The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-12-25
NEW YORK's NEW CHARTER
Municipal Ownership of Public Utili-
ties VIII Not be Attempted.
New York. Dec. 25.-The draft of IL

New York. Dec. 25.-The draft of the
charter of greater New York as sub
mitted to the commission, is published
today.
The legislative power is to vested in
a municipal assembly to consist of two
hOuses-a lower house Of 3104 members
elected from senat torial districts, and an
The legislative power is TO bevested in
council districts.
All the members of both houses are
to be elected for the term OF two years
and all are to retire at once.
As to everything concerning the
rights, privileges and liberties of the
citizen respecting municipal rGle, the
legislative department is to be subject
to no restraint. But in respect to public
Improvements, the action Of the muni-
cipal assembly IS to be further subject
ed to the concurrence of tIe board of
estimate and appOrtiOnment.
The mayor is to have power to ap-
point all the administrative and execu-
tive Offices Of the city except the
comptroller. who is rendered elective
by the people every four years, so that
the treasury and finances VIII constant
ly be in the hands of an independent
department.
The mayor is to have supervisory con
troll over the various departments and
an enlarged veto power upon the acts
of the municipal assembly His patron
age and his power are 50 Ereat that he
viii in these particulars be a dignitary
second only in Importance to the gov
ernor Of the state. The mayor is to be
given absolute power to remove at will
every administrative officer, irrespec-
tive OF prescribed term of office, during
the first six months of his adminfstra-
ton After that he can remove only
ON charges with the approval of the
Where the powers of the administra-
tive department are largely discretion
airy, it is proposed to have the depart
ments presided over by board Of two
r1r-r
tive merely. but one commissioner has
been provided for. The most important
board is to be the board of public i'm
provements consisting of the heads of
the newly created departments-the de-
partment of water supply. highways of
street cleaning, of public buildings
lighting and supplies. and the depart
ment Of bridges This is the St. Louis
The police department viii have four
commissioners, as now and viii in
elude the bureau of elections. The
charities department and the park de-
partment Will be presided over by three
commissioners each The law depart
ment. the fire department and the de-
partment of correction viii have single
heads. The building department may
Greater New York is to he divided in
to five bOrOughs. Manhattan The
Bronx, The Brooklyn, The Queens and
richmond, and certain degree of
nome rule IS to be granted to the bOr-
oughs. There are to be five commits
sioners Of tables and assessment in
stead Of three as at present and a sys-
tenn for the equalization OF the varviny
conditions in the consolidated territory
has been devised.
In the matter of education the com
mittee adopted a plan which Central
izes in board OF education represents
ing the whole city, the physical con
duct Of the schools. and which devolves
upon school boards appointed by the
mayor ln every borough, the educational
conduct of the schools
The committee concluded not to deal
with municipal ownership but SAYS:
From an original and ideal standpoint
II IS easy to see that the city would
become the recipient of vast revenues
by the ownership and operation of all
franchises for lighting by gas or cleo
tricity and for tramways and other
public institutions
In Greater New York, however. pri-
Vate capital, uDon the faith of the
state. is embarked largely in such fran
1t would take sum too vast to be
hastily computed to acquire the prop
critics thus vested in private persons
by fair compensation