The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1915-02-13
Council Committee Cuts Author,
ity Over Transfers of Funds
From Proposed Amendment
LODGE TO FIGHT FOR
FIvE-MAN BOARD
Aldermen Will Pass on 10 Pro.
posed Charter Changes Tues
day Night

OF the bO6rQ Oh E8lmbtoS W iucAoe5o
the powers Of the board by charter
was checked by the coun-
ell committee on charter and city leg
islation. Saturday forenoon. when the
members refused to pass on to the
council q proposal that the board be
from II to Is members. one
from each ward and Ave elected at
large; that the small board meet twice
q month and pass on all transfers OF
money fro none fund to another, and
that the mayor De given power TO cut
any item in the annual budget. This
Is somewhat different from the FIRST
proposal submitted by the estimators.
Aid. Lodge. chairman Of the COM
mittee, countered on the estimators'
plan with an amendment drawn up by
the corporation counsel, abolishing the
present Board OF Estimates and sub
stituting In it's place board made
up OF the mayor. corporation counsel.
controller. city clerk and city treasur-
err The two propositions were dis
cussed pro and con, Aid. Guthard pro-
posing as compromise that the com
mittee report favorably the amend
ment proposed by the estimators, II
the provision giving the board power
to pass on transfers OF funds be strick'
en- out. A majority of the committee
members agreed to this. Chairman
Lodge stuck to the nve-man board
amendment and a divided report VIII
be sent to the council next Tuesday
night, putting II up to the aldermen
to choose between the two proposals
A proposed amendment providing
for q city plan commission, consisting
OF FIRE men appointed by the mayor
to take the place OF the present city
plan and improvement commission,
which consists OF 10 members and has
no real authority. was adopted. Un'
der the new plan, the five-man com
mission would have charter authority
to pass on all public building designs,
works of art, boulevards, subdivisions,
etc. II would require two-thirds vote
Of the council or veto by the mayor
to override its recommendations.
A devided report will be submitted
to the council on proposed charter
amendment which would give depart.
ment heads the privilege Of selecting
from the first ave on the civil ser
vice commissions list OF eligibles Ia
all any vacancy. Controller Engel
and Park Commissioner Dust indors
ed the proposal. Corporation Counsel
lawson declared 1t to be "a very
wholesome measure" Aid. Vernon
the father OF the civil service amend
ment. bitterly opposed the contem.
plated amendment.
"That very privilege is the one bad
feature in the federal civil service,
where the employer can Choose from
the first three names" said the alder
man. 1T gives certain ofiicials an
opportunity to play favorites, and
that Is exactly what we want to get
away from under civil service"
The committee indorsed q proposed
charter amendment authorizing the Is
suance of bonds for hospital building
purposes. Now the city Is limited to
a yearly. expenditure Of $4,000 for
hospital building. and II Is necessary
to issue public building bonds for hos
pital purposes.
The amendment to pay the alder
men annual salaries OF $4,000 a year
was opposed by AID. Lodge. who want
ed the question, as submitted to the
people for a vote, to clearly state that
the aldermanic salaries were being
Increased from $1,000 to $1,000 a
year." The other members Of the
committee did not favor making the
question too long," and the chair
man announced that q divided report
would be submitted to the council on
that proposal.
Ten proposed charter amendments
in all will be submitted to the council
by the committee next Tuesday night
In addition to those mentioned, the
following have been previously adopt.
ed by the COMMITTEES: Amendments
providing for art museum mainte-
nance, for operation Of municipal
ferry, for q municipal journal, for ad.
justing of registration books In the
city clerks once when election dis.
tricts are changed, and for the aboli.
tion OF the O'clock count
Members Of the Detroit Federation
of Labor felt slighted. Saturday noon
when Aid. Lodge, on motion Of Aid
Guthard, adjourned the meeting with
out taking up for discussion pro
posed charter amendment providing
for q minimum wage scale for trades
men employed by the city and by con
tractors doing work for the city. Aid
Dingeman presented the proposal, but
he was not at the meeting. Az all
amendments to be voted upon In the