New-York tribune., 1919-04-07
Enactment of Civ
Home Rule Asked
BY Citizens Union
Brief TO BE Sent to Legis-
iat"re Urging Adoption of
Proposed Amendment
Freeing Municipal Bodies

Characterizing the modern city as a
huge business organization" the
Citizens Union will forward to-day a
brief to the state Legislature strongly
urging adoption by that body of the
municipal home rule constitutional
amendment introduced, at the instance
of the state conference of Mayors, by
Senator Lockwood and Asscmblyman
Walsh.
"Why the officials of New York or
any other city" says this brief,
should be enabled to evade responsi-
or failures on interferences by a
Legislature made up largely of mem
bers who have no knowledge Of or in
terest IN the affairs of that city has
never been made apparent"
Home rule for cities the brief defines
fines as "simply the freedom and
power Of cities to manage their own
local affairs free from legislative in
terference by special legislation"
The Lockwood Walsh amendment, it
declares, although looking clearly to
TINS end, is IN no sense a radical home
rule proposal.
Minimum Requirements
ut represents rather consensus
OF opinion a to the minimum require
ments of workable home rule pro-
posal which will accomplish the re-
suits sought: namely, freedom of the
cities from Legislative interference
with purely local affairs; freedom of
the legislators from the necessity of
acting usually without adequate in.
formation and comforting definitely
upon city authorities themselves both
the power to run the city's business
and the responsibility therefor"
AT the same time the brief states,
the Legislature should not be prohib-
tied from passing general health laws,
general police laws. or laws fixing
hours and conditions of labor, or min
mum wage requirements for cities, or
the like, to which a municipal officers
oath of office would bind him to con-
form. General educational policy is
also left to the Legislatures super
vision.
ION the other hand, properly
drawn amendment should. according to
the Citizens Union, prevent the Legs-
laturc, through passage of special laws,
from fixing or changing the salaries
OF local officers; creating Offices tho
salaries of which are to be paid from
the city treasury, and Interfering with
the actual administration of purely
municipal departments"
City charters the brief declares,
should be enacted only by general
law, in the same way that private
corporation charters are, while the
municipal corporations should be
given power to prepare their charters
subject to the provisions of broad
general powers to be expressed in
the statutes"
"The predominating evil in the
pre-ent situation," the brief sets forth,
"is special legislation. requiring rep
resentatives Of cities and villages to
go to Albany in regard to matters of
purely local concern, and at the same
time imposes on the Legislature a
choice of engaging in log rolling,' Of
acting IN ignorance, or of performing
useless labor
"Ihere is specifically preserved to
tie Legislature" the brief continues,
Its supreme authority to restrict the
power of municipalities in regard to
taxation, debt limit, borrowing money
and extending credit.
"The present power of the Leg
lslature to regulate and fix sala-
ries or wages, hours Of labor, etc,
of employees Of municipality or
of contractor performing public work
o4..;,