The Detroit times., 1913-05-01
Indications Are That Only Four
Votes Will BE Cast for Plan
When Matter Comes
Up Thursday
FERRIS, INGRAM, AHERN,
MERRILL FAVOR REFORM
Two Others Are Doubtful, But
Remaining Fifteen Will Sup.
port DENLY Resolution

The charter commission will not
make a radical revision of the char.
ter. TO provide for commission FORM
Of government When the vote Is
taken Thursday on Commissioner
Denbys resolution that the ex-
isting charter be made the basis Of
the new document. the negative vote,
or that In favor of the commission
form. will probably be limited to four.
Those commissioners who have de-
clared in favor of the commission
fern are Ferris, Ingram. Merrill and
Ahern.
Commissioner Heating says he Is
still undecided: Commissioner Camp
bell is also said to be in the doubtful
column.
The other Is members OF the com.
mission will vote for Mr.. Denby's reso-
luton.
BY the adoption OF Mr.. Denbys
measure, understand-for have
talked with Mr.. DENLY on this topic
only one of the propositions which I
have Oeen itroduced will be elimin.
ated." said Mommisioner Ferris, who
has advocated q small council elected
by preferential vote, a fOur-year term
for city officers, the separation OF city
elections from those OF the county
and state, and several other radical
changes.
only the proposal which specfical-
~ declares for commission that
combines In one body all legislative
and executive functions will be clear
ed from the slate" Mr.. Ferris con-
tinued.
In Wednesdays meeting OF the
commission. Commissioner Ahern in.
troduced proposal to provide for an
election commission OF three, elected
for four years, to conduct all pr!
maries and elections. Five inspectors
OF elections are to be chosen i'm each
precinct for four-year term. They
are to be assigend. by lot, TO precincts
other than those In which they live,
and outside the ward In which they
live
Former Mayor William p. Thomp-
son and the Rev Eugene Rodman
Shipper. pastor Of the First Unitarian
church. addressed the commission.
The trouble with our present sys-
Re mis- that II leads to too much poll
tics and inefYlciency and not enough
honesty I'm city government, said
Mr. Thompson. mo particular party
Is to blame The same bad results
are obtained where the Republican
party Is In control in Philadelphia and
the Democratic party in New York.
| believe that the American people
Will solve the problem OF municipal
government. and that this commits
sion Will solve II. not only for Detroit.
but also, In some measure, for the en-
tire country"
Mr.. Thompson then read parts OF
his exaugural message, In which he
advised against a complete revision
Of the charter for fear certain powers,
delegated by the state. might be
overlooked and abandoned, making II
necessary to 60 again TO the legisia-
ture to acquire them.
He advocated change to single
alderman for each ward. to be paid
$4,000 or $4,000 a year: "A readjust-
ment OF boundaries to make the
wards more compact, doing away
with the ribbon system, which he
said had been instituted In the in
terests Of owners of lalI.a tracts VI
property; the separation Of We CITY
from the state and county electionr.
the abolition Of the board OF esti-
mates. and the placing Of the fun re-
sponsibility for each item IN the bud
get on the mayor, giving him full
power OF review: and the making OF
all city Offices coterminous with that
OF the mayor. At the end OF his talk
he was sharply quizzed by several OF
the commissioners, particularly on
the ward boundary question.