New-York tribune., 1911-04-09
OPPOSE GAYNOR CHARTER
Tammany Objects to Centra|iza-
tion of Power in Mayor.
CERTAIN TO BE MODIFIED
Legislative Leaders Plan Hear.
ings, and William M. Twins
Uses Fine Tooth Comb.

been introduced at the instance Of Mayor
Gaynor. goes through at all at this scs-
sion of the Legislature. il Il sure that It
will he modified first in some of the i'm
portant features. The legislative leaders
have told the Mayor that they intended to
appoint a committee 10 come 10 this city
and hold hearings before any action is
taken.
Before that time the Corporation Coun-
sel. who Is the sponsor for the charter,
will probably ask that some changes be
made For instance il is said that the pro-
vision for Il board Of administrative detail.
which has aroused storm of protest.
will DC modified. II not taken out alto
gether. The Mayor declares that he did
not know that such provision was TO go
into the charter and that II was drawn
hurriedly and faulty by man who had
the most innocent purpose OF preventing
conflict Of authority between heads OF the
new departments and old departments and
also to do away with the present cumber-
some method Of dlsposing Of old, worn out
city property
II is understood that Tammany Hall has
some serious objections TO the proposed
charter Friends of Charles +. Murphy say
ne has expressed the opinion that the pro-
posed charter gives altogether too much
authority 10 the Mayor. In case Tainmany
Hall should lose the nayoralty In the next
municipal election or Tammany shouio
elect a man who should turn against the
organization. as did Mayor Mcclellan II
would go hard with Tanlmany with
charter which centralized so much power
in the hands of the Mayor.
Tammany. IL is said. would he satisfied
with the provisions that would increase the
powers Of the City Chamberlain only in case
the charter Is 60 changed as TO make the
Office of City Chamberlain an elective office
In that case Tammany could insist upon
tho nominations for this office or that OF
Controller and would be able 20 swing con-
siderable patronage. 1t may be that an
attempt will be made TO amend the charter
SO as TO make the City Chamberlain an
elective official.
William NJ Ivins chairman of the Wins
charter revision commission, which de-
voted more than q year 10 the work OF
drawing up new charter, which was
ripped TO pieces by the Legislature, is
going over the Gaynor charter with fine
tooth comb. He is said TO have expressed
the belief that it is fun of holes. 1t Is
understood that he Will point these out
publicly.
The way in which the Gaynor charter
has been drawn would simply make II
amendatory in a large measure of the pres
ent charter and would leave many loop
holes requiring construction by the courts
one Of the important details of the Gay
nor charter provides for confidential clerk
or cashier In any department, to be ap-
pointed by the department head. but ap-
proved by the board of administrative de-
tail The first draft of the charter pro-
vided for the approval Of the Mayor and
with the board of administrative detail
knocked out of the amended charter the
power of such approval would probably go
back TO the Mayor.
This section Is as follows:
'The head OF any department, bureau or
Office, or any board or commission of the
city or any borough thereof, or county
comprised therein, may, with the approval
of the board Of administrative detail, ap-
point and may at pleasure remove ono or
more cashiers and may designate one or
more of such cashiers to act as purchasing
or disbursing officer and 10 sign the name
Of the head Of such department. bureau or
office or that of the president or chairman
OF such board of commissioners, to official
communications documents negotiable in
Struments or other papers as may be de-
scribed or enumerated in such designation" q"
At first the charter committee had decid-
ed TO call this officer a confidential clerk,
but they were told that this would moan
that such appointees would probably have
10 he taken from the Civil Service lists As
under the rules cashiers" are exempt
places. this title was substituted.
tons in the Fire Department is taken
away by the proposed charter. The present
charter provides that the Fire Commits
tioner shall have power of appointment.
provided, however. that assignments TO
duty and promotions in the uniformed force
shall be made by the Fire Commissioner
upon the recommendation of the chief OF
department In the proposed charter the
chief is not mentioned in the matter of
promotions. the entire matter resting in the
hands Of the commissioner.
Under the proposed charter the Bridge
Commissioner would have jurisdiction of
the Steinway tunnel If II should be acquired
h. the city. The provision saws that he
shall have jurisdiction and control Of the
construction. management, maintenance, re-
pair and alteration Of all tunnels already or
in whole or in part or acquired by the city
under navigeble waters or having termini
in more than one borough other than tun-
nels constructed pursuant TO the provisions
Of the rapid transit act"
Having only one Commissioner of Ac-
counts is made statutory IN the proposed
charter The present charter requires that
the Mayor shall appoint two Commission
ers Of Accounts but Mayor Gaynor has
made only one appointment. that Of Ray
mond b. Fosdick.
Tho ONCE of secretary OF the Board Of
Estimate is put into the charter for the
nTst time in the now document
There is no mention Of eligibility for the
Mayor in the present charter. that being
left to the public officers act which simply
provides that such an officer shall be a
citizen of the city. The proposed charter
saws. "No person shall be eligible for the
Office of Mayor unless ne shall have been
an elector of the city for AT least ten years
preceding his election" The salary OF S15-
go is left unchanged
One radical provision of the charter as
introduced at Albany. which the trainers
Say goes further than they intended, pro-
.y-+ey that all bills against the city shall
be turfic-ss~.a.s, 10 the Corporation Counsel
for settlement .f the Controller does not
settle them in thirty days. reads:
In case Of the failure of the S1.trcl3cr
10 adjust and allow any claim filed within
thirty days from the date OF filing OF such
claim with him, the claim and all accom-
nanVing pauers shall forthwith be trans