The herald., 1898-10-25

Board of Freeholders differ in their opin-
ions as to details, they were unanimous IN
their conviction that municipal government
ought to be conducted upon sound business
principles rather than as an adjunct TO
State and national politics; and at the
first meeting after organization they COM
mitted themselves to this principle by unan-
imously adopting a resolution that the
charter should establish the merit system
in the appointment and tenure OF office
of the city's employees, and should remove
the public school system as far as possible
from the field of local and partisan in
fluence, by providing for the election OF the
Board of Education by the people from the
city at large. This plan as to the School
Board was, however, subsequently amend
ed, for reasons which will appear hereafter,
by providing that three of the five men,
bers should be elected, while the other two
should be appointed by the Mayor with the
consent of the Council.
In pursuance of the same general prin-
cple, the board also decided that the
Mayor, chosen directly by the people, in.
stead of being, as he now is, an ornamental
figurehead, should be vested with powers
and duties, and charged with responsibill-
ties befitting his office as the Chief Execu-
tive officer Of the municipality.
To this end, they make him directly and
personally responsible for the official con-
duct of all city officers and make it his per.
sonal duty to "take note of the fidelity and
exactitude Tor the want thereof with
which they execute their duties and obliga-
tions." All the books, records, etc., OF all
offices, departments and boards, are open
to his inspection, and he is charged with the
responsibility of seeing that they are prop
ery kept, and may remove from Office any
officer refusing to submit his books, papers
and records for yearly examination by an
expert to be appointed by him.
With this great responsibility resting en-
him. for the official conduct of the officers
and boards, it properly and naturally fol-
lows that, SO far as practicable. the appoint
ment of these officials, for whom he is re-
sponsible, should be vested in him. The
new charter, therefore, takes from the
Council and vests in the Mayor alone, the
appointment of all the boards and COM
missions (excepting that the two members
of the Board of Education appointed by
him. must he confirmed by the CounciD !;
and also takes from the present list of cleo
tive officers the City Attorney, the City
Engineer and the Street Superintendent,
and vests their appointment in the Mayor.
In further pursuance of the general prin-
ciples governing the Board OF Freeholders,
in order to remove the municipal elections
from the influence OF party politics, and to
render the conduct of municipal officers
more stable. the new charter fixes the term
of office at four years, instead OF two, and
provides for city elections on the "otf
political years. 1t also provides in the con
sttution of all OF the different boards and
commissions, for a classification OF the mem
bers, so that no more than two of them shall
go out of office in any one year; conse-
quently, at all times, there will be at least
three, and generally four of the five men,
bers having at least one years experience in
office.
| The only exception is in the Board OF
Education, where the three members, elect
ed once in four years by the people at
| large must of necessity go out OF office to-
gether; the other two members appointed
by the Mayor, holding over. This plan,
however, could not well be applied to the
Council, elected as it is, once every four
| years.
In the consideration Of the legislative
duties and powers of the Council, the
freeholders gave hearings to the presenta.
| tion by committees of the Union Reform
League and other kindred organizations, ol
| the principles of the initiative and the ref
erendum as applied to municipal affairs
| Although for years these have been applied
successfully in such important matters as
the creation of bonded indebtedness and
the adoption and amendment of municipal
charters, their more general application has
been looked upon with the distrust generally
accorded to new ideas. 1t is to be noted,
however, that they seem to be regarded
with growing favor by many of our ablest
and soundest political philosophers, las, for
| example President Low of Columbia Uni
versty), as being the logical and necessary
| complement of the modern doctrine of the
| concentration of power and responsibility
and the lengthening of the term of office OF
municipal officers. After long and careful
consideration, the freeholders committed
themselves to these principles by their ap-
| plication in two important particulars.
Upon petition signed by fifteen per cent OF
the voters at the last general municipal
election, asking for the adoption of any ordi
nance of general nature, the Council must
either pass the ordinance or submit it to
the vote of the people at the next general
municipal election. This will enable the
people to force the Council, if unwilling To
submit any desired amendments to the
charter, as well as to control the municipal
policy on any important question.
Upon like petition for the acquisition
by the city of any of the public utilities
the Council must prepare the necessary
plans and estimates. and submit the PROPOSE
tion, or alternative propositions, to the
vote of the people at the next general elec
| ton, including any proposition on the
same proposed by the Mayor
The majority of the freeholders did not
application of these principles. When the
people are sufficiently educated along these
new lines of thought, they can exercise the
power given them to enlarge and extend
| their application by amendment to the new
charter.
The rules for the civil service have been
prepared and considered with great care,
and are substantially in the form which has
been approved by the experience of the ma
tional government and the various cities
which have adopted the merit system. They
apply to all of the departments of the pub
lie service, excepting of course the heads
of departments, members of boards and
chief deputies. They are applied to the
teachers of the public schools in modified
form, basing appointments and promotions
upon merit, and assuring tenure of office
during good behavior and continued com.
potency and fitness for teaching.
| Special provision is made in regard to the
removal of the members of the police and
fire forces, and retention in the force is
secured to all members in good standing at
the time the charter goes into effect and who
| become members prior to January l, 1890
who shall pass the necessary physical eX-
animation, provided that every member of
flied as competent by his Chief may be eX.
empt from the physical examination.
Employees in all other departments, who
at the time of taking effect of the charter
may have continuously held their positions
for eighteen months, shall retain their po
sltiOns without examinations
These provisions ROT staining in Offipe in.