The sun., 1897-02-22
IN .inain he.a-th.. h..a no. /.

from the ranks. through all grades Of service. to
the chief command, who knows little and cares
less Tor party considerations and party contests
but who Is thoroughly imbued with the convic-
tion that the chief object aud purpose OF the
police force Is to preserve the peace and good
Promotions are made only on the recommen-
naon u on the Ehier and t9 deadlock ~ k
rejection Of any Recommendation for promo
tion, the Chief OF Police shall submit another
name within three days, and shall continue to
do SO until such vacancy Il flled."
Again. IN order to furnish safeguard against
| achief who Is either Incompetent. or who abuses
his power AS the military head OF the force, the
charter provides that he may be retired. and
| thus removed from his office, by the unanimous
vote OF the board, or by ma aiority vote with the
| approval OF the Mayor.
| charter, Is greatly preferable to any OF the sys-
| tens as they have heretofore existed in the
cities about to I've consolidated. To substitute one
ers, and TO devolvc upon him he duties wIi.s aye
to be discharged by the board are impIra raticablc.
any one man to discharge them, and II would
| be necessary for him to have assistants. with
duties and emoluments substantially the same
as those Of three Commissioners. At present
ono OF the Commissioners Is treasurer ot the de-
partmcnt, and will be- called upon 70 disburse
| not less than S6,oOO.OOO annually. With single
Commissioner. OF course. treasurer OF the
| force. with salary equal to that OF II Commis-
sioner, would be necessary.
The Commissioners are also trustees OF the
police pension fund, the annual disbursements
alone during the last year T to MOI more than 81 900
| OOO. The Commissioners pay out from month
to month to the bcnerciaries OF the fund the
| sums to which they are entitled. To them are
| presented all claims for pensions. They investi
| gate and allow or reject such claims. and when
| allowed nN the amount OF the pension to be- paid
| Finally, upon the Police Commissioners Is de-
volyed the arduous duty Of trying patrolmen
and officers for breaches OF police discipline. In
| New York alone there are over fivc thousand
| trials per annum. and under the new force II u
safe 10 say that the number will exceed siN
| thousand, or twenty n day for every working
| day in the year. The charges must be made In
writing; notice must he given and an OPP
| portunity AL orded to answer: day fixed for the
hearing; the hearing had, the accused having
the right To appear and be- represented BY coun'
writing. and Judgment and sentence awarded.
" Il absurd TO suppose that single Comnis'
sioner; in addition to the large duties other:
, and determine all these cases
| 1t il obvious that the Substitution In the place
OF a board Of n single Commissioner clothed with
| all necessary powers a. the head OF the Police
| Department would necessitat- AN entire change
Of the force. and Of the trial OF charges Of
neglect Of duty. One OF Two plans would
| necessarily be followed: ~ That officers
should bc detailed and courts constituted a.
military courts. similar In their nature To
courts martial, 70 try Offences nder such an
| arrangement officers would enforce the disci-
pline Of the department upon each other. system
which is subject, to criticism even in the army
and navy. and which. so far as we arc advised.
has never been employed for the purpose OF main
tanning the discipline OF purely civil force ike
the police. W To organize courts outside the Po-
lice department for the purpose OF trying in.
volying breaches o. police discipline. 1t was
seriously considered when the subject was I'M
| der discussion by the commission whether sep
arate courts should not be constituted for the
trial Of police offences. objection was made to
| the plan as deprving the Police Department OF
all authority over its officers. and as being en-
tirely destructive OF discipline. II was, there
| fore, finally aba ndoncd a. impraCticable.
lt is believed that no judicial system for the
| Police Department would bc as satisfactory "a
,ha, administered by the members OF the Police
The tnal and conclusive objection. however TO
u single Commissioner Is that the power over
the property and liberty OF the citizen. welded
b. the head OF such II body rs the police force Of
the consolidated city Is too tremendous to be
intrusted TO any one man. The abuse Of such
power when in the hands OF single
individual could only BE- known when the
been done and. even then. its operation would
lie 80 secret and so ins!dious that detection
would be difficult and prevention out % the
question. l ndcr the system as now constitutci.
the advantages OF a single head in unity ~ pur'
pose, practical direction. and prompt and EN-.
n bOdy exists whose specific duty II l. To ob'
serve from day to day the methods OF action
lations in their minutest details, and to chHl'
lengc all deviations from duty. The lesislatiE We
and Sdmini;tratiye action 6t thts snpsrsis'hhs W., h
resolution Is the subject OF recnrd and Is conse
quently entirely. open TO the inspection OF The
higher municipal authorities and OF the public
generally. such a system, it is believed. secures
the highest degree OF positive efficiency, while
at the same time II contains within II such
checks and balances are necessary to prevent
the cScryiss of arbitrary power, and 10 insure
that publicity which IL an essential condition OF
municipal government.
A. TO MAYORS POWER or REMOVAL
The proposed charter gives TO the Mayor the
power to appoint the Corporation Counsel and
all the administrative ana executive officers oi
the city. except the Comptroller. The Mayor
has also "a supervising control over all the
various Department., The proposed charter s tS
legislative body. The power Of the May9TT OF
New York under the proposed charter VIII ..
city OF New York.
The commission found that the Legislature
by Chapter H. Of the laws Of 1893 had recently
dealt specially with the subject of the power O
the Mayor TO make removals from oifiCc had en-
provided that AZ any time within six month.
after the commencement Of his term OF office. tn,
Mayor may. AZ pleasure, remove from oiire nm!
him: after that On charges. The commission
continued thi, power Without substantial change
II changed the phrascolo=y OF the previous ac'
which authorized the Mayo "a remove at pleas
ure during the first six months OF his admins
power TO remove during the first six months
Whenever in his Judgment the public Interest,"
require its exercise. After ak months and dur
but only on charges and with the approval o
| the Governor.
pended annually by the various departments
and OF the enormous power vested in the Police
| Department, the majority were unwilling Il
vest In the Mayor throughout his entire tern
the absolute power OF removal at will OF all tn,
heads OF departments. lncluding the ponce.
The mere existence, unrcstraincd, OF powc,
SO tremendous in single officer would in II
self. h. a constant menace not alone To thu
people of the city. but OF the entire state. Th'
consequences OF the exercise of such power
when welded by weak, an ambitious or al
interruptions man. are fearful TO contemplate
He could use this vast power and patronage Il
effect personal and partisan ends,and readily con
troll city election, and At times State, or ever
q national election. The charter proceeds on th
principle throughout that II Is desirable Il
locate responsibility upon public officers, and Il
50 locate II that they cannot readily eNadc II
? with this view, the power OF the Mayor rs th
proposed charter leaves it, is greater than II wa
before, and greater than exists in any like Office
in the world. II will be observed that III
Mayors power OF removal ia cocNtensiv
with his term, the only Limitation
| hcing that, after the end of si'
, months, Il can only be exercised as aboy
/, stated, for incflcicnCy or other cause. When III
MAJOR in making an appointment to these Hrca
. Offices knows that his absolute power Of remova
j. limited to six months he Is far more likely Il
he careful in the selection and appointment thai
II hc has an unqualified power OF removal CON
mcnsuratc with his Who'll. term. The charter q
drafted, In this respect, therefore, combines III
, principle oi power and Its responsibility VIII