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Our Common Council

Our Common Council image
Parent Issue
Day
17
Month
March
Year
1876
Copyright
Public Domain
Letter to the Editor
OCR Text

" They ouly chose to put the poor matter in the hands of one man." By what right,- the law and the city charter P Title 2 of our city charter defines who the city officers shall be, and which of them shall be elected, and which sliall be appomted by the (Jommon Council. The whole city shall elect certai otïicers. The supervisors shall be elected by their respective districts, namely : lst and 2d wards, 3d and 4th wards, and the 6th and 6th wards- one for eacli district. Each ward shall elect one alderman and one constable, and certain other officera (and Tacancies filled)shall be appointed by the Common Council. The law, and the charter of our ity, pointe out the duties of the several offiers. The change made at the last session of he board of supervisors of Washtenaw couny ot supporting the poor, by townships, wards r citie8, does not relisve the supervisors of the uty of overseers of poor, but they must keep eparate accounts ot the expense of supporting hom. There are ward or city poor, also couuy poor ; for instance, a person, or a family ecomes sick or poor, and bas moved into the ity or ward, from another country or State or ounty, and has not gained a residence accordng to law (one ear) whose duty is it to give ïim or them relief 'i - surely not the one man whom the Common Council choose. If there is ny such choosiny power in the law, or charter, et the people know it, and save them the ;roubie of electing their ofh'cers. Has it come o this I that the common council of the city f Ann Arbor cari (without giviug reason or uotice) relieve an elected offloer from his duies, aginst the law and will of the electors ? 'he emoluments of the office of overseerof be poor are surely no obect, but we claim our ights under the law. We have charged for ur services per month from $1.50'Ho $3.00 - ay for all three, Í6.00 per mouth. Title 10, in ur charter, deñnes the salaries, or amount or day, for each officer. " Tho'marslial shall e entitled to receive the same fees, for serving rocesses in behalf of the Corporation, as contables are by law allowed for similar services ; and he shall also receive such further ompensation, not exceedmg one hundred dolars per annvm, as the Common Council shall llow. The marshal receives over $65 per month,- how is that? If the city marshal's or chief of pólice) offic gives him not Jú mployment, or if the office is not needed, len abolish it, it is in your power (Common Council) he is an appointed officer, but uot hooss to relieve elected officers from their uty - so as to give the one man employment - gainst the will of the people who elected lem, they have not asked you to choose nother to fill their places. We hear a great eal of opposition to the appointiug power of Mr. U. S. Grant, our President, and othersi nd indeed it is a great power, for evil or good, which ought to ba limited. Let the people lect all their officers, as far as possible ; if ïey make a poor choice they must pay for it, nd not the iew who hold and crave for more ppoiuting power. As for the legality of aising and appropriating money for the relief f the poor of our city, Title 5, sec. 3, in our harter, seems to be clear, as our general f uud nay be increased and the expenses of the oor are general, all over the city, consequentr general f und. SUPKBTISOBS. Ann Arbor, March 10, 1875.