The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1915-02-04

People of the city have shown an
immediate and active interest in the
proposal of members of the Common
Council to change the plan of school
government in Kenosha by amending
the city charter so as to give the com
mon council more direct supervision
over the expenditures of the members
of the board of education and right off
the reel one of the most prominent at
torneys of the city has come to the
front with the declaration "The coun-
Gil can not change the charter relating
to the management of the schools with
out first submitting the question to the
electors of the city at a special cleo
ton. He backs this up with the
statement that it is not necessary for
the electors to petition the council for
the referendum vote, but that the
council regardless of the personal feel
ing of the aldermen, must submit the
question to the people before any ordi-
nance to change the city's charter so
far as its school government may be eff
fective. This attorney draws his I'M
spiration direct from the general char
ter law relating to cities. The laws
relating TO cities are changed pretty
often in Wisconsin and the general
charter law has been amended by the
legislature since the last attempt was
made to relieve the school board of Ke-
Iostla OF ice artfito 5 SIX Of handling
its own financial affairs.
The new sections are pretty plainly
in favor of the submission of the mat
ter to the people. Kenosha at the pres
ent time is working under a special
charter. Way back when Col Frank
started his movement to organize the
first free school in KenoshaJ people
from the city went to the legislature
and had special charter enacted for
Kenosha. This charter was especially
made to take care of the free schools
and it is through these provisions that
the school board draws its authority to
make a demand for money on the coun-
ell. Kenosha has gone away from some
Of the provisions of its old charter by
adopting certain sections of the "Gen-
eral Charter Law" but none of the
sections which have been adopted in
the past relate to the government of
schools and all of them were properly
adopted without submission of the pro-
posed changes to the electors. How
ever the law is made to take especial
care of school matters. Section 925.
113 provides for the changing of the
school system in cities of the class of
Kenosha and this law provides;
eff the existing system of school
organization is directed and con-
trolled by board of education or
a school board, either appointed or
elected, under the provisions Of a
special charter, such system can
be changed by vote of the electors
taken at a special election called
and held pursuant to the provisions
of such special charter governing
special elections.''
The attorneys who have gone into
the matter, hold that there is nothing
contained in the law which gives the
common council the power to change
the provisions of the special charter in
any way without submitting the mat.
ter to the electors for referendum.
School officials will seek to show the
members of the council what they con-
slider as the error of the proposed
plan and It is certain that the matter
will get to the people for their vote
either by order of the council itself or
by the filing of petitions which viii
force the submission of the question
under the regular referendum act.