New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-08-04
HOME RULE PLAN
FOR CITIES GOES
TO DELEGATES
Convention Committee
Adopts Proposal Grant
ing Municipal Powers.
STATES TAX POWER
REAFFIRMED IN BILL
Strict Control of Education
Criticised by Democrats
at Albany.

From a STAT Correspondent OF The Tribune
Albany. Aug. 3-The Cities Com
mfttee Of the Constitutional Conven-
ton, after two hour conference to-
night, at which Elihu Root. president
of the convention, used the whip 20
bring it to an understanding, adopted
a home rule proposal for cities by a
vote of 10 TO ,. The proposal, which
will be submitted TO the convention
Thursday. gives the Legislature power
20 amend any bill passed by the cities
and to pass any act passed by the
municipal Legislature and vetoed by
the Mayor. Only a majority vote is
necessary in either instance.
In other respects the propose. is the
same as outlined weeks ago by Seth
Low, chairman of the committee, which
is similar to the grant of home rule
enjoyed by the Philippine Islands.
Fou- members of the committee
voted to report the proposal merely
to get it before the delegates These
men all object to giving the Legislature
the whip hand over the cities and char
acterize the proposal as home rule in
name only.
The two who voted against the pro-
posal were Edward f. Franchot. of
Niagara Falls. and Senator James A.
Foley, of New York.
Cities May Initiate Charters.
The proposal gives the cities the
right TO initiate their own charters.
The method is cumbersome. 1t pro-
vides that the proposition as to
whether the voters want charter
shall be submitted to them at a ref
erendum in January. If they vote for
a charter the Mayor shall appoint a
charter mmission, which shall pre-
pare a charter and submit il to the
voters for ratification or rejection.
The convention spent to-day dis
cuSsing the educational amendment
and Tax Commissioner Saxe's amend
ment to the tax article. The latter
was discussed for three hours. and
when the convention adjourned it had
reached only the seventh line of the
FIRST section Of the proposal, and had
mo property shall be exempt from
taxation except as expressly provided
by law. Laws granting exemption from
taxation. whether heretofore or here
after enacted, shall be subject to
modification or rule"
The second sentence quoted would
permit the Leg stature again to assess
holders Of secured debt bonds who are
now exempt by virtue Of declaring
them and paying an initial tax on them.
These secured deb bonds have a mar
koO value of about S1,O00,00G 600
Even the first two lines Of the bill
did not escape. These, which declare
that the power of taxation shall never
be surrendered. suspended or contract
ed away, George ". Wickersham sought
to amend to read: "Thc power of taxa
ton shall always remain in the state
end shall never be abridged" This
amendment was under discussion when
the convention adjourned.
Reaflirms States Tax Power.
The SAKE bill realiirms the states
power 20 tax, and provides that the
Leg stature may empower state au-
thoritics 10 review +he assessment Of
real property of a municipal corpora
ton, and that within the limits of the
city. and to order q rc-dssessmcnt sub
icct 20 the review OF The courts.
The convention auv0nCcd 10 the
order of final r1.-.-' the proposed
amendment TO the .. .cational section,
reading: "The state hall continue its
supervision and control Of the educa-
ton Of children as a state function.
and no powers I'm derogation thereof
shall be conferred on the local authori-
ties of civil division thereof"
Democrats declared the amendment
would interfere with home rule should
the latter be granted This was de-
MED by Jacob Gould Schurman, chair
man Of the committee which drafted it.
Ex-senator Anthony J. Griffin, Of The
Bronx. read a letter from the Guardi-
ans Of Liberty, an anti-Catholic So
clety, indorsing the amendment He
said the amendment was fostercG By
religious bigotry.
Louis Marshall said the amendm mt
would not interfere with parochial or
private schools. This was the opinion
Of Catholic DELEGATES who discussed