The San Francisco call., 1898-05-25

mission and is to exercise all its powers and duties.
 In the hands of the Civil Service Commission the proposed charter places the power to regulate and control of ficial appointments. The system of ex- aminationS is to be similar to that authorized by the civil service statutes of New York and the United States. (Article 13)
 It is a curious circumstance that no single Mayor elected after the year 1899 will have the power to completely change any one of these bureaus ex- cept the Board of Public Works and the Civil Service Commission. The terms of the members of all the boards and commissions expire in one, two, three and four years. Sc during his official tenure no Mayor after the first one elected could appoint more than two members of any board or commits sion. He could not change the per sonnel Of any so as to interfere with its administration, except the Board of Public Works and the Civil Service Commission, each of which consists of three members, who go out of office In one, two and three years. Hence every Mayor would, during the last year of his term, be able to change this board and this commission so as to control 1t.
 The purpose of this arrangement has been lily concealed from the eye of the reader. Undoubtedly the object Is to invest every Mayor under the charter with the power to control important patronage during the last year of his term and to enable him with 1t to se- cure his reelection. No other cOnstruc- tion can possibly be placed upon the arrangement.
 POWERS OF THE SUPERVISORS.
 As a setoff to the immense powers w oh ra ha the proposed charter reduces the Board of Supervisors to a position of practi- cal inactivity In the city and county government. Nearly every semblance of authority is taken from the legisla- tive branch of the government The instrument authorizes the board to pass ordinances, but 1t permits not only the Mayor but the people to veto them whenever they meet with public disap- proval. Sec. 20, chap. 1, art II, provides that whenever petition Is presented to the Election Commissioners asking that an ordinance set forth therein shall be submitted to vote of the peo- pie it shall be the duty of that commits sion to order an election. If the pro- posed ordinance is passed by the peo- pie 1t cannot be repealed or amended by the Board of Supervisors. All ordi- nances granting any franchise for the supply of light or water, or for the lease or sale of any public utility or for the purchase of any land of more than S50,000 in value, must also be submit ted to a vote of the electors. The Su- pervisors cannot even initiate amend ments to the charter. but that must be done by petition of the voters. (Sec. p, supra.)
 BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS.
 Tn connection with the Board of Pub lie Works the Supervisors are author ized to participate in the improvement of public streets and sewers, but they have no real power in the premises. All street and sewer work is initiated by the Board of Public Works, which is required to secure the cooperation of the Supervisors only to the extent of their approval as the legislative au- thority of the city and county. The way In which the proposed charter has commingled the jurisdiction of this board and the Supervisors will give rise to no end of litigation. Neither board Is apparently given authority to do anything of its own motion. Millions of dollars will have to be expended in obtaining judicial construction of their respective powers before the subject of public improvement will be made clear
 An attempt has been made to consti- tute the Board of Public Works a com mittee of the Supervisors and to place in it's hands powers similar to those now exercised by the Superintendent of Streets, City Engineer and Street Com mittee of the latter board. Material for the most impressive comment which can be made upon this system Is found in the first section of article 6. chG )ter I, of the proposed charter At present the Superintendent of Streets receives a salary of S40O0 a year. the City En- gineer a salary of S400. The Street Com rnittee, consisting of five members of the Board of Supervisors receives sal