The Portland daily press., 1884-11-15
CITY Governmanr.

The question of the best form of municip-
al government for cities is again under dis
cussion, the immediate provocation being
the report of commission appointed to
suggest revision OF the charter of the city
of Boston. Boston was the first incorpofa-
ted city In N massachusetts, and the charter
drafted for it in The first place has been the
model for those of other cities in the State,
although in recent years there have been
some variations. Boston's charter has been
amended in several respects from time to
time but in its fundamental features has not
been essentially changed. For long time
its operation has not been satisfactory and
ten or twelve years ago commission ap-
pointed for the purpose devised new char
ter which however was not acceptable. Nov
the work has been done again. The MAORI
ty Of the last commission has lately made its
report signed by Ex-Mayor Samuel G. Cobb,
James NJ. Bngbse, and James B. Richard
son, all of whom are well acquainted with
the practical working of the existing form
and are men Of intelligence and wisdom.
The nature of their report is summarized as
follows In Massachusetts paper:
The radical defeat Of the present system they
think IL its failure separate the legislative from
the executive functions This vice it has in com
mon with all our Massachusetts, city governments,
and most OF those ia other states. probably The
commissioners propose to remedy it by substituting
for the present city council of two branches sin
gle l. gislative body, consisting of two members
from each ward, forty eight in all elected for two
years and giving the executive authoriby to mayor
ead executive council also elected Tor two years.
They propose that the school committee should con
sist Of tv entY-iour members. eight of whom should
10 elected each year for term of six years. The
mayor, with the advice and consent of the council
(Which by the way is to be elected by the minority
plan, 30 that two parties would always be repre-
etned In it, ~ to appoint the cleo ion officers and
the heads Of executive departments he CITY clerk
treasurer, auditor, corporation counsel assessors
police, nre and highsay commissioners, and SO
forth, and any of these may be removed by the
Aagsr and council. Each member OF the city coun-
ell it is proposed to pay three hundred dollars a
year for his expenses and to forbid the payment of
any city money for refreshments.
The radical de ect of the present system,
the combination of executive and legislative
functions, is common to all city charters
modelled on that of Boston, to that of Port
land among the rest. In the rational and
State governments, and even in the town
governments of Massachusetts, the pripci-
pie that legislative and executive functions
should be separate and Independent is ad-
hsred to; but by some means it has come
about that the principle has been generally
abandoned in the government of cities.
Whether this accounts for the Circumstance
shat there is more complaint of the extrava-
gance, ineficiency and corruption of city
government than of all the others is ques-
tion; but 1t 10 certainly, significant coincl-
denee, and the tendency in every city where
they are rssching out for reform, is to the
the essential point in the reform bills for
New York city, passed by the legislature of
the State, last winter, vestiDg the power OF
appointment 10 the mayer alone, and taking
from the aldermen the power to confirm or
reject. 1t is this law which will make the
newly elected mayor of New York quite In
dependent of Tammany. 1t is the want of
this Independence which has prevented
Mayor Martin Of Boston and some of his
predecessors from making such appoint
msnts 40 they desired to make.
Bat the evil Of bis system does not ap-
pear only in appointments. It's effects are
still worse when committees of the council,
OF chsirmen Of the committees are the ones