Show TO AMEND THE CHARTER That is a proper step which the chamber ol c commerce has taken in the matter of souring so-uring a revision of the city charter ando and-o are pleased to note that the council has met the chamber in the right spirit and appoInted poInted a consulation committee These committee should call to their assistance some of our best lawyers The charter is crude in many respects and fortunately most of its defects are under stood practical application having brought them out In some things the power of the corporation might with propriety be enlarged ana in other matterfil that power nay with equal propriety be cut down The powers of the council should also be clearly defined so there can be no exercise of excessive ex-cessive or unauthorized authority in providing viding ordinances rules and regulations for the government of the city tho assessment assess-ment and collection of taxes the ordering of local and general improvements tho direction of the police and so on It would be possible for a corrupt or incompetent council to bring such disaster upon the city that years of honest and wise administration adminis-tration could not overcome the ovil effects We also think it would be wise to confer upon the mayor limited veto power as affording a degree of protection against foolhardy legislation We are less liable to be afflicted with a reckless irresponsible irre-sponsible mayor than with councilmen who get into office through their pull with fho uglier elements of society Business men and propertyowners without regard to < party politics would be apt to combine against a corrupt or incompetent candidate for the mayorality whereas they could not defeat in some wards the knaves who might be nominated b < y the rabble If the mayor were given veto power which It would require a twothirds vote say to overcome there would be less liability to vicious legislation Another thing We think the chief of police should bo an elective elec-tive officer when ho would bo responsible to the people for the administration of his department But observation and experience will suggest sug-gest to the joint committee many change I which should bq made and we believe that any of the lawyers will cheerfully assist in framing the charter properly so as to make it least vulnerable to assault |