The record-union., 1897-10-10
The MAYOR OF new YORK.
MOST REMARKABLE POLITICAL
POSITION IN THE WORLD.
Millions in Power and Patronage
in the Gift Of the Candidate
Elected in November.

The most important election that will
be held in the coming November is the
one that viii take place in New York,
where the first Mayor of the Greater
New York is to be selected It is not
often that municipal contest overshad-
ows State elections in general interest,
but there are several reasons why it is
so in this case. To begin with the
Greater New York election will decide
the Government for the next four years
of a community with population
greater than that of the thirteen colo
MES at the time of the federation, great
er than that of any one among forty of
the forty-fve States in the Union at the
present time. 1t will decide who is to
handle the $50,0 00. 900 income of the me-
! tropolis-an income greater than that
raised for State purposes by the wealth
lest StateS-and who is to diSburse the
millions which the city must an
nually spend for its own maintenance.
1t is of supreme interest to the politi-
clans, because it means hundreds of
important positions to be filled and an
immense amount of patronage to be
distributed-more than accompanies
any elective Office in this country,
scarcely excepting the Presidency itself.
Finally it is of vast interest to students
Of politics and thoughtful persons every
where, because it is the first attempt
to conduct an urban area so vast and
a city population so great under a
strongly centralized government sucn
as is provided by the New York charter.
This is a statement that win prob
ably surprise many people. How about
London?" they say. True, London eX-
ceeds New York in area by 325 square
miles and in population by million and
a half, but it's form of government is
fundamentally different from that pro-
vided for New York. 1t is somewhat
remarkable that in city government, in
contrast with the general administra-
ton. the plan of strong Capitalization
has been followed in this country, while
in England the federative principle has
been observed. London is a composite
of some ninety villages and the auton-
omy possessed by these seperate towns
is preserved so far as possible in the
boroughs at the present time. It is only
in the departments of police, sewers,
etc, where central control is almost es-
sential, that the administration in Lon
don has passed out of the hands of the
local boroughs.
In New York the Mayor is to be the
pivot about which the entire city adj
ministration will move. He will receive
a salary of $4,000, which is extremely
large for an elective Office in the United
States. Among the duties specially i'm
posed upon him by the charter is the
appointment of some thirty-siX heads of
| departemtns, who will control the po-
lice, the public works, the docks, and
every source of the city's revenue and
power. He will also appoint the magis
trates who will direct the administration
of justice. It will be his duty to fill
nearly 80 official positions carrying
total salaries of above half million.
He will be the head of vast army of
city employees, numbering something
like 10000 men, or more than compelled
CORVALLIS to surrender at Yorktown
and put an end to the revolution.
On the legislative side the Mayor will
have strong check on the acts of the
City Council by his veto, which can be
overridden only by a two-thirds vote of
the municipal assembly. In any case in
volving " the creating of a debt, levying
of an assessment, or granting a fran
chise a five-sixths vote shall be re-
quired" to set aside the veto. Thus the
Mayor is given practically the power to
control these important matters. All
Acts OF the Legislature relating to the
city will also come to the Mayor for his
consideration, so that he has wide lat
itude in legislative as well as executive
functions.
As the charter was at first drawn even
greater power and responsibility We're
placed in the Mayors hands. He was to
be allowed to remove at any time and
without giving cause any head of a
department. The object of this arrange
ment was, as Mr.. Dewitt of the Charter
Commission expressed it, that there
/ might be only one head for the people
to hit in case of corrupt or inefficient
administration. This power of removal
| by an amendment of the Legislature, is
now restricted to the first six months of
the Mayors term.
The Mayor of New York will be a
mora powerful official than the head
of any other great modern city. His
control Of a region containing a popu-
| lation 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 a
popular government. But at the end
of that time he must give up his sway
and become a private citizen for the
next four years at least. Under the
provisions of the charter no man can
| hold the position of Mayor for two
terms IN succession.
/ In spite of the far-reaching powers
which it grants, the plan of govern
ment adopted for Greater New York is
distinctly an American system, de-
! signed to meet the needs and experience
! Of popular government and universal
suffrage. To show how the scheme diff
fers from that in force in other coun-
tries it is only necessary to compare
the position Of Mayor of New York with
/ the same position in the great European
cities.
| The Mayor of Greater New York will
! have a great deal OF power but very
little show attached to his office. His
quarters will be unpretentious and he
| will have to live in his own house,
! which may conceivably be a rented
/ one He win have a great deal of hard
1 work to do, and will come in for a good
/ deal OF harsh criticism. If he carries
out the provision of the charter which
/ directs him to exercise a careful SUI
/ pervision Of all the city departments,
! he will be able to find work for at
| least twenty-four hours day, and it
win be exceedingly desirable for him
/ to possess Julius Caesars ability to do
seven different things at once. In all
/ these respects his position viii be diff
ferent from that OF Lord Mayor OF