The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1922-05-12
POLICE LAZY SNAG
HELD UP CHARTER
TRAINERS FIND THIS POINT
OBSTACLE IN PATH
LEGAL ADVICE SOUGHT
To Obtain Opinion of Attorney
General On Mayors Power
In Premises.

sion last night up to about the last
few moments, when the question OF
making il obligatory on the part of
the city council to appoint at least
one policewoman on the police force,
proved TO be a snag which jolTed the
program out of joint. Chairman j.
W Andrews stated that a petition
Of FIVE per cent of the voters OF the
city had been filed with the com
mission >and turned over to the city
council asking for the insertion of
a clause in the proposed amendments
making il mandatory on the part of
the city council 10 appoint al least
one policewoman on the police force.
He called attention to the fact that
the charter provides that when one
fifth of the voters of the city demand
by petition for any certain change,
that il is up 10 the council to
present the question 10 a vote of the
people. The city clerk, DR.. Andrews
stated, had gone over the list on
the names attached to il. are legal
voters. For that reason, the speaker
said that he would insist that the
question be included in the propos-
ed charter amendments TO be voted
upon al the election to be held for
voting on charter amendments, and
the proposed street car regulations.
Attorney c. o. Daley said he
doubted very much whether il would
be well to put the question of the
policewoman up for vote of the
people. owing to the fact that the
city council under section forty six
is empowered 10 appoint police. He
did not think il wise TO bring the
matter of sex into the appointments.
This might lead 10 nationalities, etc.
The old order of things has chang.
ed. Women are now full fiedged
citizens. In case of the election of
a woman mayor and council, it
would seem as sensible to the at
torney TO stipulate that at least one
mere man police should be appoint
ed.
Section forty six of the city char
.er reads as follows:
The chief officials of the city
shall be clerk. assessor, treas
urer, city attorney, city engin-
eer, chief of police, chief of the
IRE department and health COM
missioner. They shall be APP
pointed and may be removed
by majority vote of the coun-
Gil The council at any time
when in its judgment and the
interests of the city so demand.
may place in charge of one of
such officers the functions and
duties of one or more such of
icers. The council shall. by
ordinance prescribe the duties
OF the chief officials. The coun-
Gil at the first regular meeting
after the election of its members
or as soon thereafter as prac-
ticable, proceed 10 the appoint
ment OF the chief officials of
the city, and the determination
Of their duties as provided in
this section"
Mr.. Daley said that this section
gives the city council the right TO
appoint police either male or female,
ana he thought that IL would be
boys play to insert a clause in the
cnarfer compelling the council to
enforce one of the provisions of the
Charter already provided for.
Will Get An Opinion.
Alter considerable discussion on
the matter by members OF the com
mission it was finally decided TO
get the opinion of the attorney gen
eral on the matter.
Owing TO the dispute over the DO
lice woman question the draft of the
proposed charter amendments, which
were presented to the commission
last night by Attorney c. o. DALEY
were not signed. AS soon as an
: opinion can be obtained from the
attorney general another meeting, of
the charter commission will be call =
ed and the members will be asked
TO afflX their signatures to the pro =
posed amendments, which will then
be turned over to the city council.
Among the outstanding features OF
the proposed amendments to the
charter are:
Making the city clerk, city treas
urer, and city assessor elective Of
ficers of the city instead of apDoin-
tive. The election of six councilmen
from their respective wards instead
of four at-large as provided for in
the present city charter. The clause
relating to the election of six coun =
cilmen from their respective wards
brought out-a protest from F. NJ
Currier and J. d. Humiston. These
gentlemen thought that it would be
step backward to adopt any such
plan They would like to see the
city's business run like any other
big business, and politics cut out
Mr.. Currier, who has just returned
south, callei attention to a number
of cities in that section of the Unit
ed States which had tried out the
aldermanic plan of city government
and had found il very unsatisfactory
. Since adopting the commission form
everything has been running along
IN a strictly business like manner
and no body could get them to re-
vert back to the old form of city
government
Have Every Ward Represented
H. F. Leonard said that some OF
che people labor under a wrong i'm
preston as to the election of the
six councilmen instead of four. The
object is not to revert back to the
aldermanic plan, but to bring about
a complete representation of every
ward in the city.
Chairman J. W. Andrews said
that he was very well satisfied with
the present form of city govern
ment, but there seemed to be a
movement on foot by some of the
people to make a change. If the
majority of the people want change
they should be given a chance to
make the change by voting on the
question al a general election. He
believed that the cutting down OF
the salaries of the city officials
would overcome the increase in ex-
penses which would aggregate
about the present expenses OF the
city. DIR. Andrews would like tC
see the mayor and aldermen If pos
sible serve as the members of the
school board do now, without com
pensation. Being an American