The record-union., 1892-03-18
POWERS OF THE TRUSTEES UN-
DER THE NEW CHARTER.

POWERS OF THE TRUSTEES UN-
DER THE NEW CHARTER.
We come now to consideration of the
powers of the Board of Trustees under
the proposed new charter.
Assuming that our citizens are well in
formed concerning the powers possessed
by the present Board of Trustees, it will
be necessary to notice only any narrow
ing or enlargement or amendment of
power under the new instrument.
On trial and removal of appointees the
board must act with not less than seven
affirmative votes; at present majority
vote can remove. The tax rate for the
general fund must not exceed one per
cent.-the present rule.
To the power to sell, use, lease and con-
troll real estate and personal property is
added the restriction prohibiting the
board from mortgaging or hypothecating
any city property. To the power to main
tain and regulate Fire Department is
added, land Police Department" A
new section gives power to the board to
regulate the maintenance of acid works,
slaughter-houses wash-houses, laundries,
tanneries, offensive trades, etc., that may
endanger public safety, health or COM
fort; and to restrict the prosecution there
Of to prescribed limits, or to exclude
them from the city. This is a wise and
needed investment of power, more clearly
expressed than in any form we have seen.
The license regulative powers remain
as at present. A new provision gives
power to maintain a labor bureau
another to provide and maintain a
Morgue; another to prevent and restrain
any riot or riotous assembIage or dis
orderly conduct. The present provision
giving power to establish and maintain
markets is omitted. Probably the Free
holders considered the subject sufficiently
covered by the license section,
The existing provision giving power to
prescribe fines and forfeitures is enlarged
by adding that no penalty for violation of
any provision of the charter, or of any
ordinance, shall exceed $500, or six
months Imprisonment, or both. The
provision for the arrest and compulsory
working of Migrants is changed to read
ITO provide for the formation of a chain
gang for persons convicted of crimes,
oil
for their proper employment for the
benefit of the city"
There is added to the section defining
the power to make appropriations and
audit claims the proviso that any debt
created contrary to the provisions of the
charter shall be null and void, as against
any city fund, and the Trustees voting
for such contract of debt shall be jointly
and severally liable for the whole sum,
and likewise shall be guilty of malfeas-
ance in Office, and on conviction shall be
removed therefrom. This is a proviso
that is far seeing and wise, and, so far as
it is possible for legislation to do it, closes
the door to imposition upon the city by
defiant or negligent Trustees.
To the power at present given to es-
tablish water-works, supply water and
fix the rates for the sale is added the pro-
viso that the city shall always exercise
these rights, and never lease or sell the
right to furnish water or collect rates
therefor; but the city may contract for
a supply of water for twenty years. or it
may buy or lease water supply inside
or outside the city limits. But no con-
tract to furnish the city with water shall
be valid unless approved by two-thirds
vote of the people. This effectually pre-
vents any jobbery by the saddling of a
water company upon the people, without
their expressed consent, and removes
from the Trustees a strong temptation,
as the experience of other cities has
demonstrated.
Under the laws of the State the city al
ready has full power to provide system
for street and public building lighting.
but the Freeholders have evidently
thought it wise to repeat the declaration
in the charter. 1t neither strengthens
nor weakens it, and introduces no new
element into our system of municipal
government. The provision of the old
charter ''to employ an attorney or attor-
neys-at-law, if their services may be re-
quired. . is omitted, and in its place is a
section giving the board power to author
ize the Mayor to employ an attorney at a
salary not exceeding 1850, whose duty
it shall be to advise the city officials. and
attend to all civil suits and other matters
in which the city may be legally inter
ested.
Other powers not specifically named in
the present charter in the enumeration