New-York tribune., 1909-04-25
ADMINISTRATIVE CODE
GOES NTH NEW CHARTER
4DDeNate Dirisi0n TO Name Con-
femnGfiOn Commissioners.

Among tie most important features Of the ad-
r7iuist-ative code which the Charter Commission
has submitted to each house Of the legislature anu
10 Governor Hughes as a supplementary document
10 the proposed charter are tie provisions IoI L
ACQUISITION Of real property for public purposes
These provisions have been worked out with the
idea not only Of relieving the city from the ire
1endous cost ntalad by the present system OF con
GsIunatien but also with the purpose Of enabling
the city more easily and rapidly TO get control of
such property : II may need for public improve
menfs.
1t IS provided that the Appellate Division in each
of the judicial departments within the city OF
New York shall appoint ten persons 70 constitute
in each department the board OF condemnation
commissioners Of such. department. and such fur
zher members as the Board of Estimate and Ap-
rartiorment may authorize At least half Of such
boards shall le lawyers Of ten years standing.
and the others shall be persons familiar with me
values of property IN the horoughs in which they
live It is provided that the commissioners shall
ne appointed FOR term of ten years, at salary
OF s. go year.
It is provided that no member shall engage IN
any other profession or business OF hold any otheT
office or public trust. Provision is made for a
proper force. and il is provided that each boaru
shall make quarterly reports Of the proceedings III
which its members may have been engaged III me
previous three months.
CORPORATION COUNSEL SETS PRICE.
After il has been determined that any piece Of
property is required for municipal purposes. and
the Board o Estimate has approved, the Corpora
tim Counsel IS empowered TO estimate the loss that
the owners viii suffer in the taking OF the property
His report shall be regarded as an offer to the
If the owners DO not accept such oner
they may aprlv to che court for the appointment OF
appraisal commissioner
The Apnellate Division shall then appoint three
appraisal commissioners If the property be with
out the city the Appellate Division SHAH appoint
one commissioner from the city, one from the
county in which the land lies. and the third from
an adjoining county If the land lies within the
city the court may appoint q commission OF lndi-
ylduals commission Of three from the stand
inE board Of condemnation commissioners IN ule
latter case the commissioners shall receive no 1ur-
ther compensation than their regular salary ihe
corapensatio: Of special commissioners shan ht
so for every day OF employment
Provision is made for the appointment Of a COM
missioner Of Assessment, who shall he toInInls-
sioner Of Appraisal appointed 10 assess The cost o
an Improvement upon such lands as may he oene-
flied by q gwen Improvement.
one Of the inlportant chapters % the code IS that
describing the BOARD Of Estimate and Apportoh-
rnent with its seven subsidiary bureaus The heads
II these bureaus are 20 be appointed by the Mayor
subject to the approval Of members Of the board
entitled TO cast at least Twelve votes The Bureau
Of Public improvements has charge Of the map OF
the city and Of examining into and reporting to the
beard on all proposed improvements and on pro
posed acquisition Of land for al purposes other
than for water supply and waterfront
The bureal of franchises i 10 compile and keep
al records Of franchises OF all public or municipal
corporations and 70 examine into and report on ali
applications for franchises
BUREAU OF REAL ESTATE.
The bureau n real estate Is 70 report on all ap-
plications for the acquisition of real property by
purchase or lease and arpIise the value of various
park, market and waterfront privileges Also 10
maintain 2 complete description Of all real estate
owned leased hy the city
f,a r1r-ea Of O. Investigate and
on all claims for work done, materials furnished.
damages suffered. etc.
4 bureau OF salaries Is provided for. well
8 bureau Of statistics and pubIicitc. The latter
shall have charge Of editing and publishing The
City Record"
one Of the important bureaus Is that of supplies
which shan have charge Of purchasing and issuing
al supplies "a the various city Departments Il is
estimated tfs; such bureau would save the city
hundreds Of thousands of collars every year
chapter OF the code gives general provisions.
and Chapter II defines the th!'IE-uire council dis
tricts for which the charter provi6es. and states
the powers Z The council. which shall have at
ieast one meeting everv month tbs chapter also
defines the duties of the city Clerk
Chapter II deals briefly with the powers Of the
Mayor not designated in the charter. Chapters "
and Y deal with the Board Of Estimate ard Ap-
portionnlent and the acquisition Of real property
The chapter pensions : practically identical
with the present laws on the subject Herr. as
throughout the greater part Of the code the effort
codify and do away with redundant statutes
PUBLICITY FROM CONTROLLER
Is provided in the chapter o. Finance Depart
ment that the CoEuo!le- shall give The fullest
publicity 10 an Of Ills accounts and more I'M
portant official acts.
There follow chapters on each Of the municipal
deps rtnenJs provided Toy in the proposed char
ter the administrative details have
been left much they under existing law and
practices
Although ii had been Practically determined -
change the administration of tie school system by
she substitution of what is known as the Swan
strom six and six system, il finally decided
attempt anything radical along those lines
this time II not desired To any
more opposition than absolutely necessary, and
Superintendent Maxwell did not approve the plan.
Under the chapter of Assessments and Awards d
number OF changes are made IN the law in accord
with what practice has shown are needed The
details of the Department OF Street Control. pro
posed In the rev charter 10 take over the con
troll the streets exercised by the various
borough presidents. covered at length. The
code gives system for the management Of Belle
Vue and Allied Hospitals
The final chapter Is devoted repeating su
laws are unnecessary and conflict with the pro-
posed charter and code