The Portland daily press., 1897-01-13


in the executive department OF city gov
ernmepts. This Includes the greater
differentiation Of the executive ana IeRls-
lstive authority. The government OF our
largest cities should be organized WIFE
an executive department., at the nend on
which stands mayor, with 6ne Iult 70
sponsibility of seeing that the laws % ~
power which may be necessary to enaDie
himgte do this. This means praoelcally
the appointment of the sheads OF depart
meats without reference to the wishes OF
what may be called the legislative
branch, however that may be organized.
1t should've the duty Of the mayor TO
reoommend to the council such leglsla-
tion as he may regard proper. to prepare
the estimates of receipts ard expendl-
lures, and in general to perform tne
duties of supreme executive.
ri Ia a satisfaction to note that the new
charter provides for Emayor who snall
have real power as an executive oncer
and, of course, corresponding responsl-
bility. THIS provision will undoubte
ba criticised as esta blishinG Zone man
power" In that it removes from the ounce
of MAYOR certain checks which In some
instances in the past. perhaps, may nave
proved to have been of good effect.
But the expert ment which Portland Will
be trying, If this new charter Is ADOPTED,
is not q new one in this country. The
charter under which we now live is just
tbe same kind Of charter as was form
erly granted to most American cities. but
many of them have one after another
given M their old charters. and adopted
new ones in which this principle of great
err power and responsib ility in the hands
of the mayor has been tried. The expsri.
enge of some of these cities may be OF
advantage to us in this discussion.
ot,o rf of
Boston was very similar in this respect
to the present charter of Portland. 1t
was revised in 1885 and since amended so
as to place In the hands of the mayor all
the executive powers formerly exercised
by the board of aldermen. Mr.. Moor
field Storey, referring to these changes in
a paper delivered in 1894, says, "The city
governments of Boston today is better
til an 1t has been for years.
In Brooklyn the power of the mayor is
SO great that practically the whole ad-
ministration of city affairs depends upon
that official This charter has been in
force since 1882, and Ex-Mayor Seth Low
says of it, "The community is SO we'll
satisfied that the charter is vast i'm
provemept on any system which u mas
tried before that no voice is raised
against it. -
IL Chicago the mayor has absolutely
undivided power aud undivided respon-
sibility. He has as much power IN his
province as the President of the United
States, as an executive officer, has in
his.
eminent in which a separation is made
between the executive and Legislative
branches. George Gluyas Mercer, of
that city, says, "The wisdom of this
modern policy of q concentration OF
power and responsibility in one bead has
already been shown by the practical ad-
ministration of our city government in
accordance with this plan, and If any
further change be made in the form OF
the municipal government of Philadel-
phia, it will undoubtedly be in the direc-
ton of dsvelopement Of this theory to
the extent originally intended, rather
than In the direction Of a return to the
antiouated forms that we formerly en-
dured."
In 1891 the city Of Cleveland was grant
ed charter organized upon lines separ-
sting the leRi lative and executlv e
movers and reposing the former wholly
In the common council and the latter in
the mayor and heads of departments to
be chosen by the mayor. Judge u. j.
Blandin, of that city, says, "Our system
Is working SO well and giving such salts
faction to our people that even q pro-
posal to change it by correcting the rev
49,
smart resistance. They would be afraid
that one change would make further al
| teration possible, and that plecemeal> II
might be pulled down.
In Cambridge, St. Paul, Colum bus
and Indianapolis the mayor has entire
control of the executive departni ept, and
in each of these cities that part of the
charter is working well and satisfactorily
to the people.
/ This list might be indefinitely extend.
ed, but instances enough have been cited
to show that danger to the people result
| ing from increasing the power OF the
mayor has not been the experience Of
other cities. The marked characteristic
of modern city charters is In this in
crease of L lis powers and responsibilities
The new charter provides in section
that "the administration of all fiscal,
prudential and municipal affairs oil
said city, with the government thereof,
shall be vested In the mayor as the CHIEF
executive officer and % council" etc.
Section IA also provides that "the mayor
shall be the chief executive officer of the
| corporation of the city of Portland.
The provision quoted above from the ole
charter, that the executive powers shall
be vested in the mayor and aldermen.
is omitted. The new provisions are
copied from the charter now in force in
Boston, and although they have never
been before the court, they are construed
by the law department OF that city al
intending complete separation OF ex'
con tive and legislative powers.
RICHARD WEBB.