The star-independent. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1904-1917, 1915-02-16
Proposedin Third Class
City Bill introduced
by Senator Clark Last
Evening
MANY CHANGES
OF IMPORTANCE
Mayors Right to Suspend Delinquent
Policemen Is Clearly Defined IN
Measure-City Solicitor 8 Tenure Of
ONCE Extended to Four Years


relating to cities of the third class in
troduced in the Senate last night by
Senator Clark, Of Erie, the father OF
the commission form of government
bill now governing Harrisburg and
other cities. The changes proposed to
be made in his origsal bill by Senator
Clark embrace almost every thing from
permitting the Mayor to succeed him
self to lengthening the terms of city
commissioners to four years, and many
other matters at present engrossing the
attention of cities of the third class.
The following is synopsis of the new
Clark bill which is very lengthy:
"When city is enlarged by taking
in territory from town, township, or
borough the law is changed so that in
debtedness of the annexed territory
and the city contracted prior to an
nexation shall be paid by the enlarged
city and the taxes shall be uniform
throughout the territorial limits of the
whole city, and the levying of separate
rates of taxation prohibited. "
An amendment is offered providing
that "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 com
pensation when not already fixed by
ordinance, the purchase of adj necessary
materials and supplies, and the sale of
personal property"
The present law provides that print
ing, advertising and work to be done,
shall be performed under contract to the
lowest responsible bidder. This is
stricken out.
The law relating to bribery is limit
ed to members of council and the pro-
posed change enlarges it so as to in
clude "other city officer or employee"
AS to License Fees
The article authorizing cities to levy
and collect license tax is enlarged and
includes pawnbrokers, trading stamp
or premium companies or dealers, ware
houses or storage houses or places,
wholesale 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 reduction
in the amount to be assessed for an i'm
provement against lot, that is pecu
liar or pointed in shape an amendment
is provided to make this discretionary
with councils.
1t is proposed to enlarge the cor
porate powers of a municipality by
authorizing, in addition to what is al
ready provided, the arrest and commit
ment "of suspicious persons found in
any part of the city who can give no
personal account Of themselves. -
1t is also proposed that councils shall
elect or appoint ''sealer or inspector
of weights and measures and prescribe
his term, compensation and duties"
1t is further proposed to add to the
corporate powers the authority to "pro-
vide and enforce general market regu-
lations and to contract, maintain and
manage municipal boat houses and bath
houses, to purchase Fairgrounds, to
regulate and control the production and
emission of smoke from any chimney,
locomotive, smoke stack or other
source.'
One noticeable proposed amendment
is the giving to a city 1.-THE exercise
of full and complete powers of local
government 1t is provided too,
that the Mayor and members of the
council shall serve for a term of four
years from the first Monday in. Janu-
ary next succeeding their respective
elections and shall each be eligible to
reelection and all Mayors elected in
1911 to serve until the first Monday
of January, 1915, and all other Mayors
and councilmen now in Office to serve
for the terms for which they were
elected"
At the municipal election held after
the passage Of the amendment the