Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-01-04


and this notice holds The matter
up for two weeks longer. At the
expiration OF the two weeks, coun-
Gil possibly reaffirms its action in
the premises. The matter then goes
To the aldermanic board for action
at its next meeting, and If the ac-
ton OF council is concurred in, any
alderman can give notice of motion
to reconsider which has the effect
Of further delaying action in the
matter until the next meeting of the
aldermanic board, at which time. if
the board reaffirms it's action, the
paper within four days thereafter
goes to the mayor, who can veto the
action Of council and the alder
manic board. At the next meeting
OF council the veto of the mayor
is either sustained or overridden,
and before that time the patience of
the aggrieved citizen is worn
threadbare, and he is "cussin'" the
government and everybody con-
nected with it, and the mayor in
particular
A further objection to the present
charter is, that responsibility for
action or inaction is divided be-
tween TOO many officials, commit
tees, boards, and heads of depart
ments, and in the joint, hydrahead-
ed responsibility of so many differ
ent bodies and officials the public
can not place responsibility for
failure to promptly and properly
attend to public matters, and the
chief executive of the city is too
frequently made the goat" by the
outraged public when that individ-
ual is rs powerless to remedy the
situation as a bookkeeper in any of
the city departments.
Another positive objection to the
present charter is that the mayor is
charged By the public with max
imum OF responsibility for the eon-
duct Of municipal affairs. when in
point Of fact his right and author
ity is limited to the appointment OF
his private secretary, his stenog-
rapher, the porter in his office the
license Inspector, the inspector oi
weights and measures and giving
advice that may or may not be
needed, and vetoing tine action of
council; in matters when he desires
to do so.
As stated in the outset, there are
many good features in the present
charter which can and should be
retained in = new charter / think
new charter should provide for a
council with members representing
the different wards Of tho city but
elected by the entire city. The
council should have the right to
levy the taxes. apportion the city's
annual revenue and enact iegisla~
ton for the conduct of the public.
The,e should be an administrative
board of at least five, elected b. the
people. One member OF said board
should be the mayor There might
be the department of finance and
public education; department of
health and sanitation; department
of parks, recreation and charities;
department of public safety and de-
partment of public works. The
mayor should have the special su-
perVlSion OF the first named de-
partment and general supervision
of the other departments, the de-
tails to be worked out in d manner
to insure cooperation between all
members of the administrative
board, and such board to perform
the functions and duties of all eX-
listing boards and commissions.
The members of the administra-
tive board should be required TO
give their entire time and service to
the city, and paid salaries that
would justify competent men to
aspire to the respective positions on
the board
The right Of recall by vote OF the
people of any member of said board
for inefficiency, misconduct or other
good reasons should be provided.
All city employees in all the de-
partments should be placed under
civil service rules, and efficiency
and merit should be the sole test
upon which their tenure of office is
based.
The foregoing is a crude, slele-
ton outline of a charter, that in my
opinion would place responsibility
upon particular officials, that would
wipe out lost motion and red tape,
and give the people a direct efficient
administration of municipal at
fairs.
The Demand of the Times.
Within the past two years more
than 200 American cities have
awakened to realization of the
fact that the demands of modern
times requires q modern charter
and business-lilIe methods of adj
ninistrating municipal affairs. 1t
is only question of time. and in
my mind a short time, before the
people OF Atlanta awaken to the
necessity OF adopting a new charter
for our city in place of the old
Wornout patcn work, crazy quilt
charter that the city has operated
. under Tor some years past.
The mayor and general council of
1913 can render the public no high
er or better service than to imme-
diately take up the question of
charter revision, or .the creation of
a new charter, and appoint a COM
mission to undertake this work,
compOSpd either of members of the