The Detroit times., 1917-07-11
WILL PUSH
SCHEME TO
CUT COUNCIL
Citizens League Pre-
pares For Big
Campaign
VOTE WILL BE
TAKEN IN FALL
Plan Includes General
Revision of the
City Charter

With the new seven-memoer
school board in successful operation
of,cers OF the Detroit Citizens
league have completed plans for the
campaign 10 substitute a small coun
ell. OF about nine members, in place
OF the present aldermanic body OF
AZ.
To correct some public misunder-
standings as 10 the plan oi p,o-
cedure. a representative OF ue
league said:
The Ave steps in our campaign ar. ar
To secure the necessary ini'iaIs
netitions 10 force submission OF tno
ouestion OF general charter reyls,"En a.
20 conduct campaign in the 1ah -
favor of securing adoption OF nv
plan OF revising the charter a. |"
whole. ana TO submit at the sam
election proposai ao' on non
nsrtisan ballot: 10 elect at the SAM
sIrra charter revision commission
10 7co-operate with this commission IN
framing charter. 10 conduct 49,
pafxn for adoption OF the ne" pho'
ter, when framed.
sion plan or the city manager p'au
SsfniteIv We shall leave much 10
shs charter commission for decision
Our idea isa common council OF
about seven 70 Is members. Win t"e
preference for nine members
II Ia MANNED O. elect the charter
commission at the same time as the
people vote on the main proposal %
rharter revision. II the vote - hH-
verse on charter revision y IS pr
vided that the election OF Cns -
81 eli ha
nion has been submitted TO Corpora-
tion Counsel Dingensan. VINO sp-
proved IL as legal. ,.
wifi be retained in the new chhrtet
must be decided by the charter corr
forv such as have been decided by
fhe people. Some moot questions
are out Of the way. Abolition ~
the old board OF estimates ana 81
the school board. radical reform of
the ballot system under the new
s1sction Commission, abolition % Sa-
looms from the political life OF the
city. and separation OF city from state
and national elections-all these have
been settled.
Two-thirds Of the matter contained
an the present charter IS not needed
sorns cali N rubbish" The new
charter OF Cleveland contains only
30 pages in large type. IL Is small
leafet. Detroit needs charter re-
vision for this reason alone, X TOT
no other
While the charter submitted a few
years ago was defeated at the polls
we believe conditions have 80 changed
that a new charter now. on the lines
suggested, will receive big major
fty OF favorable votes According 10
the new state law the charter COM
mission will not be like the old one.
chosen principally by wards. but VIII
consist of nine men elected at large
We believe the people will rally 10
support this plan as they did when
the election OF the small school board
was the issue. We believe the most
capable and intelligent citizens. rep
resenting every class Of our popula-
ton. will manifest personal interest
In this movement.
Following are the questions 10 be
submitted TO the voters at special
fall election. probably in November,
when the Belle Isle bridge and other
proposals are 10 be submitted by
the city authorities
Do you favor a general revision OF
the charter Of the city OF Detroit
DO you favor a chance in the form
of government of the city oe Detroit
10 as 10 provide for the election on
q nom n-partisan ballot az a small coun-
oil composed OF aldermen elected
from the different wards OF the city?