The Detroit times., 1913-07-01


and operation Of gas plant.
WHAT CHARTER BOARD
HAS DONE THUS FAR
Centralized power in the may
or's hands by making depart
ment heads subject TO removal
at pleasure"
Declared against commission
plan OF government.
Increased number OF wards to
81.
Reduced aldermanic representa-
ton TO one to each ward, ana
agreed to submit as separate
proposition plan Of council OF nine
aldermen elected at large.
Provided for public utilities
commission of three members,
who will have direction OF all
city-owned traction lines, at
salary OF $1,000 year each.
Abolished the board OF esti-
mates, handing over its duties TO
the common council and the may
or, the latter to have the veto
power on all appropriations.
Revised qualifications for office
holders, providing that they must
be able to read and write English,
must live in the city and have no
black mark against them In the
matter OF defalcations of public
funds.
Created a recreation commits
sion and the Office CO city stats
d tician.
Adopted the initiative, reteren-
DUN and recall.
Adopted the non-partisan ballot
for city elections.
Increased the salaries Of the
mayor, aldermen and other city
officials.
Capitalization of the powers Of city
In the hands OF the mayor
has been the general tendency OF the
charter commission since the begin
ming of its deliberations. The first
part of the work OF the commission
will soon be completed, and revised
and rearranged fundamental law vii
be turned over 70 committee fol
final whipping into shape before 1t Is
TO the people. The date
for finishing deliberations was set fol
July 3, but It may be week later thar
that before all the proposals now be
fore the commission have been dis
cussed I'm committee Of the whole and
definitely settled.
Changing the whole form Of govern
nent for Detroit and adopting a com
form was the first serious
question 10 which the commission ad
dressed itself after organization. April
Is. During the time when members
were preparing their pet proposals fol-
submission several discussions were
held on the subject and many prom
inent speakers were invited to come
to Detroit 70 discuss the commission
form. Bird S. Coler. of New York;
Thomas Wellman, Port Huron. and
Nj yor Marx. of Wyandotte, spoke
and John McVicar, famous mayor OF
Des Moines. Iowa. an original leader
In the commission movement. told OF
the experience OF the western city.
May / the commission brought the
question TO vote and defeated ii
de tinitely by vote OF Is to 6. The
champions OF the commission form
who stood by icS ere Ahern, Campbell
Ferris. Ingram, heating and Merrell
Several proposals for changing the
aldermanic representative system
were brought forward and the men
who had advocated a commission form
oi government offered a compromise
In a proposal 10 elect nine aldermen
at-large 10 replace the common coun'
GIL Although the commission would
not support the change q. majority
was secured TO allow the question 10
go before the people separately and
II will be so submitted. This is an
alternative to the twenty-one alder
man plan, chosen by the commission
The extent and unwieldly arrange
ment OF the Seventeenth and
wards on the eastern and
western ends of the city led to a re-
arrangement of the ward boundaries
IN those two parts OF the city and the
creation of three new wards. The
ward was divided into two
the new Eighteenth and Twentieth
and the Seventeenth was divided tc
make the Seventeenth. Ninteenth and
TWenty-first. The aldermen, If the
new charter is adopted, will receive
$1,000 instead Of 81 200 a year.
City elections were made quadren
NAL instead OF biennial and are to
take place in April instead OF in the
fall
In accord with the general policy OF
power in the hands Of the
mayer and holding him responsible
10 the people for the conduct of the
whole administration. the term OF the
park commissioner was made subject
to his pleasure All other appointes
or the mayor are subject TO removal
In the same way and the only ap
pointive Offices he does not fill are
the deputies chosen by the heads Of
departments and the city stats
tician' who is an appointe OF the city
clerk. In the park department Other
slight changes were made for pur
poses OF simplification and the city't
revenue and accounting laws were
also rearranged for simplification.
in accord with the expressed VIII
OF the people for municipal ownership
q Public utilities commission" Is tC