The record-union., 1896-11-13

nandS OF the legislative body and N
provides what expenditures shall be
made and the methods Of making them.
Under this plan the Trustees, instead
Of making purchase here and there, and
by this committee and that, OF by order
of this or that member. will have them
all made under a. system provided by
the Trustees that creates a purchasing
agent, instructed as to distribution of
patronage and schemes of purchase and
their limitations, and which Will re-
quire corporation goods to be invento-
ried, kept track of and accounted for,
just as a business firm would require Of
its Superintendent, giving him latitude
for exercise of Judgment, but defining
the bounds within which it shall be ex-
ercised. 1t erects one responsible head,
that is In turn bound to execute as the
legislative body directs
The second proposition is precisely the
reverse. 1t vests all power In the Trus-
tees practically. The Mayor appoints.
but his appointment must as In the
other case be confirmed. But he is to
employ no one and make no purchases
or contracts, except as by the board di-
rected. He becomes the agent and Off
Ger of the board to do its WILL and takes
on little or no responsibility himself. In
the Mayor. He is no longer the head
Of the departments, and no reports will
go to him except as the Trustees may
see fit to order them. This then lodges
all responsibility in the board and the
people will look to it alone.
The third proposition is more sweep
and in the committee is strongly sup
ported. 1t is much the system in vogue
in San Francisco, but the conditions are
SO different that the arguments against
it there are not deemed applicable here,
where there is no separate building, fire
or police commissions, and where the
population is SO much less, and the COM
mercial conditions so different. This
proposal is to reform the wards so as to
make but six out of the nine we now
have. The present formation Is absurd.
For instance one ward now has 400
votes and another has nearly 300. One
is wholly residence, and another almost
wholly hotels, lodging-houses and bus1-
ness house sections. One Is long, lank
and narrow, another large, square and
fat One with a few voters and far
fewer residences has as much power IN
the legislative body as another with five
times the population and taxable prop
erty, and three times the number Of
homes. One masses all the floating popu-
lation, the other has little OF 1t.
From each Of these new six wards one
Trustee would be elected and one would
be chosen by all the people. This Trus-
tee at large would be Mayor, sit in the
board as its presiding officer with a cast
ing vote only, but with voice and the
veto and appointing power as now. All
power, executive, ministerial appointive
and legislative, would be vested in the
board, and the Mayor would be its
executive agent to carry out its orders
Under this plan 1t is proposed to pay
the Trustees $50 a month each and the
Mayor $3.50, thus leaving expenditure
just where it Is. but giving Trustee a
salary that is not farcical as at present,
and putting upon him more response
biIity and dignify1ng his office.
A fourth proposition which has been
presented but NOT debated before the
committee, except briefly, is to leave all
Things as they would be under either
propositions, except to reduce the
wards to six, elect one Trustee from each
ward for two years, and three at large;
the whole to be so adjusted that three.
Of the ward Trustees will go out every
two years, and Of the at-large Trus-
tees one at one election, and two at the
next and so on. The Mayor under this
plan to be Independent in his appoint
ments This it is held will give better
representation, prevent rings OF any
long permanence, dignity the office Of
Mayor and keep the legislative and
executive distinct. Under this plan
President of the board will be what he
IS now, President Of the Board of Health
and Mayor during the incapacity Of the
Mayor. Under this plan the Trustees
would get $40 month each, the Presi-
dent SO a month extra and the Mayor
5000 a month, which with some other
changes VIII leave the salary list in the