good thing to have
around, though it is our earnest wish
and prayer that we may never need
to use it as q mere check against UNI
desirable action. The fact that a
quorum could never be secured until
one was assembled on Monday even
ing, does not necessarily argue indtf-
ference on the part Of its members.
It argues, rather, that no grave prob
lem has arisen, that the integrity nor
the safety of the city has been threat
cned by the body whose acts the larg-
er board was created to review. AS
is suggested by Mr.. Scanlon, In an
interview in the Herald-DispatCh to-
day, It would, doubtless, be fine
thing for the board to cultivate the
get-together habit, and meet once
month for the discussion Of city prob
lens. AS an advisory body 1t could
render good service. AS a body pos
sessing the veto power, the very fact
that It does possess that power Will
probably constitute the full measure
of its usefulness. 1t is entirely I'M
probable that 1t will ever be moved
TO exercise that function. AS an in
telligence bureau, as a council OF the
common veal, the Citizens board
could perform excellent service. 1t
could, Of course, be depended upon TO
take even the most drastic action
contemplated in the designation of
its powers and duties, should occa-
sion arise, but an occasion seems to
be a remote contingency"
Huntington Advertiser Approves It.
The Huntington Advertiser, the
Democratic paper of Huntington, dis
cusses the Citizens board and gives
the reasons for incorporating it In
the charter. The Advertiser states
that 1t is u difficult matter to get a
charter passed through the legisla-
ture with the initiative, referendum
and recall and this the West Virgin
ian has often pointed out to its read
crs and the improvement the Greater
Fairmont charter has over that OF
Huntington Is that we have been so
fortunate as to have these progressive
provisions incorporated in the Fair
mont charter. If the people adopt 1t.
Both of the Huntington papers
agree that the Citizens board or
council, is a good thing to have in
an emergency, although it is very
inactive body at Huntington where
no necessity for its activity has exist
cd. The Fairmont charter not only
has the council, or Citizens board
but It has u double check upon the
commissioners with the initiative,
referendum and recall, In fact 1t
gives the city double recall.
On this subject the Advertiser yes
terday published the following edi,
torial which will be read with inter
p . .