The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 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 mem Der
school board in successful operation.
officers Of The Detroit CITIZENS
league have completed plans for The
campaign % substitute a small coun'
ell. OF about nine members. IN place
of the present aldermauic body OF
AZ
To correct some public misunder-
standings as TO the plan OF pro
cedure. representative OF the
league said
The five steps In our campaign arr
To secure the necessary lhii lA.N
nerftfons 10 force submission ot 'pt
question of general charter rev slob,
10 conduct q campaign IN the ishl "
favor ~ securing adoption or ~"
nlap ~ revising the charter as
whole. and 20 submit al me sat'r
election "A proposal Tor tlecN''e
small council. at large on a nom
partfsan ballot. 70 elect at the same
time a charter revision comnhtsSl"u (, ,
to cooperate with this commission IN
framing "A charter. 70 conduct A cam
natvn for adoption % the new ehHi-
ter. when framed.
We are not talking 81 me comm, -
sion plan or the city manager piAh
d.nnltelv We shall leave much 70
the charter commission Tor declsl'n
Our idea isR common Cuuncll OF
about seven 20 Is members, with the
preference for nine members
II s. planned 10 elect the chsrteI
commission az the same time as IN :
people vote on the main proposal 81
charter revision n the vote - ad-
verse on charter revision, u - pro-
viAed that the election OF CHARTER
commissioners shall be void lhls
plan has been submitted 10 corpora
ton Counsel bingenan. VINO Ap-
proved il as legal.
How much Of the present charter
viii he retained In the new charter
must be decided by tho charter com
mission. except as 90 things mama
tory. Such as have been DECIDES ~
the people. Some mfoot questions
are out OF the way Abolition %
the old board ~ estimates and of
the school board. radical reform OF
the ballot system under the new
election commission. abolition y "a :
looms from the political life OF the
city. and separation OF city from state
and national elections-ali these nave
been settled
Two-thirds OF the matter contained
in the present charter IL not needed, .
some call II rubbish The new
charter ~ Cleveland contains only
40 pages in large type. II - small
leafiet Detroit needs charter re-
vision for this reason alone. II Tor
no other
While the charter submitted few
years ago was defeated at the polls,
we believe conditions have so changed
that new charter now, on the lines
suggested. viii receive big major
ity OF favorable votes. According 10
the new state law the charter COM
mission will rot be like the old one
chosen principally by wards. but VIII
consist Of nine men elected at large
We believe the people viii rally TO
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
resentinE every class % our popula-
ton viii manifest personal interest
In this movement.
Following are the questions 70 be
submitted 90 the voters a. d special
fall election. probably in November.
when the Belle Isle bridge and other
proposals are % be submitted by
the city authorities
DO you favor general revision CT
the charter - the City ~ Detroit
DO you favor a chance In the form
OF government Of the city OF Detroit
30 as 90 provide FOR the election on
partisan ballot - small cOun-
ell com posed 81 aldermen elected
from the different wards % the city