The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-01-09


Under the impression that the proposed new
charter for this city, which we published in
full yesterday, will substantially be adopted
by the present Legislature, it becomes sub
ject of local importance entitled to more than
o passing notice. The Republican Central
Committee, from which it emanates, has evil
IDENTIFY labored to frame bill in the interests
of retrenchment and reform, avoiding on the
one hand the defects and leakages Of our exist
ing charter, and on the other the old republic
can mistake of putting our municipal concerns
too much under the immediate control of the
State. In other words, the Republican Cen
trail Committee bases its charter upon the
principle of local self-government, even to the
preparation of the tax levy The Mayor, how
ever, is made subject TO removal by the Gov
ernor, in the same manner as sheriffs; while
all the heads Of departments are subject to
removal by the Mayor, with q concurring two
thirds vote Of the Board of Aldermen.
Upon the score of retrenchment in fixed
oompensations to city officials this new char
ter proposes savings to the city treasury
amounting to two hundred and nineteen thou
sand dollars, and in the abolition of all fees
there will be savings exceeding, no doubt,
million of dollars. Here, we think, in this
abolition Of fees lies the chief merit of this
bill, inasmuch as these fat city Offices, the
compensations of which are fees, have be-
come places of political corruption. Now,
the very good feature of this proposed charter
is that which allows no more than one Office to
one man. When Mr.. Tweed was in the
plenitude Of his power he held several of the
most important Offices in the city and was
.the Boss in the Legislature as well We
have still something too much of this, and
the rule should be established of only one
Office in the public service for any one man.
The bill stringently provides against jobs and
bargains for personal profit on public con-
tracts by city officials, and in the single item
of street lamps it promises saving of fifty
thousand year.
The bill provides for the publication of an
official daily paper, to be called the City
Record, in which ALE the acts and proceedings
OF the city departments and advertisements,
&C., shall be published. The paper itself
one thousand copies for the city--is to be pub
lished by contract, and the official manager is
to receive fixed compensation for his SER
vices. The publisher may sell copies at a
price to be fixed by the officers making the
contract The bill further provides that call
advertising required to be done for the city
and all notices required by law or ordinance
- IL
inserted at the public expense only in the
City Record" and that publication therein
shall be q sufficient compliance with any law
or ordinance requiring publication of such
matters or notices but there may be inserted
in the five daily newspapers having the largest
circulation in said city, to be designated by
the Board of Apportionment, brief advertise
ments calling attention to any contracts in
tended to be awarded, and referring for full in
formation to the CITY Record" Here we have
retrenchment of many hundreds Of thousands of
dollars, and under it, we fear, considerable
number Of sickly newspapers that have '.lived,
moved and had their being in corporation
advertisements, will cease to exist.
The committee which framed this bill re-
ports that "We have not recommended minor
ity or proportional representation, OF cumula-
tive voting, though some Of us are its friends,
because we were unanimously of opinion that,
in view of the doubts which had been sug-
gested as to its constitutionality, the matter
should be left for the consideration of the con-
stitutional commission now in existence" A
wise conclusion is this, in our judgment, for
there is nothing in our present State constitu-
ton to warrant the presumption that it was
ever contemplated to embrace this cumulative
system Of voting. Upon the whole this city
charter from the Republican Central Com
mittee is framed upon the principles Of prac-
teal retrenchments and reforms, while that of
the Committee of Seventy was in many things
visionary and impracticable for great city
like this, and particularly on this new idea of
cumulative voting.
SECRETARY FISH ON CuBA The nation will