In September the voters of Chicago will accept or reject the new charter for the city adopted by the recent legislature.

As everybody knows, the constitution of the city is out of date and antiquated in more ways than one. It was quite all right for a little town, but it is not at all suitable for a city of two million people, which may soon have a population of three million. For years the work of a new charter has been going on, and a proposal for one 2is now before the people. It has been submitted by a commission representing the various interests in the city, and was adopted, with a few changes, by the legislature at its last session. But the voters, at a special election this fall, must sanction the proposal before it becomes valid.

The new charter introduces many improvements. The government of the city will become more simplified and systematic under the new charter than it was under the old one. It does not follow from this, however, that the proposal ought to be adopted. The new charter may have faults which may more than counterbalance its advantages, and many people believe this to be the case. On account of this, the people ought to 3consider the matter carefully, and examine the various points of view before taking a final stand. From time to time, Skandinaven will present to its readers reasons for adopting the proposal as well as reason for rejecting it.