Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-02-16
FOUR YEAR TERMS FOR.
ALL CITY COUNC|LMEN
Senator Clark Introduces Long List
of Amendments to Third Class
City Act


introduced in the Senate last night a
long series of amendments to the
measure. The most important is one
that if adopted would change the
terms of councilmen from two years.
as at present, TO four years. In the
statement that Senator Clark issued
explanatory of his amendments, he
says with respect to this feature of the
bill:
! 1T is provided that the mayor and
members of the council shall serve for
a term of four years from the first
| Monday in January next succeeding
their respective elections and shall
each be eligible to reelection and all
1 the first Monday of January, 1916, and
all other mayors and councilmen now
! in office to serve for the terms for
which they were elected.
at the first municipal election held
after the passage of the amendment
the qualified electors of each city of
the third-class shall elect four MEM
bers of the city council, the two receiV-
| ing the highest number of votes to
serve for four years and the other two
for the term OF two years and two
councilmen to be elected at large
thereafter bennially."
Home Rule
Another noticeable amendment gives
! to each third class city the exercise
of fun and complete powers of local
government
BY one of them. when a city is en-
larged by taking in territory from
town, township or borough the law
! is changed so that Indebtedness of the
annexed territory and the city con-
tracted prior to annexation shall be
paid by the enlarged city and the
taxes uniform throughout the terri
torial limits of the whole city" and the
leVying of separate rates OF taxation
prohibited.
A radical change in the Wallace act
of 1874, and the act of June 81, 1913,
as set forth in Article A, Section 5,
provides: Article ", Section g., is to
be amended as follows:
Council shall, by ordinance, pro-
vide for and regulate the award of all
contracts, the manner of hiring and
discharge of employees and laborers,
and for the fixing of their salaries or
compensation when not already fixed
by ordinance, the purchase of all nee
essary materials and supplies, and the
Isale of personal property
The present law provides that print
ing, advertising and work to be done,
etc. shall he performed under con-
tract to the lowest responsible bidder;
this is stricken out
The law relating TO bribery as found
in Article ", Section 8 of the 1913
act. is limited to members of council
and the proposed change enlarges it
so as to include "other city officer or
employee"
License Taxes
Article V. Section t. of 1913 act au-
thorizng cities to levy and collect
license tax is enlarged and includes
"pawnbrokers. trading stamp or prem
ium companies or dealers, ware
Houses or storage houses or places.
VIII olesale meat dealers. garages and
provision made that the tax assessed
shall be in addition to all other
taxes levied or collected by the city,
county or Commonwealth"
Under the law as it now is, council
must provide for an equitable reduc-
tion in the amount to be assessed for
an Improvement against a lot. that is
peculiar or pointed in shape an
amendment is provided to make this
discretionary with councils.
1t is proposed by an amendment to
enlarge the corporate powers of
municipality by authorizing, in addi-
ton to what is already provided the
arrest and commitment "of suspicious
persons found in any part of the city
who can give no personal account OF
themselves"
City SeaIer of Weights
1t is also proposed that councils
shall elect or appoint 'sealer or in
spector of weights and measures, pre-
scribe his term, compensation and du-
! ties, who shall when elected or ap-
Ipointed and qualified, have all the
powers and perform all the duties
which may have been conferred and
| imposed upon a sealer or inspector of
| weights and measures under and by
virtue of the laws of this Common
wealth"
And any city exercising tIfs right
mo other inspector shall be appointed
or elected within such city under any
law or act of assembly for the inspec-
tion of weights and measures"
1t is further proposed to add to
tthe corporate powers the authority to
provide and enforce general market
regulations and to contract, maintain
and manage municipal lighthouses
land lighthouses, to purchase play
grounds to regulate and control the
production and emission of smoke
from any chimney, locomotive.
Ismoke stack or other source"
Sentence Extended
An amendment would extend the
! rate of commitment now thirty DAYS
for dissolute or disorderly person TO
ninety days. A provision of existing
llaw which has caused some controver-
sy with reference to the control of
the police force by the mayor or by
Icouncil has been amended to read as
follows: THE mayor shall exercise a
| constant supervision and control over
their conduct and hear and determine
all complaints against them in the
discharge of their duties" and there is
added the following: And upon find
ling any such complaint well founded
shall submit his report of all to coun-
cilmen for its action and in the mean
time, pending action of the council,
the mayor shall have the power to
isuspend such policemen from duty
without pay"
The controllers report to council
instead of being made in January is
fixed at March and a detailed state
ment of receipts, expenditures and
liabilities, instead of being presented in
January shall be presented in Decem-
Der. and to the present power of SUI
perintendent of finance there is pro-
lposed to add the following: THE su-
perintendents of accounts and finance
shall have authority to administer
oaths, or affirmations, in relation tc
: any matter touching the authentifica-
ton of every account with, or claim
or demand against the city, but shall
not be entitled to receive any fee
!, therefor He shall also have power
ito appoint a deputy who shall also
, have power to administer oaths oil
laffirmations in all matters relating tc
: the affairs of said Office. but the said
: superintendent shall. in all cases be
responsible and liable for the actions
j.. land conduct Of the said denutv"