New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-06-28
THREE VOTES IN IT'S FAVOR
r,,r COMMISSION FAILS TO INSTRUCT FOR
THE FEDERATION PLAN

THE FEDERATION PLAN
Mr.. DE WITT. IN THE NEWLY APPOINTED 'o"-
,urrrE OF FIVE. UPHoLDs HIS PET
SCHEME FOR THE GREATER CITY
AN ADJOURNMENT TAKEN
FOR THE SUMMER
49,. c.o.tsr New-York Commission at its meeting
as,ardav refused instruct its committee vi NV
.. which the drafting of the charter mas oee. ''
.a n nroceed on the federation plan ms
- the scheme for modelling the new muhcipan's'
f,er that Of London, making IL CONSIST VI w
.ra.ion of boroughs with one Mayor anu N ,
Connci 10 control the departments OF genera '''e
- as taxation education police fire ana chari-
.sns while each borough should have charge VI "'
,al concerns as the opening paving and cleaning
=, streets and all matters of local improvement, ~
.,a eleven members present. only three Vo.e" o'
,hA federation resolution. They were "hiia
ne Witt who offered II; Mayor Wurster ana 0''a
- butcher all OF Brooklyn. The negative Noees
~ cast by John F. Dillon Seth Low, Thomas r.
Cilroy and General Benjamin F. Tracy 'he c''ii
man of New-York City: George NJ finne'' u, "a
pichuond; Mayor Gleason, of Long lsiaho Try
.t,o~ney General Hancock and State Engineer Al
- Those not present were Mayor strong, VINO
Is in Philadelphia; Andrew H. Green OF Ne"-i 10TH,
General Stewart l.. Woodford. Of Brooklyn ana
Carrot J. Garretson of Queens County.
1-oa meeting took place in the Aldermanic Cham
nor OF the City Hail. When Chairman Tracy nao
nnad for order and Secretary Pinney had called
.na roll General Tracy proceeded 10 announce the
Committee on Draft. created by resolution at the
6rst meeting. held Thursday in the Mayor
office TO be composed of five members. Inc coin-
,tAe Is as follows: William c. De Witt, OF BROOK
,vn Andrew II. Green. Of New-Hork; Johh r Dii-
lon Of New-York: Seth Low. of New-York Thomas
= c,lrov of New-York; ex-officio members Ben
,au,n F. Tracy chairman, and George NJ Pinney'
ar. secretary
NO THOUGHT OF HAsTY ACTION.
Mr.. De Witt made an address. He said that
when he offered the resolution on THURSDAY ASK
ing for the appointment of the Committee on Dral'
he had no idea Of committing the COMMISSION "
basty action 1T is understood" said he, .that
when the report of the committee Is supnhtteu t'e
draft will be taken up by the Commission as a
body, and it will be examined and read heao py
mead. section by section and line by line, ana IL
viii be altered adopted according to the opiions
OF the members OF the Commission
Mr.. De Witt then offered the following SUBSTITUTE
resolution. which was tabled at the last meeting
Resolved That the Commission. while not com
hitting itself in advance as suiue W cnnsiSered
,Then IL shall have been reported expresses atseii
favoraby TO plan OF constellation 10 EnicipaltS
which shall have one Mayor and Common 1o OWE
deoaTtments to be filled at the pleasure OF the
Nayor shall have control of all subJects OF coia-
mon and general interest. such as taxation educa-
sion r.olice excise fire and charities while 20 each
sorough shall be conded all subjects OF local con-
Germ. such the opening gradihg IavIS e au
1ects or improvements, and deputy-oilGers Oh t.e
administrative departments OF me chisd num- to ne
pahty shall be provided for each b0rough' 10 pc Se
staona al Of sG the people thereof In other words
Chs Commission does not favor the uiiIcaGuH a VI
~ Greater New York under one Mayor and Com
mon Council, regardless of the principle OF nome
au,onomy of existing municipalities. but favors
a federation SYSTEM conforInable TO the prhc'pe
Of home rule.
Mr. De Witt moved that this resolution be taken
from the table and made a special order of busi-
ness The motion lost by S to g. Ex-Mayor
(shroy then moved that when the Commission al
aourned It adjourn from July 10 to September e.
LITTLE CAN BE DONE THIS SUMMER.
Mr. Low, in speaking the motion, said he
agreed with Mr.. Glroy that little could be done
',bis summer except in the way OF inquiry He
thought that all questions OF ceniralizaton and de-
Capitalization should be postponed until the reports
OF the different committees were all in. He SAID
this was the last meeting he could attend until
September
chairman Tracy here asked for information Is to
whether the Chair could appoint several members
to DO certain work, or was he limited in this re-
spect Commissioner butcher thought the Commit
tee Of Five could carry out the work better by par
ceiling out the among the other members. Com
missioner then offered resolution to the effect
that the Committee Of Five have the power to call
IN other members of the Commission to assist them
This resolution carried. Commissioner Low
then moved that the subcommittee have the power
10 employ experts In the course Of their preliminary
EyMavor CIlroy at this juncture asked what had
become Of his original motion about adjournment.
~ will now" said he. amend my motion ana move
mat when this committee adjourns to-day it ad-
5curr 10 meet at 10 O'Clock September 81; At
The sugge stion OF Commissioner Dutcher sx.Mayor
Giroy changed his motion again TO read that Wheh
the Commission adjourned yesterday it adjourn 10
September n, at 10 a. M unless they Te mere
called together in the mean time by the Chalr. Ihls
motion was carried. ,, e.. 49, an
pontment of clerk to assist nm mn IN ms Tolh b
connection with the Greater NeTiHrk nj ,d ok
after in his territory and that he would want
clerk Chairman Tracy Informed Mayor uledaoi.
portion of the business Il withdraw my notion
hen" said Mayor Gleason: =. 49,. .,,,,,,.r
subject to the call of the Chair meeting OF tns
Committee of Five was then nGG rdi a d Tn
hte in the afternoon when it was announced that
Il had organized with Mr. De Witt as chairman
INTENT ON THE BOROUGH SYSTEM
The chairman carried his fight for his pet borough
system Of government into the committee, lhousH
twice beaten in the open Commission The ais
cuss.on waxed hot and Mr.. DE Witt declared that
the borough system was the only one that would
serve the purpose for such great lnuhic-pa".! d"
Il was intended to build up. Mr.. Dc Wi't' now
ever saw that the Capitalization or government
men were against him in numbers even in the com
mittee and he refrained from asking for division
OF the committee the question. He still nous
that the unificaton men DO not know just wha'
they want or why they oppose the borough system
Mr. De Witt now intends TO draw up chartsr
founded on his Brooklyn system, ana tnat ne
thinks will bring the ma u;er a focus. The cen
traization men will then have to show their hands
and tell their objections. =.
There were several subcommittee appointed 70
begin the actual work. committee composed OF
General Tracy ex-Judge Dillon and Mr.. DE WIZ
was appointed TO report the bearing OF the new
charter on the county governments WITHIN the Ter
rtory A FINANCE and Education Committee was
appointed to study the finances and educational sys
TENS Of he different localities. MeSSTS Low anu
Dutcher were appointed for this work Mess1s
Tracy Pinney and DE Witt were appointed SUB
Committee Draft. Their duties WIZ pe u 9ralt
N rough form a charter for the new cry; Ihey
we're authorized 10 consult with Assistant corpora