The Wyandotte herald. (Wyandotte, Mich.) 1879-1943, 1941-10-31

IN EARLY DAYS
Of WYANDOTTE
CConIimucd from Last Week

Continued from Last Week
The inc"rpOrator> of the city had an
eye iu financial considerations. whca
they included in the charter Il proNi-
sion that the Council should not
raise 10y general tax more than TWO
Thousand dollars in amy one year. cX-
elusive of school taxes and taxes for
highway purposes. unless authorized
there 10 10y u vole of the property hold
ing taxpayers Of said city. who are
electors. when convened for that pur-
pose pursuant tu previous notice"
Nee ting> for the purpose of greater
taxes might he held after al least
five days notice in writing
The charter provided for the cull,s'-
ton of one dollar poll TAX from every
male inhabIant of the city over tn.
age of Il and under 80 except pau
per>, idiots and lumatic>" However,
every person involved had the privil-
eye of working one cight-huur day up
Oh the streets ia lieu of the cash pay
menT.
The Council was authorized tu pro
vide for and preserve the purity ana
>aluhrity of the waters of the Dctro!t
river. Il privilege which ii later acted
upon. showing that the early inhab.-
tantS had Il proper regard for the in
purIanCt of the stream which flows
by it> shores. And. parentheticalIy, it
took 40 years tO secure enactment Of
legislation Looking to the preservation
Of rhis natural resource. And right
now. after the construction of cXpen-
>ive sewage disposal plants residents
of the territory south of WEahdotte
are claiming that the river water Is
no better than il WAS h.fuTe these
plants were built
The charter also looked Ia The
erection of public wharve>. whicl
might be leased subject Ia proper f.
strctiOnS
Fire limits were also authorized, IS
WAS ais" the organization of fire
fighting body. Whose members were to
DE-. exempt from military duty in times
of peace and from payment of pol
tax. The fire company WAS 10 Assem-
ble at least once month. for the
purlSDSc of working lis engine.
In March of each year. the Council
was 10 issue detailed statement Of
all receipts and expenditures. which
was t6 b. published i'll II Detroit week
~ newspaper for at least two weeks,
there being no paper published in Wy
andOtte III that time.
Salaries of city officials We're 10 10
extremely moderate: Mayor Ia serve
free: recorder and attorney To get
not over 500 per year; marshal,
same pay as allowed conSlableS. plus
not over 81 per year: treasurer, JUS
ticeS of the peace and cUnStableS To
be allowed same fees aS paid CORES
ponding township officers; street COM
missioner. $50 per day when actually
at work director of poor and school
inspt ctUr>. not over 81 per day for
time actually employed: aldermen
not serving al supervisors. no COM
penSatiOn.
The mayor. in addition la his other
duties. was authorized To perform
marriage ceremonies.
But il WAS the recorder tclerk)
who WAS To he the Pooh Bah of the
town. He was 10 he a justice IF the
peace. clerk Of the Common Council,
and mayor pro TEN. in the absence Of
the chief local executive.
All accounts and demands against
the city. including officials stipends,
were to be supported 10y affidavits.
In subsequent articles, The Herald
will give the gist of laws and regula-
lions passed by the Common Council
under the authority granted il by the
charter.