The Detroit times., 1913-05-10
'erter Committee Turns Down
4 the Proposal by Seven
to One
fW YORK EDITOR
ADDRESSES BOARD
10 Cities Generally Are Adopt
+ ing Some Form Of Commits
sion Government

Inmission concurs in the Judgment
}Doveral committees which met In
1T session. Friday morning, with
mmissi0ner DENLY as chairman.
~ voted seven to one against
1fger.
The charter commission, in It's usual
Drn1ng session, was addressed by
nrold 8. Buttenheim, editor OF The
1nerican City, a New York pubIica-
~, and by Controller Heineman,
no did not come to talk, but who
- asked such a multitude OF ques-
ms by various commissioners that
was on the floor nearly an hour.
will address the commission again,
ter In the proceedings.
II. Buttenheim offered the services
his publication to the commission,
M said that he could furnish num-
Ia of experts to advise the commits
m whenever 1t wanted them. Asked
Mr.. Burton how oth- cities are
ogressing, Mr.. Buttenheim said that
rtland, Ore, has adopted the COM
4s1On FORM that the report OF the
iceland commission is almost
ny: that Jersey City two weeks
"a adopted the commission form pro-
led In the Walsh act, passed by the
nv Jersey legislature under Gov.
Ileon; that Cincinnati is talking Of
Hing q charter convention to adopt
~ OF the forms suggested by the
10 Municipal league-the commits
on form, the city manager plan, Or
~ small council scheme; that St.
MI has adopted what is practically
~xxvnfs. uifh oh
1Deioners instead Of five; and that
onlver and New Orleans have the
@mmission form.
1.-THE proportional representation
meme Is meeting with a great deal
favor where it Is being discussed,
Nj 1t has not been adopted any
Aere.' Mr.. Buttenheim said. The
III which is first 10 adopt 1t is des-
ned to become famous"
q. Buttenheim was told that the
1foit commission has had il under
4hsideration
NCpntroller Heineman advised the
0ijmission to boil down the char.
sWhen the legislature changed
f9 law SO as to permit piecemeal
nendment," he said, the whole
necessity OF this commission disap-
19fed. To provide charter that
LII be adopted by the people you
inst not make acy radical changes.
M can submit those IN the form OF
M&ndments, after the charter is
46pted. You seem TO have little APP
t9ciation OF the value OF time. IT
w undertook seriously the work OF
o1llng down the present charter,
bfch Is all that you ought to do. you
kOuld have draft ready In 4S hours,
(tsing the present charter to- one
Mid Of It's bulk. You now have three
&R&rate acts providing for the con-
ination Of property, for instance.
Mt could just as well be put into
De, You have sev6ra! pages de-
tf1bing how jurymen should be sum-
led, when II could all be told in
b lines.
We heard Thursday from a gentle
An from Pittsburgh who argued for
Ne small council scheme. He said
not all the people Of Pittsburgh can
Dw name all their councilmen.
ltpk he exaggerated. doubt If half
14 people of Pittsburgh know the
9fnes OF their councilmen. Ten years
ron now there won't be one-tenth
mo will even want TO name one Of
hem. A new broom sweeps clean:
hi Ia why the commission plan 10
Ncceeding everywhere. In few
prs, when the people at large lose
interest In the new form, 1t will be
1und just as faulty as the old. 1t is
ne men In power who count, not the
ofm OF government.
Look over the estimators chosen
- large during the last ten years, and
80 Il there Is any advantage In that
prm OF election. In my judgment
most Of them are not as good as those
)ected by wards"
Mr.. Ferris interrupted: That is
ardly fair test OF the ballot at large
~? The misunderstanding are
~ q fe~ men on big ticket which
pr4pletely oyershadows them by it's
Multiplicity of names
Ehe evidence OF many elections
Aows.' replied Mr.. Heineman. that
~ best discrimination ever shown by
~ people has been on whopping big
otu. As al illustration point
The election of members OF the
Nature. Out OF over 60 candidates
x people manage to pick the eleven
~ men, almost infallibly.'
1y1ously. enough, no member OF the
mission undertook to point out to
HeMeman that he was contradict
his own argument on the ineffi.
~ OF the election-at-large, which he
No applied to the board of estimates.
10 controller said ne could refer
n me notorious instance OF an estima-
1t-large, elected for number OF
|441s who made a spectacle OF him
by attending meetings while fud-
ID with drink.
commissioner DENLY asked Mr..
Iheman his opinion as to whether
n@man commissioners or boards of
s Sal members should head de.
>1 1rneutg.
'I should say that those depart.
~ which demand quick action by
executives. such as-tHe- police
~ IRE departments, should have a
- man At their head" Mr.. Heine-
replied. Others, which need adj
III boards, should have commits.
q such as The water department
(1e public lighting department -
DENLY asked if the present sys-
q public accounting is satisfac-
~ quite" Mr.. Heineman replied.
city does moi, spend enough
- get the best Of accountants.
o ne expression Of the man
fUu41f the revival service:
40 Ut religion IN ave minutes,
mmGv. Hwo.Al mt ro1lof0u