The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1911-04-02
HERE'S THE GAYNOR CHARTER
LNLiRGES THE MAYORS POW.
FRS, CUTS OFF COMPTROLLERS.

VOn'u =" "su ScNeu-6Nos the
FIRE Department Control OF Proven.
tion. Concentrates Scattered Pow err,
The draft Of the new Charter. which
has been prepared by Corporation Counsel
Watson on lines laid down by Msyor
Gaynor. was given out yesterday. Il
ihrows out u great deal OF the verbiase
# the old Charter. and IL 1t should be
adopted the new book would be about
third the size Of the existing Charter.
Its general purport is the concentration
ri power and responsibility. Although
The scheme Of the city government il
retained many changes are made in the
functions which are now distributed
among the departments The depart
nent which would be hit the hardest
T the Mayors Charter should be enacted
would he the Finance Department, which
streated as the WINS commission treated
IT The new Charter would make the
department merely sort Of an auditing
bureau and many Of its present powers
would be transferred to q new depart.
ment to be known as the City Treasury.
This department would be under the con-
troll Of the City Chamberlain an appointive
cffcer. and take over not only the present
functions but those Of the banking COM
mission. the bureaus for the collection
Of city revenues, the collection OF taxes
and the collection OF assessments and
arrears. The Comptroller is also de-
nrived Of the bureaus having in charge
the real estate interests OF the city. the
supervision Of changing salaries and
grades OF employees. the passing on
expenditures for supplies and the adjust
ment Of claims against the city. Corpo-
ration Counsel Watson in a letter to the
Mayor explaining these provisions says
hat they mean that the Comptroller
would be exactly as the Wins commits
sion recommended. relegated to his
logical function Of acting merely as the
Watchdog Of the treasury. that is that
he should be merely the city's auditor.
The comptroller of accounts and the chief
officer.
When Comptroller Prendergast saw
The draft he said III this Charter goes
through it will mean that the Comptrol-
er could go to Florida and spend his
time on houseboat. because there would
be nothing else for him to do"
Another radical change which the
Charter would bring about would be the
reorganization of the Board of Education.
The membership is to he reduced to seven
paid Commissioners. to be appointed by
he Mayor and subject to him.
As to fire prevention the Fire Depart
'hent is vested with powers now scat
cred among several departments and
hese are enlarged even to the power of
unsafe buildings.
The whole effect of the new Charter
would be to centralize most of the func-
ions of the city government in the con-
'rol of the Mayor and to take away many
y the powers now held by other elective
OF the administration Mr..
iaynor is OF me opinion that this system
would be OF benefit 10 the city.
SUMMARY OF THE CHANGES
The principal changes which are to he
made in the present Charter were sum-
married. yesterday by Corporation Coun-
eel Watson in this letter to the Mayor:
As you are aware. the proposed chart r
Of me legislative committee. which sue
reeded the WINS Charter Commission.
'as submitted TO the Legislature in April I,
oi last year, Legislative action thereon |
vas. however. deferred. as II Was deemed
iesiFabie that the provisions of the pro-
1osed charter bill should be further eN-
ahmed and considered. particularly as
a number of the features of the proposed |
hlll OF the legislative committee were in
oh'iict with the recommendations OF the |
J vlhs commission. nor had the work OF
either committee had adequate considcra-
Ton by the officials of the city
10 the end that these purposes might !
% accomplished and that the matter might |
be pointedly brought to the attention |
Of the city department heads you called |
conference at the City Hall in June of |
as' year. The meeting was presided over
nN YOU in person and was attended by |
heads or representatives of every branch |
~ the municipal government. The pro- |
ip,ed charter bill Of the legislative com
nlt'ee was there discussed and dist ributed |
n printed form. In the course of this |
meeting II was announced by me that I |
hsd determined to appoint a charter COM |
nl''"e so-called. of assistants in the law |
apartment with instructions to sys-
'enati1" the work and devote all available !
.'m' 10 the subject. | also invited the |
neadS Of all city departments to transmit |
10 m" suggestions and recommendations !
WIN reference to charter revision, Offering |
10 place al the disposal of any desiring !
'' an assistant Corporation Counsel TO aid |
the legal formulation Of such ideas as |
might be advanced.