The Springfield herald., 1897-10-01
GREATER NEW YORK.
IMMENSE POWERS oFITs MAYOR
win Have tho Appointing Power Over lo'-
900 City Empioycs, Including Heads q
all Departments.

The most Important election that VIII De
held I'm IN The coming ,n NSsSiS Ssw YORK. where the
first mayor Of the Greater New YORK ~ lg
be selected. It Is not often that mun'epn. IN gen
contest oyprshadows state elections IN gen
crnl interest but there hre several ith the
why 1t is so in this case To begin witn, the inc
Greater New York election Will decide tne
government for the next four years oL a
community with population greater .nhis ~
that OF the thirteen colonies nt Tue tlme a oa
the federation, greater thnn that o. any 4he the
among forty Of the forty states IN me
Union at the present time; o ~ VIII none Meein ~
the metropolitan Income greater than that
raised for state purposes by the weaithiest
states-and who is TO disburse the miliions ~
which the city must annually spend ior I.s
own maintenance. 1t Is of supreme inter
est to the politicians because 1t means nun,
dreds OF important positions no ne tn n,i he dis
tributed-more than accompanies any eiet
tive office In this country. sGnrGey tASeP,f fs nf
vast Interest to students of politics and q
thoughtful persons everywhere. because i,.,,,r =,
area so vast and Il city population so great
under strongly centralized government.
such as is provided by the New York chhr-
In New York the mayor is to be the pivot
about which the entire city administrati9n
o T %GTs %hsh l esremsly w TsGsSs se s for an
tlv. Office In the United States Among the
duties specifically imposed upon him ~ me
six heads Of departments who will control
the police the public works. the docks. and
power. He will also appoint the maEis,,
trates who will direct the administration ,n ot
Justice. 1t will be his duty to MI nearly ~
official positions. carrying total salaries or
above half million. He Will be the head OF
a vast army of city employees NUM- NUMBERING ,hng
compelled Cornwaiiis to surrender at York
town and put an end to the Revolution
On the side tl tgs ctH W eoam
ell by his veto which can he overrlden only
by a. two-thirds vote of the municipal as.
sembly. In any case involving "the creating
of debt, laying OF an assessment, or grant
ing n franchise, tbs vote shall he re
Gured" to set aside the veto, To- Thus Thus the ne
control these important matters, All nets or
the legislature relating 20 the city VIII also
that he has n wide latitude In legislative, ms
well as executive functions.
greater power and responsibility was placed
In the mayors hands He was to be a..
lowed to remove ut any time and WITHOUT
giving cause any head OF n department: me ne
object OF this arrangement was as Mr.. Dc
Witt of the charter commission expressed II.
that there might be only one head for the
people to hit in case of corrupt or inefficient
an amendment of the Legislature. is now re
mayors term.
The mayor of New York will be a more
powerful official than the head Of any other
great modern city. His control Of region
containing n population greater than most
states, and one twelfth Of the total wealth
of the Union, will be more complete for the
four years of his term than that of any
other man holding Office under popular
government. But at the end Of that time he
must give up his sway and become private
citizen for the next four years Mt lenst.
Under the provisions OF the charter no man
can hold the position of mayor for two
terms in succession.
In spite of the fnr-reaching powers which
1t grants, the plan OF government adopted
for Greater New York is distinctly an Ameri.
can system, designed to meet the needs and
experience of popular government ana uni
versal suffrage To show how the scheme
differs from that in force in other countries
1t IL only necessary to compare the position
of mayor of New York with the same po-
sition In the great European cities.