New-York tribune., 1873-02-01
THE CITY's HOPE.
SUGGESTIONS FOR CHARTER-MAKERs
VIEWS OF REPRESENTATIVE MEN ON THE AMEND
MENTs NOW BEFORE THE LEGISLATURE.

1
VIEWS OF REPRESENTATIVE MEN ON THE AMEND
HENTs NOW BEFORE THE LEGISLATURE.
| A new charter for this city that will insure
the best municipal government has long been object
Of desire part of the best OF all parties The
charter Of concentrated power the hands OF four
men, and this universally acknowledged 70 be failure
The tendency toward local selgovernment in the
| largest sense.
Immediately after the election in November a Sub
Committee on legislation appointed by the Repub-
| lcan Committee for the purpose OF framing q new
Charter for the city, and the result Of their deliberations
lie before the Committee Cities of the Assembly.
The Committee OF Seventy prepared and submitted a
number OF amendments to the instrument An abstract
of both has been given in THE TRIBUNE. In order TO
obtain the views OF the general public az to what should
constitute the features Of new Charter, leading
of all parties called upon by reporters OF THE
TRIBUNE and the substance Of their views and opinions
expressed by them given below. Only the main points
advanced are outlined.
SHERIFF BRENNAN's VIEWS
Sheriff NJ T. Brennan thought that 10 would be better
to divide the appointing power between the Mayor and
the Board Of Aldermen. 1t had worked well In the MAN,
and he why 1t would not continue to do
so He did not believe It to center too much power
in the hands OF one 1t might work well In some
cases. but IL had bad tendency and IN the hands OF an
uDscrupulous man would be used to further his own
selfish schemes He thought that tho consolidation OF
board of commissioners would be productive OF good
Were the iremen given the power OF arrest whenever
they saw wful infraction Of the law, they
would prove valuable addition TO the police, and would
undoubtedly contribute materially toward the repres-
sion OF crime, while both could largely aid the Health
officers enforcing the health ordinances. The remen,
a portion OF whose duty is TO patrol the streets near
their engine and truckhouses could be Of great aid TO
the police IN discovering burgaries and other KINDS OF
crime, or in aiding in the arrest OF ohenders Ihere
ha haa1n nj rffnnn
ApportoDment selfeyident that he would use
his position to benefit his own Department ss te ex
comprise the Mayor and the ChlefJuslces OF the Su-
Superior and Common psas 6 red 1 Iise the
interests Of the entire city and not OF faction OF party
VIEWS OF JOHN KELLY.
ExSherih John Kelly believed that the Mayor should
have the appointing power without requiring the con-
currence Of the Board of Aldermen. He knew that 1t
would be urged that this giving greater power to
Mayor particular than possessed by the
Governor OF the President; but the cases were not
analogous The Senate OF the State or OF the United
States subjected TO the same pressure as the
Board of Aldermen and those bodies were composed In
the main, OF much better class Of men than the Boards
OF Aldermen for several years past had been One year
ago a Board OF Aldermen was elected on a Reform
ticket and yet there serious charges against mem
bers. some of which under investigation.
Confer power upon the Mayor, and then hold him re.
sponsble for the character OF his appointmente Give
men were appointed kept in Office the people would
know whom to hold responsible Under the system OF
appointment and confirmation they could not. Good men
might be nominated by the Mayor and rejected oy the
rS in be Raard oprd the Mayor INTO nominating
the OF their choice. This had happened ON several
occasions The class Of men elected had grown steadily
year after year. The great reason for this Is that
the municipal elections have become so interiniDged
with State and Federal elections that too little care mas
been exercised in the selection Of candidates. The m,i,
nicipal election should be held In May This would
selections be made from among the best citizens,
irrespective Of politics The Charter OF 1880 provided
tinued until lsls, when charter was passed He
not in favor Of election for Mayor and Aldermen
each year; In two years was often enough. Inc
election should be made holiday. Cltlzens should DC
willing to give at least one DAY In year 20 %
the Indifference displayed by them that the Municipal
thing would again unless the vigilance OF the pct
ter class OF citizens continued Under the charters
Of the past # few e he Sas ecaed d the onOS
that head OF department. SHOULD consoae @ Un9 b ~
the Mayor and Board Aldermen should not constitute
the Board Of ApportonmeIt Ihey 90 not dsDrse any
The heads OF departments could send in their estimates
Of the deemed necessary for taer s M M IIe
for the existence OF the Board OF super
that there should such body Their duties could be
performed well by the Mayor and Board Of Aldermen
Assistant Aldermen IL had been stated that one Board
vas a check the other The experience OF the past
did not this out. 1t had been found that rings and
combinations were formed, and corrupt legislation was
obtained by paying for IL.
VIEWS OF COMMISSIONER VAN MORT.
Commissioner Van Mort said cannot agree with the
Committee of Seventy in favoring the appointment of
three Commissioners instead OF in the Department
OF Public Works or in any other department which
simply exercises executive powers. This department
simply carries out the provisions Of the Common Coun-
c the city's legislative body and the responsibility for
failure to respect its enactments should rest upon one
person, and not upon three or more each Of whom
would aim throw the blame upon colleague and 50
ha
In all bodies there is always leading spirit who directs
the Others but who is unknown to the outside public,
while his associates are not willing to admit that their
action not independent In this way the responsibility
is fixed When was connected with the Central
Park Commission eleven commissioners acted at rst,
but their plumber was great that they soon became
unweldy, and the Board was reduced 10 eight, and
one leading spirit controlled legislation that matters
went along smoothly, | think, however, that there
should be than commissioner III the Depart
Parks because other questions dise beside those
that this department has TO consider Questions OF taste
have TO be regarded and the Parks laid out according 10
the law Of esthecs as well as 10 tbat OF nuny' Inc
Police Department and the Department OF Charities ana
Correction have legislative as well as executive func-
toDs and than one person should be a ther mead
because in legislative matters there is Wisdom ,n num-
Public Works, which simply executes under the drec-
ton OF IT'S head according 10 tne W ol te & Avn
In general, favor the passage OF the EepuDneean
1t IL proposed to remove the two Bureaus OF the Croton
Water supply and the Collection OF Cr0ton water Rents
from this department leaving only the actual laying of
pipes with u.s. Everything that relates to the Croton
Water should belong 70 the same department, because
the supply and rents and laying Of pipes have intimate
connection with each other The Department OF Public
Works sends its engineers to examine all appca-
ons made the laying Of mains In factories and other
buildings, and grants permits after adjudgnR what the
amount Of rent should be- the engineer makes MS re.
port the department. and the rent collected IL VIII
be readily what confusion will occur, and unneces-
sary redtape used II two separate departments un-
derake this single duty. Again. It Is obvious that the
department. that collects the rents shoud lay the
pipes because II the rent should not be paid at the
proper time the water will be promptly cut off, II the
same department controls both matters; whereas. u
separate departments control them, communications
sent In the form OF official information from one
department 10 the other, involving delays in payment
and expense In collection. This will involve the con-
struclon OF an elaborate and ponderous Department.