New-York tribune., 1907-10-15

THE MAYOR on CHARTER REVISION.
AIavor McClellan's suggestions regarding the
ravision of the CITY charter will undoubtedly
have weight with the Charter Revision Com
mission because of his practical knowledge OF
the city government and its problems. but
the whole art of charter making is so haz!
that there will probably be many suggestions
and the commission will not be inclined 10
accept hastily the opinion of one man. even
of an experienced Mayor unfortunately ho
one knows just what is necessary to form du
effective city government n rev years ago
tho office of Borough President was created
/ in the belief that the principles or local selt-
government. firmly established in the Amer
loan system. could advantageously be applied
within a city so great in area as this Now
Mavor Mcclellan suggests that 1t be abolished,
and his suggestion will doubtless command the
approval of many This instance alone shows
the blindlv experimental character OF most
charter making.
We take il that this rule should hold in all
experiments at improving municipal govern
ment Any Institution that is working well ana
possesses public confidence should be pre-
served Hence we doubt the wisdom OF the
Mayors suggested change il the Board of
Estimate and Apportionment. There we have
one organ of city government whose opera
general feeling. for instance that it was a
step ahead In municipal government when the
power of franchise granting was taken from
the Board of Aldermen and given to the Board
of Estimate. The Mayors proposal that the
city officers now making up that board should
be relieved of the duty of serving on 1t and
a new elective office-member of the Board of
Estimate and ApportiOnment-should be ere
ated cOntemplates q total change in the char
acter of the board. 1t is felt that the mem
berS of the city government at present consti-
tuting the Board of Estimate and Apportion-
ment are peculiarly we'll qualified by their
knowledge of municipal affairs and require
ments to serve on that important body Would
members specially elected possess any such fit
ness? Would they not rather be something
like the defunct upper chamber of the City
Council? In other words, have body that
Is serving the city well, and ii Is proposed TO
substitute for il 2 purely experimental body
which, call il by whatever name you will.
would be a new city assembly II the officers
at present constituting the Board OF Estimate
and Apportionment are too busy TO perform its
functions perhaps the charter makers can free
them from some of their present burdens.
The fate Of the borough presidents is an
other question too difficult to decide offhand.
Most of them have tempted fate often and it
would not be surprising if the commission
should be Of the same mind regarding them
is the Mayor. Mr.. Ahearn has done more
than any other Borough President TO bring
the office into disrepute. and It certainly does
look if we should be better off without Il
Borough President in Manhattan But here
there is very little sense of the borough as a
separate thing from the city. 1t is not so
elsewhere. In the other parts of the city the
Borough President Is undoubtedly held to a
stricter accountability than here and may
serve useful purpose. The commission must
not yield 10 the temptation TO reach a general
conclusion from the fragrant case Of Mr.
Ahearn.
AS for the Mayors suggestion that the city
government be simplfed. every one will heart
lily agree with him. The commission should
prune the charter down to reasonable propor-
tions, make it clear, consistent and sensi-
DIE as possible, and in particular. do away
with the absurd division of authority We have
often advocated simplifying and unfving tbe
control OF streets. The present bewilder.ng
lack of system has been in part the cause Of
the recent scandals regarding them Some of
the other mergers of departments suggested
by the Mayor are more novel and require CON
slderation' but on examination good reasons
Tor them may be found One advantage I'm q
merger of departments whose work is init.
mately related would be economy. Wa nav
borrow a lesson from business organization
Tor the Improvement of city government