Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1915-01-27
TENTATIVE DRAFT
Of CHARTER MADE
BY COMMISSION
Financial Section of Proposed
Measure, However, Is Tenn
porarily Dropped.
WRANGLE OVER
MONETARY PART OF ACT
congIeton Says Framing of FL
nancial Bill Would Be Play
ing Politics.

After wrangling for more than an
hour over a proposed financial bill
the Charter Commission last night
decided to drop this phase of the
work for the present and proceed to
frame the major portion of the new
that Newark will be In charge Of
mayor, whose duties will be similar
TO those Of the present Office. and
five commissioners, who would take
up the work now being done by the
Common Council and the Board of
Street and Water Commissioners.
This method Of conducting the city
government was not made final be-
fore the Legislature receives the
draft of bill. 1t was foreshadcwed
that trouble would brew" in the
committee IL ward representation was
eliminated. Former City Attorney
Frank z. Bradner said that the gem
eral public wants the ward repre-
sentation and for this reason he
would oppose doing away with tho
Board of Aldermen.
Choosing Of 0faeers.
The tentative draft calls for the
naming of q city clerk by the COM
missioners and a city counsel to be
named by the mayor, the city counsel
! in turn to name his assistants A
! director of public safety would be ip
charge of the police and fire depart
ments, as well as In control of the
workings Of the Board of Health, II
the present plan is ever adopted by
the Legislature. The mayor would
have the appointment of such a di-
rector.
A director of public welfare would
be in charge of the playground, shade
tree work. aims department, chari-
ties and public baths. according to
the present plan. This appointment,
also. would come from the mayors
office.
The commission also decided that
a director of public works should be
in charge of the building department
and public works department, to be
named by the commission. Three
comm; ssioners, OF assessment and
taxes and three commissioners to
handle the excise law are figured on.
Inc ldSI named WOuiu diSo 10 ASihSo
by the mayor.
That the term of the mayor should
be four years was another question
settled for the time being.
Colonel James W. Howard advo-
Gated that the charter revision COM
mittee help Mayor Raymond frame
a bill that would consolidate the
three financial departments. City
Counsel Spaulding Frazer also spoke
along similar lines.
Trouble started following the read
ing of a bill that would place
director Of finance in complete con-
troll of the financial end of the city
government. J. Henry Bachelor and
former City Attorney Frank E. Brad
ner opposed this method as unsafe"
Mr.. Bachelor said that he did not
think 1t possible to frame bill which
would fit the present situation and
also jibe with the backbone of the
proposed new charter. Mr. Bachelor
stated that in his belief the commits
sion was appointed to help revise the
charter. and should not interfere with
or help the drafting of bill that will
be introduced to clarity the present
situation. Mr.. Bacheller intimated
that If the commission did help to
frame financial bill it might be ac-
CuSeu Oh pldylu5 politiSS.
Congleton's Opinion.
Judge Jerome 7. Congleton agreed
with Mr.. Bachelor. He said that a
partisan feeling might arise If the
Charter Commission meddled with the
present financial bill.
Mr.. Frazer asserted that it was ''all
foo 'ishness" for the commission to as
sumo such a position. I'VE are not a
city body; we have no city powers;
the mayor has asked US to help him,
and we should. He talked at length
in an effort to win over Mr.. Bacheller,
who really led the attack. to prevent
the commission from interfering with
the present financial bill.
AL present agreed that II was not
question of assisting the mayor as
individuals, but as members of COM
mission they should not enter a fight
that has political sides attached.
Colonel Howard. after this discus
sion, tried again TO have the commits
sion delve into the financial bill. He
moved that the Charter Revision
Commission should resolve itself into
body TO help the mayor frame
financial bill that would meet the
present emergency. No one seconded
Co onel Howard's motion. and II was
decided to withdraw the bill and to
proceed with the work of the charter,