Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1914-02-04
CHARTER WILL Be
TALKED OVER FIRST
Commission Will Not Report to Council
Until People Have Expressed
Themselves Regarding 1t.
WORK OF DRAFTING NEW
CHARTER IS COMPLETE
Leading Features of Form of Govern
ment Salem May Decide to Adopt
Before Year Passes.

The commission appointed some time
ago to frame a commission form of
government charter for submission to
the people of Saleme has completed its
work. Copies of the charter are now
being engrosseed and will be published
and it is not unlikely that the com
mission will report the draft as now
prepared to the council. If serious OBJ
jections should be made to some of the
provisions Of the charter, it is likely
that changes will be made, but the
members Of the commission do not an
ticipate any difficulty. The present
officers shall hold until January l..
1915, in any event, it is planned.
The latest system of the manager
system of commission government has
been followed in drafting the charter
and the following gives brief sum.
mary of the provisions:
Proposed Charter.
The elective offices of the city, as
provided in the proposed charter, are
an auditor (who is ex-officio police
judge and clerk of the commisison) and
seve commissioners. Commissioners
are nominated from the seven wards
bya non-political primary and are elect
ed annually. The commissioners receiv-
ing the highest number of votes is vice
mayor for the first year and mayor for
the End year of his term. The COM
mission has legislative and general reg
ulative powers only, The mayor is
president of the commission, has an add
itional vote in case of tie and has a
suspensory veto power. Aside from his
duties as president of the commission,
the mayor is the ceremonial head of
the city.
City Managers Duties.
The commission elects city manager
for an indefinite term. The city man
ager is not only the executive and ad-
ministrative head of the city as is
provided in most managerial" sys-
TENS, but he succeeds to all the duties
and powers of ever officer, board or
committee heretofore existing, except
the duties of the commissioner and the
auditor.
This in effect abolishes every office,
board and department and brings the
entire management of the city into one
office. He is at the same time chief of
police and patrolman, city engineer and
chairman, chief of the fire department
and hoseman, city treasurer, city attor.
ney, health officer, sanitary inspector,
electrical inspector, purchasing agent,
park board, civil service commissioner,
street commissioner and foreman of all
public Improvements done by contract.
Will Get Able Assistants.
The city manager is not expected to
do the work of any of these branches
personally but is to gather about him
such assistants in every department as
are most qualified for the service to be
performed. He may consider a certain
one to be in charge of a certain de-
partment between himself and that de-
partment, but between the manager
and the people he alone is responsible,
not for the men employed but for the
work of every man in the city's employ
He is responsible for everything from
the drafting Of the most technical legal
papers and the plying of the proper
stream Of the fire engine to the proper
part Of a fire to the sweeping Of the
streets and the currying Of the city's
horses. This is in extreme contrast
with the usual method Of appointing
numerous useless high salaried officials,
titles, boards and chiefs of departments
in cities under $4,000 population, draw.
ing big salaries and doing little work.
according to a member of the commits
sion.
Office Called Handicap,
There is no question but that the
same man employed as clerk Of fore
man would perform better work in a
certain line and more of it for the mon.
ey than he would If he was appointed
TO an Coffee" it is farther claimed.
"The city manager can secure moro
satisfactory service and more com.
petent employees in this manner for the
reason that he could transfer or dis
miss a clerk or a foreman for the good
Of the service without having publicly
questioned his ability or integrity
which public opinion would not permit
If the same man doing the same work
was the possessor Of the title to some
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