Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1911-04-12
DISCUSSION ON
CHARTER PLAN
WAS SPIRITED
Many Favor Commission Form
for Newark, Others 0p-
pose Measure. z
COMMITTEE GIVES =
HEARING ON MATTER
Judge Martin Explains Theory,
Practise and Development of
Municipal Government.

h0SAcS ohu D~FSfOpii~bt VI
Municipal Government.
| Although there were but three dozen
! persons present at the first public hear
ing on the proposed charter for the
city, which has just been completed by
] the charter revision comrnittee after
several years of work. there was no lack
! of spirited discussion Radical and
conservative Newark was represented.
There were these that approved of the
charter, and approved of the initiative
referendum and recall provision that
will be voted upon at the same time
! with the charter, and there were those
! that regarded a departure from the
present form of municipal government
to the commission form, as set forth in
the charter as Revolutionary and
hasty. The hearing was held in the
Council chamber of the City Hall.
But, though the discussion was earn
est and lengthy. no serious objections
were made to the draft. as prepared BY
the committee In feet, "the vital
spots" as Curtis r. Burnett. of the
Board of Trade, put it, were not touched
at all.
Mr.. Hardin Presided.
/ John r. Hardin opened the meeting.
reviewed the work of the charter re-
vision commission and mentioned the
salient points of the proposed charter
In answer to questions as to why the
conferences have been so secret, he
stated that at no time was a conference
held behind closed doors. The public
had been informed. he said, through
the press that any citizen was welcome
| to come to the meetings to give the
commission suggestions He also ex-
planned to Colonel Price that the pxo-
posed charter was patterned or modelled
after no particular charter, but that
all commission forms of government
charters had been examined by the
commission before deciding on the pres
ent draft He said. TT is not our
purpose to abolish Newark We want
form of government under which the
officials are more .get-at-able,' and we
think that the proposed charter VIII
be more effective than the one we have
had"
Thought Present Charter Good.
The meeting began with the conserva-
tive element taking keen interest in
the provision of the bill Samuel F.
Bigelow thought the present charter
was good enough and before IL IS
changed we should consider the matter
carefully. He thought that the meet
ing was too small to be counted as
fair representation of the city of New
ark. 60 slowly" he said. This is a
revolution. l do not know whether
commission of five is sufficient to gov
ern the city Mr. Bigelow thought
that a small body should not have too
much power in the granting of rights
to corporations. Former Comptroller
Bachelor pointed out that the Board of
Works had that power now and was
not abusing it.
Colonel E. l.. Price objected to the
commission on the ground that the COM
mission would not only raise the money
necessary for running the city, but
would also spend 1t. He thought that
there ought TO be a check upon this
body. The Common Council. according
10 the colonel, was a check upon the
various city boards at this time. and
protected the finances of the city
Judge Martin Speaks.
Judge Martin recited the histor. OF
the various forms of government from
the earliest form of the New England
town meeting to the present, or board
form, and said that the commission
form is the nearest approach to that
ideal form. the New England town
meeting, because 1t is possible to fix
the responsibility.
Under the present form" said fhs
judge, IF a person has a complaint 70
make he has no one to go to. II he
goes to the board in charge of ths
special thing he wishes to complain OF
the board tells him that if the Common
Council VIC to give it more money
there would be no reason for the com
plant The common council, in turn.
says that the board has had the appro-
priation and that its responsibility has
ceased.
THE scheme Of the commission gov
ernment,' he continued lis to place
absolute and positive reliance on tbs
voters of the city. We believe that
they, in their intelligence and wisdom.
will select five capable men to run the
city government. upon whom RESPONSE
bility can be fixed The charter is
progress. because it goes back to the
first fornl-the town meeting form.
II was then explained to Colonel
Price that al the present time the
handling of the city's finances is in the
hands of five and sometimes fewer:
men. because the finance COMMITTEES
majority has control OF the city's ex
penditures. Curtis r. Burnett spoke
on this subject.
Favors Commission of ssFfve.~
AS an argument in favor of the CEN
tralization of power into the hands Of
FIVE men, former Mayor William II. r.
Fielder said that practically all the
city's improvements are brought about
through the Board of Works, composed
} of five men. and If there were any cor
ruption it would have become known
II Colonel Price declared that he was
afraid of taking away the power of the
people, and that By reducing the gev-
erning body to five men this was done
"A Comptrofler Bachelor then reminded