Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-03-19
NEWARK TABOOS
G. 0. ?. MACHINES
new CHARTER BILL
Measure Before Legislature Is
Scored at Non-Partisan
City Hall Meeting.
CALL MINARD DRAFT
POLITICAL MOVE ONLY
Public Hearings Planned to Give
Taxpayers Chance TO Ex-
press Selves.

drafted new charter which is now be-
fore the Legislature was tabooed at last
nightsa meeting of the Newark city
charter revision commission, a non-par-
tisan organization. which was held in
the mayors office. 1t was practically
agreed that the so-called Minard draft
is merely an attempt to forestall the
four years work of the charter conn
mission and that careful. conservative
body of lawyers decided to condemn
the bill by ignoring its existence. If
the Legislature should foolishly pass
the partisanship measure 1t would never
become operative. for the voters would
certainly rebuke the affront at the
November election when submitted to
referendum. Newark wants a new
charter, but it wants one free from
Political partlsanship.
The commission, that is. majority of
its members. agreed upon sever&l
changes in the original draft of the
charter bill. A condensed and more
comprehensive form was one of them.
Expressions tending to show that the
commission stood ready IL the people
aoauiesced in making one very import
ant change, to wit. Instead of provid-
ing a city government consisting OF a
common council and two commissions,
the Board of Works aud the Board OF
Finance and Control as originally
planned. to favor a commission form
of government with mayor and
i comptroller to be elected by the peoplS.
The suggestion is to have a commits
sion of FIVE, which. with the mayor and
comptroller. would govern the entire
city,
Former Prosecutor Cha ndler w. Tsiker
was the first member of the revision
commission to express himself along
that line. He was followed by City
Clerk James F. Connolly. City Counsel
James r.. Nugent and former Assem-
blyman William p. Martin. They all
agreed that the suggestion would be an
IMPROVEMENT on the original draft, but
when, John r. Hardin. chairman or the
commission. contended that the Com
mon Council should be maintained IL
was then explained that 1t was useless
for the members to pin themselves
down to any decided plan. as 1t was
thought impossible 70 get the act be-
fore the Legislature adjourned tnis
year. Therefore, no vote was taken on
the matter but a satisfactory program
was outlined.
Unanimously the commission decided
that the chairman, Mr. Hardin, pre-
pare questions pertaining to the dit-
\ fere,-At.s,,-sy.Is of city government, which
osKhated at subsequent meetings
~ me commission, the first to be heid
at the City Hall two weeks hence'
public hearings will be held so as to
ehable the taxpayers to express tneii
views. The commission believes that
great care ought to be taken in the
adoption of new charter and 1t wlsnes
10 learn the view of everyone interest"
cd before decisive action Is taken.
There is nothing to be lost in delay Is
the commissions slogan. questions
that are to be debated and on which the
commission before making final recon-
mendations want to know the consen-
sus of opinion are as follows;
Questions Asked.
"poes Newark favor a commission
form of government. pure and simple
"Does Newark favor a commission
form Of government modified?"
.Does Newark favor commission
of public works of five members to be
elected by the city at larger
s.Does Newark favor common eoun-
Oh consisting of one alderman from
each ward y
.,Does Newark favor a board of
finance and control?"
The EVENING STARS column,
designated as the Peoples Rostrum,
is open to the public for discussing
any of the above question Suggestions
along any of the lines are also well
coined by this newspaper. The charter
making problem is serious one and
TOO much care and reflection cannot
he given the subject before it's adoption
Fearing that perhaps the Legislature
might rush through the Minard bill,
former Mayor William III. f, Fielder
INQUIRED along those lines. Chairman
Hardin and former Alderman Patrick
Ryan declared that the commission
should pay no attention whatever to
the bill before the House.
THAT bill" exclaimed former Assem-
blyman Martin, "is nothing but an ef-
fort te, block the work of the commits
sion but 1t will not be accepted"
City Counsel Nugent explained that
it was the purpose of the commission
to eondense the wording of the charter
as much as possible before it was sub
mitted to the people. The trouble with
recent new charters, he explained,
has Deen tnat tney were too iou6 diiu
100 hard to understand the full means
ing Of them. I believe in cutting out
all the superfiuous language" The
Minard charter. by the way, which was
drawn by an outside lawyey at the COM
mand of the Republican machine lead
ers, consists OF 22,000 hurriedly put to.
9ether words. Mr. Nugent further sug-
gested that consideration of the COM
mission plan, of government should be
given and that the Boston charter for
/, commission form is worthy of careful
examination.
"An idea of how a commission form
of government would work. continued
Mr. Nugent lis the general municipal
Legislative conference which approves
(Continued ON second PaGeD