The herald., 1894-09-16
AMENDING THE CITY CHARTER.

amendments to it 10 be presented to the
next Legislature, are gradually bringing
a majority OF the council around to
their views, and the prospect now is
that the charter will be materially i'm
proved next winter. There seems to be
no disagreement between the committee
of citizens and the council in the mat
ter OF abolishing certain CITY offices, the
work Of which is now merely dupli-
cation of that done by county officers.
For instance, there is no good reason
why the assessment of the taxable prop
erty OF this city should be twice done at
enormous expense. The county roll,
would do for both the city and county.
There are other offices the duties of
which are duplicated and could be dis
pensed with.
The greatest clashiug Of opinion be-
tween the two revising bodies has been
in regard to placing extensive appointing
power in the hands OF the mayor, by and
with the consent OF the city council.
The object of this is to place the reepon-
sibility of appointments in . quarter
where it could be held to strict account
to the people for the selection OF officers
not worthy OF public trust. As it is.
men are appointed through political or
other influence with the council, and the
responsibility is so divided that nobody
can be held accountable. The political
worker we'll knows how these selections
are often made. Sometimes they are
the result OF . trade, you support
my man and I'll support yours"
Then. again, the appointments
often depend upon bargains made
before the election, in which fitness and
integrity are subordinsted to efficiency
as C worker in party conventions or at
the polls. In all these shuf11ss the pub
lie interest is the last thing considered,
and economy in government cuts no
figure whatever. Indeed the rationale OF
this system 10 not to reduce the ex-
psnses by abolishing useless deputy
ships or to lessen the number of city
employees who can be dispensed with
without harm to the public service, but
to increase sinecures and to create
places where there is the slightest
shadow of an excuse to do 80. II the
appointing power were placed in the
hands of the mayor, the people would
know where to lay the blame when that
power was abused.
Tho Nf ~ x~ol
has engaged the minds of the best
thinkers and political economists, both
of the United States and England, for
some time past. 1t has been found in
England, whore considerable progress
has been practically made in municipal
reform, that the greater and larger the
power placed in the hands of the execu-
tive officer of a city the better it has
been both for the efficiency of the SER
vice and for economy in the administra-
tion of public affairs. One city in
England that ranks in population and
property wealth with Boston. Mass,
has municipal government based on
this idea OF executive responsibility and
the extension of his sppointive powers,
which is carried on 1t about one-fifth
the cost OF the American city and with
better results in the character and value
OF the public improvements made; and
the suspicion of Doodle operations
has never in single instance
been raised against any part of
the government. II such
reform could be brought about here. the
people would gladly incur the abridg-
ment of their right to vote for multi
plicity Of officers. The character of men
elected to the msyoralty of this city,
even under the rule OF restricted power,
has always been OF . grade that they
could be trusted with an increase of
authority. But with the additional re.
sponsibility which the suggested plan
proposes the public mind would be
severely concentrated upon the charac.
ter, ability and fitness of the candidates
for mayor, and it would be impossible
to elect man who would not come up
to the highest requirements Of the re.
sponsibls position.
We have yet to see a serious sugges.
ton made to change the time for holding
the city election, and yet we consider
that as one of the most important
amendments that could be effected in
our charter. The election now follows
SO quickly on the heel of the state and
county election az to catch the people in
the whirl and dszs OF political cam
paign, in which partisan feeling has
been so greatly excited as 10 leave the
voters in q mood to be unduly Influenced
by their political prejudices. The far
ther we can remove pal selections
from party politics the better is will be
for our city. The conduct OF our local
affairs should be based entirely on buei-
ness considerations, and not upon party
sentiment. What we want is the best
and most com petent men to do the off,
cial work We have for them to do.
Nothing would conduce more to secure
us the acute and critical judgment Of
the people OF this city in casting their
votes for municipal officers than to hold
the city election at time as remote
from the general elections as possible.
By all means an amendment ought to
be carried up to Sacramento appointing
either April, May or June az the month