New-York tribune., 1911-11-09
FUSION FIRMLY INTRENCHEO
Loss of Tammany Board of Al
dermen a Blow to Mayor.

dermen a Blow to Mayor.
Nothing that happened Tuesday will have
so much bearing on the city government
as the election Of fusion Board Of Al
derrnen to replace the present board con-
trolled by Tammany. The new board viii
be of material assistance 10 the fusion
Board Of Estimate IN carrying out rs
policies Conversely, the loss of the Tam
many board will he blow to Mayor
Gaynor. who might have used it as a
check on the fusion majority in the Board
of Estimate.
The present board has Tammany ma
jority of five out OF seventy-nine The
new board will have fusion majority
Of seven. or the elected members Tam
many has thirty-fve to tho fusonists'
thiriy-eght To tho latter must he added
the votes of President Mitchell and Bor-
oUgh Presidents McAneny, Steers. Miller
and Cromwell. II may be considered that
Borough President Connolly will vote with
Tammany on strictly organization matters.
| This makes a total vote Of thrty-siy for
Tammany to forty-threc for tho fusion
lists. Although in the past Tammany has
succeeded in winning over some fusion
members so as 10 control the board, II is
not believed possible for II 10 find enough
deserters TO overcome the indicated ma
iorlty of seven.
The vote required 10 pass an ordinance
or resolution is forty. SO that the fusion
board will be able to do business without
the aid of a single Tammany vote. The
! vote on appropriations of special revenue
ho loss Cfx 10.
BY winning the BOARD Of Aldermen the
fusionists also gain control Of the Sinking
Fund Commission. which IS composed OF
the Mayor. the Controller. the city Cham
berlain. the President of the Board OF Al
dermen and the chairman Of the finance
committee of that board. The commission,
with Frank bowling, chairman Of the
finance committee, stands 3 Tammany 10
fusion. The dominant party i'm the board
always takes the chairmanship of the
finance committee, the custom being that
it goes 10 the man selected as leader by
the majority.
There was some talk yesterday as TO the
choice OF the fusion majority for leader.
Alderman Willard Bryant, of the 2lst Dis
trict IS the present minority leader. but
has not shown any great amount of activ-
ity i'm the Job. He has had the experience,
however. which will unquestionably count
i'm his favor. Alexander Esterbrook, Of
Brooklyn. will probably be candidate for
majority leader, and. failing in that, viii
be a candidate for vice-chairman of the
board. Alderman Bent, a Democrat, and
the present vlce-chsirman, was defeated
for reelection.
Alderman Downing, of tho Heights dis
trict I'm Brooklyn. on account of his long
term of service. will probably be q candi-
date for the ylce-chairmanship, but it is
moi thought that his chances are good.
Colonel Ardolph G. Kline, Republican and
a former member of the board, who returns
this wear. pas spoken OF yesterday as a
possibility for that Office
Tho election of a fusion board will
have no bearing on the status of city
Clerk Scully, as he was elected two years
ago for A term Of six years. The ser
gesnts-at-arns. six in number, are az the
mercy Of the new board, and a number Of
good Tammany men arc going TO lose their
Jobs, They are nine in all headed by
Henry T.. oxford. the chief. who gets
salary Of $1,000 year. The others get
81 200 year.
Under the charter the first meeting Of
the board in each year must be held on
the first Monday. That happens 10 come
Oh New Years Dav Prior to that the
majority will have caucussed and decided
on leader. and he will take charge from
the first. A Committee on Rules will be
! elected on resolution. aud that committee
wilI have the makeup Of oil the other
I 80
| little consideration In tho makeup Of tho
! committees i'm the present board. and rho
| Tammanv men cannot expect much now
that they have lost tho board
| Tho Board Of Aldermen under the char
| ter has the widest possible powers in the
way of investigation Of all city depart
| ments These have rarely been used, but
| II is likely that the fusionists will not
overlook their opportunities along that
! line President Mitchell with his force Of
| Investigators will he able TO work i'm har
mony with tine new board TO considerable
! effect lie is entirely out Of sympathy
/ with the present board and has not been
| able 10 work with n TO advantage
II Is generally conceded that there Is
great need for new Building Code. The
| Tapmany board tried 10 put through q
new code last spring. but IL was charged
| that II Disseminated against concrete
| construction. and II was dropped after the
| Mayor stated that me would not sign a
code that gave any undue advantage TO a
particular type of construction.
! The present board may now try 10 get
through A new code before the first of the
year. as the fusion board would otherwise
| pass q code in which there would be no
favortism shown TO interests that are said
| TO be close TO Tammany.