New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-02-05
WHY SETH LOW SUPPORTS 1T
HIS REASONS FOR APPROVING THE
CHARTER.

LEGISLATIVE CHAMBER AND oNE-HEAphp
POLICE pEPARrMENT-THE CHARTER
IS A WHOLE HOWEVER, BETTER
THAN THAT OF ANY or THE
THREE CITIES. IN
opinion
Surpr1se has been expressed by n number OF
newspapers because Seth Low. az member OF the
Greater Nsw-York Commission. has given his assent
10 the provisions in the prepared charter Tor a
Municipal Assembly. be composed of two houses,
and for a number of boards instead of single
headed commissions. and 1t has been said that MS
approval OF those provisions was in contradiction
Of views which he had declared previously. In eN-
PLANTATION OF his course Mr.. Low has written the
following letter to the Editor Of The Evening
Pest
sir: As General Tracy has stated through your
semby with two houses for the Greater New-York
and OF four-headed Police Board think am
the Commission single Legislative chamber ana
RnarH of Eecions i, IS we known that favor
these things and it ought TO have been taKen io'
mission ENcept for General Tracy's interview,
had reported 10 the legislature l have urged the
single chamber. among other reasons because
think ii lends itself efficiency and in the WORK OF
nave urged a separate Board Of Elections be-
cause do not believe in giving to the Police DE,
because the presence Of the Election bureau in
Police Department furnishes the pnclpdl tNfuSt
for putting "A board OF four men. selected for po-
tical reasons. at the head Of the Police Depart
ment. instead Of one man 70 he selected simply pc
cause of his capacity 10 be a Hood fo'Ve 'o'''"s
sioner. ... 49,. ,ao,, o,.a-r,,,ed In
these matters. propose To support the charter as
a whole % because the form OF me Chdrtcr IN
badly; (2i because these detects seem me TO be
trifing compared with the fundamental advantages
SaD n tC of 6 bree ciie has To-Day mat are to
1f cppS iGg led ne
MY reasons for this last belief cannot be given IN
a single article nut | shall hope TO make them
known TO the public with all necessary fulness
when the Commission has reported TO the hegislai-
urc. Until then the Commission Usef makes SucH
great demands upon my time as to make IL lihpos-
THE MUNICIPAL ASSEMBLY
Lot me speak to-day of the Municipal Assembly.
Philadelphia. Boston and ST. Louis have had two
houses in their municipal legislature, while New
York Chicago and Brooklyn have had hut one
am not aware that the latter group OF cities mas
been so much better governed than the former as
TO make II poss BILE for any one to say with assur-
ance that the question whether the city legislature
has one house two has very much 10 do with the
result in the United States. ] conclude therefore.
that form of the city legislature IS matter on
comparative unimpOTtanco Ions as its member
ship shall be nominated by party machinery as al
present constituted. and so long as the political
habits Of our people make nomination by the
party convention of the majority so generany
equivalent to an election. l agree with you mat
the fundamental difficulty In this case as III otheI
lies IN the TACT mat NOMINATIONS ntht 80
passed of popular control, but this situation
cannot be covered by city charter wha'eVe! l's
1t is certainly fair to ask this being SO. why am
prepared to support charter That gives 10 me /
Municipal Assembly. under these conditions. great
ly enlarged powers. answer frankly Tor three
First-Because there has been OF late years.
and there is great awakening Of interest
that / do not consider it false step al this /
juncture. when ioI the first line, We are 10 /
80, j,,1en Of The Greoier Vew-York D secure if
j; be possible. of existing conditions, Mu-
nicpa Assembly for the great city that shall prove
Second-Because the Municipal Assembly must have I
these powers in order for the city home rue.
do not agree with you nat the only way to sccude
ment a const tuiional convention adjourned little /
do this direction was 10 provide that the Mayor
might have conditional veto Ger ain bills. Home
IS If it only be had by new and moe sweeping I
toward securing rule for the city. as conceive.
is equip the city with the powers that Noes
mar n I0t rt O upon q Is oder ms Of gong ~ the s
laure for additional powers az every session. and -
Charter thai does his If baekeI by an 4e7i sl IN
rule. in my opinion, more quickly than bc had
in any other way In other words, proposed
charter gives to the home-rue scntment OF ,he city
practicable opportunity to make Itself felt IL secur-
fhiTd-HecaGse. in the cxerciSt Of The great
Of egia9 Se So S5aa n 9f M Me-
Assembly in relation to all questions involving the
Of Estimate and Apportionment; and ~ relation 70
all questions OF public work and public improve
OF these boards is new TO American experience, but
their combred use - proposed IN the charier Of
competent 10 judge hope much from it. The Board .
Of Estimate and Apportionment. both in New-Nork .
and in Brooklyn. has shown itself for twenty years
alton II is moi unroasonabe 10 believe that il vii
defender the
interest In the of The City's credit The Board
ter is a development OF the ST. Louis Board of The
same name in which city IT has procured for itself
cheney and In protecting the good of the city
IN all matters relating to public work ana public
ter of the Greater New-York. as in 81. Louis the
be called the administrative direction Of them, the
Assembly IN the meanwhile. standing In
upon TO give legislative sanction to every under
taking. This sanction having been given by the
Municipal Assembly. the matter marches 10 the end
under the direction and control OF the Board of
Public Improvements
LOCAL LEGISLATIVE SANCTION.
In other words the charter proposes to substitute
In the conduct Of the cys affairs for the legisa-
tive sanction of the State Legislature at Albany.
the legislative sanction OF the Municipal Assembly
In New-York, he exercised urder the steadying
influence of the Board Of Estimate and Apportion-
nnent the hand. and of tho Board Of Public
improvements on the other. The necessary l"gis
lative sanction, for some such sanction Is ipds-
pensablo under any scheme of government. is thus
to be given at home under the observation and
criticism of the press and OF the people of the city
believe the city's interests will be better safe
guarded under this system than they are now, let
the Municipal Assembly be what it Will. II IL be
objected that the Legislature may still interfere. |
o. that the Legislature is less likely 10 IN
terfere when there is no legitimate occasion for its
doing So CT that the public sentiment OF the city
ran IL IL Will, prevent such Interference the
nent the city has the powers that are necessary
for current life; and go that If the L~gslat-
ure does still interfere the existing situation Is i'm
proved TO the that interior from Albany
l. even limited. Respectfully, SETH Low
New-York, Feb A. 1870