The herald., 1898-01-01
Is Second to the Worlds
Metropolis
WHEN NEW YEAR WAS BORN
VAN DYKE BECAME GREATER
THAN A KING
The World Waits Solution of the
Greatest Problem of Municipal
Government Ever Presented
Associated Press Special Wire

Associated Press Special Wire
NEW YORK, Dec. S1.-The citizens OF
New York, which tomorrow becomes
the second city of the world, enter upon
what is believed to be the greatest prob
lem of municipal government ever pre-
sented. With the last stroke of u at
midnight announcing the advent Of the
new year, there will be born city such
as the emperors and kings of history
would have deemed great for an empire
For six months, unless the machinery
of the new municipality gets into mo-
ton, the mayor of New York has the
power of an autocrat. He may appoint
officials with salaries running into the
thousands with as lavish a hand as ever
emperor treated his favorites. He will
appoint every department head in the
city except the controller, who is elected
for four years. He will appoint all conf
missioners, justices of inferior criminal
courts, all the members of the school
boards with the exception of the COM
missioner of education, the justice OF
special sessions and the police magis-
trates, and is given the power to remove
any official in New York and appoint his
successor.
There are five boroughs in the Greater
New York, namely: Manhattan. Brook
lyn, Bronx, Queens and Richmond. The
municipal legislature is composed of a
council with twenty-eight members and
board of aldermen of sixty members.
The president of the council was selected
by the people.
The board of aldermen will be chosen
by the members of that body.
Mayor Van Wyck is given power to
veto any ordinance or resolution of eth
er body of the municipal assembly un-
less five-sixths of the members of both
houses declare otherwise.
Each of the five boroughs has bor-
ough president, but his principal duty
is to preside over the various local bodies
in his borough.
The exit of the old year and the inaug-
uration of Greater New York was cele-
brated fittingly tonight. One of the
events that marked the occasion was
grand parade conducted under the aus
pices of the New York Journal and 4 J.
vertiser.
Mayor Strong's police commissioners
held their last meeting tonight One OF
their last acts was to restore Captain
Stephenson 10 duty and allow him back
salary amounting to about $lo,o'o
The passing of Brooklyn as munich
pality to that of Greater New Yorte. was
observed with elaborate ceremony ut the
Brooislyn city hall tonight:
Within the building was handsomely
decorated. The exercises began with
rec cotton in the mayors office. Later
| Mayor Wurster presided alta meeting
held in the common council chamber.
During the night about 10000 people
attended the reception at the city hall
where at midnigh the bell in the tower
rang in the new year and the new city
/ Mayor Van Wyck announced tonight
fficIalIy the selection of a portion of the
tunicipal offices within his gift. Among
ae appointments announced were the
flowing:
! Corporation counsel, John Whalen
president of the boad of charities, Johr
, w. Keller; sheriff, Thomas ]. Dunn; sec
! retary, Chas. ]. McKehon; counsel
! Philip J. Britt; under sheriff. Henry
! Mulvaney; auditor, Edward Hawkes.
district attorney, Asa Bird Gardiner; as
/ sistants, James G.. Grady, John F. Nc
Intyre, James w. Osborne, Henry W
Unger, James D. McLelland, Stephen S
Blake, James c. Walsh and Rober
| Townsend
Notwithstanding the warning ele
ments and the announcement made il
the afternoon that the parade would b
postponed, a great crowd of merry
makers, maskers, wheelmen and mem
bers of various societies with number
less floats met at Union Square ready t
march through rain and mud to homo
the old city and welcome the new
Promptly at 1915 o'clock the order t
march was given. The crowd at tn
starting point was enormous.
Following the police escort came tn
marshal and his aides and they were fol
lowed by the Chicago delegation in fiv
open carriages. The German societie
joined the procession at Fifteenth street
Following them was an immense f1oa
representing the Brooklyn bridge wit
cables of evergreen, on which the wed
ding of Father Knickerbocker and Mis-
Brooklyn was being celebrated in trul
| German style, amid much merriment
| Six divisions of whelmen were in line
and behind these were representative
of all the volunteers in all departments
soldiers, firemen and others. At exactl
l12 o'clock the searchlights on the neigh
| boring buildings were turned upon tn
| flagstaff of the city hall. AS the hand
pointed IT, exact hour little white bal
was seen to climb the staff slowly. TIL
mayor of San Francisco had touched tn
button and the selectric current sent tn
furled flag of the city of New York t
the top of the staff. Here it broke ou
and swung to the breeze. Then bedlar
broke loose.
Hundreds of bombs were thrown int
the air and a salute of hundred gun
| was fired by the National Guard