The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-02-20
CHARTER GONE TO ALBANY.
MlYoR srROSG LND sETH LOW
OBJECTIONS.

III vi u YIN y
pointed by tho Greater New York Commission
10 take TO the Legislature the report Of the COM
mI,sion. together with tis draft of tie new
charter and other proposed legislation relating
10 the consolidated municipalities delivered
duplicate copie. Yesterday to the clerks OF tho
senate and the Assembly. The report Is signed
by all tho members OF the cotomission except
the venerable Andrew II. Green. who has been
unable to participate in tho work OF tho COM
mission.
The commission, by vote. decided not to make
the report public until 1t Is presented TO the
LEGISLATURE. Seth Low and Mayor Strus,g made
public yesterday this letter to Secretary Pinney;
Sin; AZ the undersigned have voted for the
Greater New York charter as a whole, and have
Joined In the report to the Legislature 10 DO
submitted in connection herewith. they wish
TO have 1t made q matter OF record that. IN the
s sTs..in Scl Sy the they f have both fn spoken iSs and Toisdn'
/. For IA Municipal Assembly with q single
chamber.
independent Board Of Elections.
9. For granting to the Mayor the power TO re-
,sposv Sa,noa The sn %nois Of his term. instead Of
limiting this power. as the charter does, TO tho
FIRST six months OF his term only.
whole, Notwithstanding that In these important
particularsit differ. from what ..ey tntnk IL
whole its merits outweigh It's defects and be-
cause they al.o believe that under 1t consolida-
tion can safely be brought about.
The undersigned believe that In the majority
Of cities In the United states. as well as else
ehamber The city of New York itself has had
two chambers in its legislative body. The TWO
H.. city DESTROYS 10 keep them. The analogy
somcriim-s drawn between the legislative body
O. a city and G%nsrs ~ Or ,be tine nSd srf,ras,nIis IS n mls "a
leading. \ CITY legislature. loes not deal.
in u large sense. with political questions,
Ned subjects. Neither the United States
nor any state Of tho Union Keeps a
session. All OF the State. OF. the Union.
except six. restrict the meeting OF their legis.
mean that the government 81 a city is by any
means all business; AMI yet IL Is true. III the
Upiniun Of the undersigned. that II IS much
more businu.s than II Ia. government Ia the
larger sense. The people Of the city look TO IN.
State and not to The city for the protection %,
Of the State. 20 far n II Inns to do with tho
police force. with schools. with the public health.
and, generally sleHk my. as to all the matters
tina; relate to the life 81 the citizen. Asto these
hu objects. the proposed charter girest to the muni-
voice ~ To tie amount OF money to be expenued
for such purposes. In the other hand, AS to tho
matters flat relate to the business Of tho eiti-
supply Of water. and NIL the rest OF IT,. the city IL
not >" much the agent Of the state AS u is tho
ngen, ui the people OF the city. What Is to he
especially sought. therefore. us IL appears to the
Mnd, rsign,d. IN the organization at n city gov
ernment IN relation to all such matters. is q sys-
TEN that will nrst of all prevent the abuses
suringing from recklessness or dishonesty, and
then will lend it>elf to the efficient conduct or
tile c.ty's business. The undersigned believe
that the charter makes ample provision, so
far rs amy charter can. without regard TO the
Into twu houses. against both recklessnesS and
d shunrsty on the part of the officials OF the city.
nf II Municipal Assembly with Two chambers, it
Gun hardly be con'endrd that II lend. itself TO
TO- vyesxntiaus and eostiy delay. For the rest, the
undersigned believe that the concentration OF
responsibility for legislation that IL proper to ~
city IN u single chant her H. likely to avert mis-.
chef more successfully than the division Of
power between two chambers. They do. how
ever. believe in q large legislative body for so
The Lrxow Commission. by its investigation
clear to everybody what was before only dimly
suspected - namely. the vast opportunity there
T. for abuse Of the powers, that the Police De-
stances. II appears to tho undersigned to he the
dictate OF political wisdom to, give TO the Police
Department no moro power than IL must have.
For this reason. the undersigned would not give
To the Police Department the entire control OF
elections. They would rather preserve an inde-
pendent Poari OF Elections to do for Greater
New York what nm independent Board u OF Eiec-
, ua"nn , sa, sn "s,o aPrl yif for T' ,wcnty n .ISe YEARS III II M IL
lie argued that the Police Board must have
!he entire control 81 elections because
election day and IN connection with elections.
the hest answer Is that In Brooklyn for II quar-
Ter of u century tho contrary system has pre-
vailed To the general satisfaction Of the people.
II the election business Is not c~onhled to the
Police Depart nlent the principal argument. in
four-headed Police Board. the members of which
are to be selected so that the politics Of not more
than two at the time OF their appointment shall
he The same. appears to fall to the ground. II Is
admitted that. IN n city viii. II police force so
large as that Ot the Greater New York, the or
Ennlzation OF the department with II single
Commis sioner ut its head would require specicl
arrangements for trials and for the discharge OF
Eone Of the other functions Of tho department.
IT II also admitted that the chapter on the Po'
Treat improvement, as the mndersivned think
upon the present law relating To the Police De-
pnrtnent OF the city Of New York; but for the
pr0per business OF the 30, ice the undersigned
would rather trust to the safety to be had by
holding one man responsible Tor the adminis'
tration Of the department than 10 any safety
that can come from dividing responsibility for
the administration OF the department between
the members OF a hoard OF four men.
The undersigned believe that the authority
given to the Mayor to make appointments with
matter OF course, the authority to make re
movals In the public interest without charges a,
any time. In other words. the power TO appoin,
on 20 large u scale and to such Important
positions ought 10 carry with II a orrespondIn ms
Iesponsibility attached to the power, II :
times for the conduct OF every appointce be
cause he can remove him II he fails to give sat
OF the undersigned. il much more likely to b,
careful IN the choice of his men than IL, after 81,
months, he Is to be free from the conselnsnce'
sponsibility to tho Mayor on the part of the ad
ministrative departments IL the chief elemenl
that makes for unity In tho administrator nj
the city and that lends itself INCREASINGLY Il
efficiency. One has to choose at many points IL
organizing a city government between ,eni
cheney and the assumed safety Ia DO had by q
division Of powers. The undersigned belev,
that much division OF administrative power no
only makes II difficult IL accomplish positive
good, hut is itself always e%tfcctIng %seriout
harm by making positive action difficult 81
impossible. They also believe that no principl,
can be appealed TO more safely In public lif
than the principle OF locating responsibility!
upon public officers SO clearly that they canno
evade II. Every department OF the city govern
ment Is conducted from necessity, upon hi
hasis. and II ls not apparent why the di iferen
departments, In their relation to the ~prlncipn
administrators Of the city. the Mayor, shout,
not be carried on. IN the interest OF the city
upon the same theory.
The undersigned recognize that In n work liKi
that OF preparing - charter for Greater New
York the views 81 tho majority OF those 4
whom tho duty OF framing u charter IA com
mitted must prevail. strongly Ms they bcliev,
that in the points indicated the charter Ii q
fault. they are nevertheless prepared to suppor
II for the reasons already given; but In doing Al
they wish IL 10 b" known that they think tn
charter IL constructed. in these particulars, upoI
Rwrong theory. The charter. Mt these points. AZ
peals for safety to n division OF power. III
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