The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-01-01
GREATER NEW YORK A GIANT.
STTPENDOJS POWER IN THE
HANDS OF THE MAYOR.

Hundreds of OfIice-HOIderS With
Salaries Running Into the Millions
at His Mercy-The Inauguration of
the New Regime Marked by "a Pa
rade and the Air of New Years
Fve-MiIitia. Civic Societies, FIORts
and RicycIists in the Procession.
The Route AbIaxe With Electric
ity.
New York, Dec. 31.-The citizens of New
York, which tomorrow will be the second
city in the world, enter tonight upon
what is believed to be the greatest prob
lem of municipal government ever pre-
sented With the last stroke of the clock
al midnight, announcing the advent Of the
new year, there will be born a city such
as the emperors and kings of history
would have DENIED great for an empire.
When the machinery of the new munich
paHty gets in motion, the mayor of New
York will have the power of an autocrat.
He may appoint officials with salaries run
ming into the thousands with as lavish
hand as ever emperor treated his faithful.
The mayor will appoint every departm ent
head in the city except the controller, VINO
is elected for four years. He will appoint
all commissioners, justices of the criminal
courts, all the members of the school
boards, with the exception of the commits
sioner of education, the judges of the court
of special sessions and the police magis-
trates, and is given the power to remove
any official in New York and to appoint
his successor.
There are five boroughs in Greater New
York, nancy, Manhattan, Brooklyn,
Bronx, Queens and Richmond. The mu-
nicipal legislature consists of the council
Will ic-n and a hoard
of aldermen of sixty members. The pres
ident of the council is elected by the peo-
pie. The president of the board of alder
men will be chosen by the members of
thai body.
Mayor Van Wyck is given power to veto
any ordinance or resolution of either body
of the municipal assembly unless five
sixths of the members of both bodies de-
clare otherwise.
Each of the five boroughs has a borough
president but his principal duty is to pre-
side over the various local boards in his
borough.
The exit of the old year and the inaugu-
ration of Greater New York was celebrat-
ed fittingly tonight One of the events
that marked the occasion was a grand pa
rade under the auspices of the New York
Journal and Advertiser The scene in City
Hall park previous TO the arrival there
of the procession was spectacular and bril-
liant. Although the head of the parade
was not expected to reach that point much
before midnight. the park was crowded as
early at S O'Clock.
The old city hall was brilliantly ilum-
mated with strings of electric lights, beau
tifuIly oolored electrical shields and Amer
lean flags, composed of revolving light.
On the dome of the municipal building
was placed eight search lights that flashed
in all directions and cut across lights that
blazed their rays on the roofs of the pri-
vate and the newspaper buildings Many
buildings. surrounding the park were dec
grated with handsome electric light de-
vices. while several bands of music wed
with the bearers of trumpets and tin
horns.
In the space in front of the city hall a
platform had been erected TO accommodate
the judges, who were selected to award
prizes.
Notwithstanding the warning elements
and the announcement made in the early
afternoon that the carnival and parade
would be postponed, a great crowd of mer-
rymakers, maskers, Wneelmen and men,
bers of various societies with numerous
floats met at the rendezvous around Union
square@ready to march through the rain
and mud to honor the old city and welcome
the new.
Col. George Moore Smith of the Sixty
ninth Regiment acted as marshal, and
promptly at 1918 o'clock the order to
march was given. The crowd at the start
ing point was enormous. Following the
police escort came the marshal and his
aids. and they were followed by Fancuiel-
LIS band leading the Chicago delegates,
who were in five open carriages.
Next in line we're several uniformed bod
les of men, consisting of the Robert An
derson Battery, Veteran firemen, Irish
Volunteers and the naval battalion.
The German societies Joined in the pro-
cession at Fifteenth street Following
them was an immense float representing
the Brooklyn bridge, with cables of ever
green on which the wedding of Father
Knickerbocker and Miss Brooklyn was be
ing celebrated in truly German style amid
much merriment. Then float followed float
in "a pid succession.
Six divisions of wheelmen, consisting of
the marshals staff military division,
couriers, manufacturers divisions, all toy
ged grotesquely were in line, and in front
and behind these We're representatives and
volunteers in all departments, soldiers,
fremen and others.
Shortly after 10 O'clock some hundreds
of solid looking citizens carrying Chinese
lanterns marched TO position of vantage
in front of the city hall. They represent
ed the singing societies of New York and
BROOKLYN AT 1890 Hon. A. Green and
were escorted to the platform. Mr.. Klein
was the judge Of the choral singing.
The Choral Society sang the German
chorals in turn, but the immensely of the
square and the footing horns drowned the
songs of the singers before they reached
the throng.
After this ceremony the bombs placed on
the lawn gave the signal that the parade
was approaching, and one hour before
midnight The first Of the procession turn
ed into the park 4 huge balloon with a
trailing light was sent up. and as it swept
across the park a blazing American flag
fioated down and remained burning until
the balloon went out Of sight.
A drizzling rain had turrfed to snow. but
the great crowds remained surrounding
the paraders. who had gathered in the
park for The chief ceremony OF the night.
AT exactly Y o'clock the search lights on
the neighboring buildings were turned
upon the hagstaff Of the city han. As the
hands pointed to the exact hour little
white ball was seen to climb the staff slow
w. The mayor Of San Francisco had
touched the button and the electrical cur
,.o,t sasaf tho furlad dap Of the oftxt ,f NTn.,,