The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-03-21
For a New City Charter.

port, has introduced an interesting Dill
to reorganize the government or cit'es
of the second class. Following is sum
mary of its essential features:
1t provides that after the first Monday
| of April 1896 there shall be In those cities
| four observation-disclosures, charities, salety
and property The mayor shall appoint
the director of public safety, who must
be a commissioned officer in the National
guard or a graduate Of West foint or
other military academy of the thileu
States He shall hold office for four years
ut Il salary of 5000 year. The depart
ment shall embrace the police ana tre
bureau. No one who is or mas peeh con-
nected with the sale of liquors shall be
eligible to appointment IN either OF these
departments and should they take part
in city. county or primary elections they
shall be discharged and he ineligible 10
reappointment. The heads OF the de-
partments of public works, charities ana
property shall be elected by the people,
and serve four years at a salary OF N,Wl
The director OF public works VIII nave
charge of streets, water and parks; the Ill
rector of public property of all pubic
buildings, wharves, markets, etc. ihe
department of charities remains as mt
present. ne utlllllutuN AiN Noii'NN'A
goes. the city treasurer performing his du-
ties. The mayor appoints the board of
assessors, at $l500 salary, the city attor-
ney, with 5000 year, and two assistants.
Elections on an increase in the city debt
are to be held under the Baker ballot law,
and the mayor let's the city printing to
the newspapers making the lowest and
best bids.
All this is interesting enough to sec
ond-class cities, of which there are only
two in the state. But what is to be
done with the third-class cities? VIII
anybody pretend that the act of 1889,
under which they are governed. has
fulfilled the expectations of its trainers,
or that ii could not in many ways be
materially bettered? 1t seems to us
that this is a good time to have frank
talk about that act, and about some of
the unpleasant facts which experience
with it has served to render conspicu-
Gus.
In the first place, who will seriously
defend the dual form of councils-44
men, in our own city, doing the busi-
ness of the municipality, without pay;
constantly tumbling over each other or
colliding in eagerness to negotiate ward
or sectional deals, private or corporate
Jobs and partisan pulls; and continually
at cross-purposes, select council with
common or vice versa? In the multi
plcity of council there is not wisdom,
but confusion chaos, often mild an
archy. Fifteen men, elected at large
and forming a single compact city legis-
lature each drawing enough pay to
command good ability and every men,
Der under the concentrated scrutiny of
the people could, we believe, do more
real work in one sitting than our pres
ent bifurcated body could accomplish
in five or ten sttings.
Again. look at the absurdlty Of max.
ing the position of mayor, nominally
and properly the chief office in the city.
largely dependent for everything eX-
cept appointments on a double-barreled
council of ward statesmen serving
without pay. If the streets are not
cleaned the mayor gets the blame. But
the mayor. as those persons know who
have looked into the facts, Is not re-
sponsible. Councils name the street
commissioner fill or empty his purse
and thus directly control his move
ments. STILL councils get none of the
blame. The mayor gets 1t all. Simi-
larly with the police department the fire
department, the public health depart
ment, the city engineers department
the building inspection departmental
those bureaus that administer the civil
service of the city The mayor, in
some cases, has no voice at all, and in
others Is, in actual fact. only figure
head. The real power is vested In
double headed dcounclls-and what coun-
ellis they generally are, too! But
the mayor must shoulder the conse-
quences and life ls too short to explain
them all away.
The thing that IL needed, when you
come TO the gist of the matter. Is new
act for the government Of tnird-class
cities, establishing n single council of
wieldy proportions and a mayoralty
having, for the term of two or three
duct of subordinate executive depart
ments. Then hold the council and the
mayor responsible. and see that good
men are kept in both positions
aa-a-
IL L. nothing mnrn lhnn nm act of