The star-independent. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1904-1917, 1914-10-21
Plans sweeping CHANGES
IN THE COMMISSION Law
Continued From First Page.


the work among the Mayor and the
City Commissioners. These are some of
the leading subjects to which the COM
mitteemen will, they say, direct their
early attention.:
Adoption of the city manager plan.
Revision or abolition of the referen-
dunn features.
Place Mayor in full and undivided
authority over the police department.
Govern methods for making equal
and equitable property assessments.
Change time for collecting city
taxes to make it conform with the be
ginning of the fiscal year.
Probably the most important of all,
IN the opinion of the committeeman. is
the city manager plan suggestion. 1t is
stated among the committeeman that
| the whole purpose of the persons who
framed the original measure providing
for the government of cities of the
third class by lone council or a COM
mission was to introduce the citv
manager plan, the Commissioners only
to have legislative powers. The idea
was abandoned, it is said, only through
a compromise, and after the fathers of
that measure and those of another bill.
which later was defeated, realized the
inadvisability of making such sweeping
changes in the city government all at
one time.
The Referendum Feature
Under the amendment now likely to
oe suggested the City Commissioners
would have only legislative powers.
Ihey would elect man to be known
as the City Manager, he to take full
charge of every department of the
elty Such an official, would not neces-
sarlIy have TO be a resident of the city
IN which he would be employed. al.
though mis- selection, the measure would
provide, should be made bv the com.
missloners, they to keep in mind the
non-partisan feature of the Clark act.
The Mayor of city would have full
DISMISSAL and appointive powers over
the police force, just as he had before
the passage of the Clark act, under
another suggested amendment. This
proposed change is being considered, it
was said by committeeman, because
the present system has, in the opinion
OF some city officials, proved failure.
1t was said further that in addition
to Harrisburg there are half dozen Or
more other cities in the State in which
large number of the policemen were
ripped out wholesale and the power of
appointment was wrested from the
hands of the Mayor.
The referendum feature of the Clark
act is said to be Objectionable to some
city officials, although committeeman
asserted they cannot yet say whether
they will ask to have it dropped from
the measure or amended. This clause
provides that when voters desire to
have referred to the electors a measure
which lready has been passed by the
commission, twenty per cent. of the
city 5 voting population must 90 be.
fore the city clerk and sign the neces-
sary petitions calling for special cleo
tion to pass on the measure.
Tax Collection Period
The fact that the voters must 90 be-
fore the City Clerk is considered a
hardship. If request be not made to
aho1sh the provision in it's entirety. a
suggestion may be made for a change
so that petitions calling for the speeial
election at which the action of the Com
m1Ssloners is to be endorsed or disap.
proved may be circulated throughout
the city.
The Clark act changes the beginning
Of Ncity's fiscal wear from April of
each year to December Instead of
making corresponding change in the
time for beginning the collection of
city taxes, the Legislature extended it
one month, making it August l instead
OF July ]. This is considered a bad
feature by committeeman and some of
them are of the opinion that a request
Will be made to the next Legislature
TO make May l the date for the be.
ginning of the tax-colecting period.