The daily morning journal and courier., 1895-02-27
NEW HAVENERS. IN FORCE.
lContlnued from FIrgt Pagel

iltNS uplie lHe DeSI we COulus we tA
 amined all the early charters of New
 Haven, the charters of many cities I
 this state and those of New York, Brook.
 lyn, Philadelphia and Cleveland. w
 also heard many citiz ms. l believe only
 one of these witnesses was opposed
 to some new charter. We then under
 took the work of drafting a new char
 ter which report we made to the com
 mon council. We reported six bills
 The first referred to the new charter
 proper, the second relating to a city
 court, relating to permanent pavements,
 consolidation of town and city, creating
 department of education, and lastly, a
 bill for reassessment of property.
 Now we are prepared to-day to advo-
 cate the amendments. We also ask for
 change in the boundary of the Vest
 Ville school district, this having been
 subsequently, adopted. The resolutions
 were in 1894 passed unanimously by the
 councilmen and also went through the
 aldermen and signed by the mayor. So
 it is the city of New Haven that asks
 for these amendments.
 MT. Watrous then explained the geo-
 graphical situation of New Haven and
 it's surroundings. He continued:
 For years it has been felt that the
 territory of the city and town should be
 the same. The objections that existed
 when consolidation was first proposed
 are now wanting. Within the town we
 have three school districts; also the city
 of New Haven, the town of New Haven
 and the borough of Fair Haven East.
 We have a most interesting complica-
 ton of governments. We have three
 tax-levying powers. Why is 1t that
 private corporation building a house should employ different conditions in
 building a school house than a school
 district? Ours should be business ad- ministration. In local affairs why should politics enter? There are fields for pol itics in national and state affairs We have recommended that the local elec-
 tions be held in the spring rather than late in the year, when party spirit runs
 high. The Young Mems Republican club of New Haven the finest political or ganization in the state, provides in it's constitution for members to vote as they please on local affairs We have advo- cated the extension of the powers of the mayor. Let him appoint and remove his subordinates and the steadying sense of that personal responsibility is well recognized. If letting the flood of light into the dark c6rners does not have the desired effect, we provide that for abuse of power and on petition of twenty citizens city official may be tried before the superior court. This provision we copied from the charter of Philadelphia. In this we have an added safeguard. We have particular pains in a system of audits, full information, 4 careful consideration, and have added burdens on the comptroller and treasur | CT. In the police, fire and public works there are some dangers in certain cit ies, but we cannot complain of many abuses, And yet we favor a change. I In the present commissions there is al- I ways opportunity for trading. It has been recommended that there be single headed commissions. We did not ap- prove of it, save in the board of public works. In the police and fire depart | ments, where there are many appoint | ees, we suggested a change, recommend | ing boards of four members, each to | hold office for two years. The depart ment is to be under a chief appointed | by the mayor. Such a chief should be | not responsible to the commissioners. l Ultimately the responsibility rests upon | the mayor Tn this charter commissions have no scheme of our own to propose, | only plan which we believe to be the very best for the people. We earnestly | hope the committee, will have time to | make some study of the bills proposed"
 Mir filling said he had petition from the ex-mayors in favor of the bills, and | he asked ex-Mayor $. A. York to speak.
 T1,- ho I tnOlk tbn | oath of office I told the people that I did not consider the duties of mayor as political Ingall of the duties devolv- ing on the city the less politics we mix in with them the better The true is a general municipal law for the whole state, giving the same gov ernment to the larger cities. There is connected with the active gov ernment of New Haven in which the mayor has an active interest. In all city matters the mayor has practically no influence a all We have been very fortunate in our fire department mat ters, because we had a most excellent chief. There was one matter however, 1 coming up in relation to the suspen sion of one of the fire employees, but in the board the vote on suspension was tie It was also possible for two com missioners to prevent action by their leaving the room. There are certain things in which the mayor participates. He has a vote in the board of finance on a tie and a similar vote in the alder men on unimportant measures. But he cannot vote on the matter of con- potency of firemen or policemen. Chief ( l think tried to eliminate l politics in his board, but it was not ( operated so in the police. More than one chief of police has not felt at liber- .y of doing what he thought he ought , to do,owing to the men back of him l
 have the utmost confidence in the ] .eut 'emen who have plann q these char g CT amendments. I doubt if every single ' I would advocate but I like 2 he most of them and would be glad f Q try the present measure which is so l ar ahead of the present charter Ul- : imately I hope to get just what we want I have heard it estimated that Q lnder a more responsible form of gov | from $50,000 to $75 0OO could be a aved in the city of New Haven every a 'ear. Under the public works a large T hare of this amount can be saved an- lE |