The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-04-10
STRONG VETOES CHARTER.
HAS HAD SOME ELABORATE AMEND
MENTS Up ms SLEEVE.

-nBNfS tF III SbEEI n.
OHers to Approve tho Bill. with Uniimited
Power OF Removal, n Oue-Hcnd Police
Hoard and n Hoard of Elections Put In
Legislature Likely TO Repass NJ as II IL.
ALBANY. April 9.-Asscmbly Clerk Baxter re-
ceivcd to-day copies OF the Greater Now York
charter from Mayors Strong and Wurster. As
intimatcd IN THE SUS this morning, Mayor
Strong's message was one Of disappointment
Mayor Wurstcr's action. on the other hand, was
TO approve tho charter. as Mayor Gleason OF
Long Island City had done. The disapproval by
one Mayor makes IL necessary for tho Lcgisla-
ture 10 repass tho charter. but this can be dono
in short order under n suspension of the rules,
and It is expected that tho bill will be laid before
Gov. Black early next week.
The memorandum of the Mayor says:
As to objections to the general scheme OF con.
solidation. / do not feel called upon TO consider
them, while as TO- objections based upon alleged
the defects thus pointed out could be easily ana
readily remedied by appropriate tel lcE sshn,i', r., n
me certain defects so serious and fundamental
that ! cannot feel It to be consistent with my
the bill in It's present form in behalf, Of the city.
IT. was well known now IT., to my was associates Si,h so os .ne
report to the Legislature, and that ! did so
4 fSay. n %Popi sns %haSr the snPres sion % af nHanim.
ity therein contained, ! should be at liberty to
Ter TO which / most strongly objected. Accord.
ingly. in conjunction with one other member OF
the commission a communication stating the
particular provisions to which l most strongly
objected and some of the reasons why so OBJ
1.-THE memorandum goes on to say that the
Mayor and the other Commissioners referred to
voted and spoke for a single Municipal Assem-.
bly,, for a single Police Commissioner and an In.
t dbepsMa MAYOR the power to remove Without charges
throughout his whole term. instead OF In the first
sly !, months mon hs o Of his term aS only y, the time the words
that have quoted were written ! was more than
had been made by the charter upon the three
points above indicated. but ut that time l felt
that tho general adv9ntagos Of consolidation
a piece Of. Legislation. would upon the
whole outweigh the defects suggested. and
iieved would flow from consolidation upon the
general plan provided for BY the charter hss,rts it
and dangers which I foresaw might arise from
the provisions to which l took exception, and
headed Police Commission and a limitation upon
the Mayors power OF removal.
Since that time. however, circumstances have
90 developed themselves in tho city of New York
as to impress me even more strongly than l was
from ae Which Z I [ have quoted With the utter impos.
sibility Of successfully administering The affairs s,5
Be Il the present form Of Police Commission and
the present limitations upon the Mayors power
OF E ES%0 in the See present re g = ttoofittyynooffp New York the Po-
lice Department has been brought TO a condition
81 eefnHr and Which is to Be traced directly C to
the manner In which the law requires the pres
ept commission to DO constituted, ana TO tne IN
sion when he is convinced that the public in
terests require such a reconstruction.
] should be lacking in what deem to be my
name of the city Of New York a measure which
proposes to extend to the Creator New York the
provisions of law which have produced The un-
fortunate condition Of affairs in this city which
My power under the Constitution Is limited to
accepting or refusing to accept the bill as a whole:
in this bill to which / would most gladly give my
approval III could do so without at the same time
approving those which ! have indicated, and to
which feel 1t to he my duty to object.
I inclose herewith proposed amendments to the
beads S,a sA Of depsrt time Msi proSid RGsef for 70 fs Single
Police Commissioner, and establishing an indie
ments could be Incorporated into the bill, Ishould
have no hesitation whatever in accepting 1t.
MAYOR sTRoNG's AMENDMENTS.
The amendments to the charter suggested by
Mayor Strong give the Mayor the power to re-
move his appointees at any time during his term
of Office instead of limiting this power to the
first six months thereof; they provide for a
single-hesded Police Department, with a Dep
uty Commissioner for each of the five boroughs,
in place Of the non-partisan board Of four Com
missioners provided for in the bill. and they
further establish a non-partisan Election Board
composed of four members, this board to be IN
dependent of the Police Board.
The exemptions from the operation of tho
power of removal are the School Commissioners.
City Magistrates and Justices of the Court of
The salary Of the Police Commissions is fixed
at $500 and the salaries Of the Deputies at
so; ses IS s :oo5. II TSe DsPpS opu tSf c Sleh%Shai wnS ar Is
TO be appointed by the Mayor and are to have
many powers and functions independent of the
Police Commissioner.
The Commissioner is to make rules and regu-
and remove ali members Of the force. The power
of promotion is lodged in the Commissioner, but
ton Of the deputy Of any b Borough. The power
to recommend for promotion is now lodged in
tn tof be eh Ieft IN IN tho Chie an Of o Pofieee eT is that MG' to assigns seS@s
men and officers TO duty in the several Dor
opghs; After that is done the Deputy Chief as
fers them as he sees ft. The Commissioner as
signs patrolmen to duty as ropndsmen on the
Trials OF members of the force may be had be-
fore either tho Commissioner or any Deputy.
The Deputy Commissioner may finally dispose
Of any case involving only a fine or a reprimand.
In other cases the findings must be sent to the
c com%iissiiSner' M msy w retire rena fSe '9 GRiof or a ahs
Deputy Chief at any time with the Mayors ap-
The list of officers of the Consolidated Police
Department from which a Chief Of Police may
spectors and Captains. The Deputy Commits
sioner for the borough Of Manhattan is to be the
Treasurer OF tho department.
The Election Commissioners are to hold office
for four years and receive a salary Of 5000
e. efs Sc. 900 As %FfS a aSe@ye OF E tePa. Is 10 a" b. q c ahn5ssH
by the Board of Elections. and is to be the ex-
ecutive officer Of the department.
Content, However. That. Like Jerry nusk. He
Seen His Duty ana He Done II.
II don't think" said Mayor Strong yester-