The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-08-22
How = strong Mayor May Rule the
City.


How = Strong Mayor May Rule the
City.
The present city charter has been assailed
as q slipshod, incoherent law, dealing with
the several municipal departments as if
they were independent systems and failing
to concentrate power and responsibility
anywhere. This criticism is not altogether
unjust. The charter of 1873 was enacted
soon after the overthrow Of the old Tam
many Ring The city government had
passed into the hands of other politicians
who had seized upon it under the conve-
nient name of reform" The principal
offices were divided between republicans
and anti-Tweed democrats. Mr.. Havemeyer
was Mayor and Mr.. George Van Mort Com
missioner of Public Works. Andrew II.
Green was Comptroller and Delafeld Smith
Corporation Counsel. Colonel Stebbins was
President Of the Park Department and
Henry Smith of the Police Board. 1t was
necessary to protect all these interests in
the body of the new law, for neither pollt-
ical section of sreform" was willing to trust
the other Hence the charter in many
of its provisions took the shape OF special
legislation intended to guard individual
and party interests rather than to give an
efficient and harmonious government to the
city.
1t has been the custom to charge all the
faults Of administration from which we
have subsequently suffered to the defects
of the charter of 1873 Yet under the right
sort OF Mayor the existing law is capable
of giving us q strong and efficient govern
ment It's provisions make 1T the duty OF
the Mayor to recommend to the Common
Council all such measures as he shall deem
expedient; to keep himself informed of the
doings of the several departments; to be
vigilant and active in causing the ordi-
nances of the city and the laws of the State
to be executed and enforced He may re-
quire any department of the city govern
ment at any time to report its operations
and actions to him in such form and under
such rules as he may prescribe, ana
| public officer is bound to furnish
to him any special information he
may demand within such reasonable time as
he may direct He has power to remove
any head Of department for cause, and al
though his action must receive the approval
of the Governor before the judgment takes
effect it is not at all probable that the Gov
! ernor would interpose to save any munich
pal officer against whom just cause Of COM
plant might exist. 1t will readily be seen
that o Mayor possessed Of this supervisory
authority over all the departments and
clothed with absolute powerto make himself
familiar With their doings. to compel them
to obey and enforce the ordinances and laws
and to remove them in case Of delinquency,
would, if q capable, Arm and resolute
man, be in posi- ton to give New York
q strong and efficient government
He would constantly lay before the
Common Council measures Of public
improvement demanded by the interests Of
the city, instead of contenting himself with
. meaningless annual message, and would
thus continually direct public attention to
such works and compel the Aldermen to act
upon them or incur popular displeasure.
He would compel every public officer to do
his duty faithfully and efficiently, by keep
ing vigilant watch over his actions.
Under such Mayor the street cleaning
could not be neglected the sanitary laws
could not remain a dead letter /; police dis
cipline could not be relaxed, and no abuses
could exist without the heads of the delin-
quent departments being promptly called
to account and held responsible for their
unfaithfulness or incapacity.
It is evident, then, that the city wants q
| IN Tor
and not new charter. With an intelligent
and resvlute head to the municipal govern
ment every part Of the system under his
controlling supervision would work well.
No person can doubt that if Mr. John Kelly
held the Office of Mayor he would be Mayor
in fact as we'll as in name and would rule
with independence and vigor Heis so good
a Com ptroller that he cannot be spared from
that office, but he can give Now York a
Mayor as strong and efficient as himself He
probably has such q candidate already sc.
lected in his own mind. for it would be O
relief to him to know that q man capa.
BILE of acting on his own judgment
was ut the head Of the government
He is aware that Mayor who can be con.
trolled by suporulnate municipai omcers ol
political organizations cannot be an efficient
executive or enforce the laws as they ough
to be enforced. We do not doubt that ht
has his municipal Napoleon ready for Q
coup d<tat 1t would be better, however, t.
let his name be known at once. The citi
zens OF New York will then feel easy on the
subject and all necessity for outside com
, | =, 4. I.l. -,
duce the people to find a positive man fol
themselves.
Mr.. KELLY SHOULD VISIT q reliable ma
terializer OF spirits and interview the shade