New-York tribune., 1921-12-18
City Clul, Asks
Fuller Degree
OF Home Rule
Smaller Board Of Aldermen.
Borough. Administrators,
Abolition of Sinking Fund
Other Charter Suggestions
lO Years for Police Head
Department Lacks Continu.
ity Of Personnel in Manage
ment, Report Maintains

raiss'on copies Of its forty-page report
on desired charter changes, in which
it favors:
A fuller degree of home rule.
a board of twenty-one aldermen, in
stead of sixty-seven as now, and
elected from Senate rather than from
Assembly districts.
a new official, borough administra-
tor, to be appointed by the Mayor, to
take over the purely administrative
work., thereby enabling the Borough
President to give more attention to the
Board Of Estimate work.
Abolition of the Sinking Fund, turn
ing its functions over to the Board of
Estimate and Apportionmcnt.
A Tax Board of three commissioners
instead Of seven as now.
A ten-ycar term for the Police Com
missioner.
Copies for Legislators
The City Club sent copies Of its re-
port to the members Of the Legislature,
TO heads of city departments and to
officers and organizations interested in
the subject. The report is co-opc cratlvc
in split and is based upon work which
has been done by the clubs committee
during the past six months.
The most fundamental change urged
by the club is the securing for New
York City of a greater measure of self
government. The opinion is expressed
that unless this can D~ accomplished
charter revision may ne of doubtful
value. 1t is pointed out that the pres
ent bulky charter, while it contains
many excellent structural features, is
encumbered with great mass of minor
provisions---some of which should be
ferred to an administrative code sub
iect to purely local amendment. This
! is similar to plan offered by tho Wins
Charter Commission. 1t applies par
ticularly to- mandatory provisions in
regard to salary rates and other eX-
penditures.
A highly controversial feature of tho
report of the lvins Charter Commits
sion was a proposal for a great ccn-
tralizcd department Of street control
to take over from the borough prcsi-
crs and public buildings to absorb
functions having to do with gas and
electricity, and also to be responsible
for street cleaning. Accompanying
this was a plan for Capitalization in
department of buildings Of the five bu-
reaus of buildings, now under the bor-
ough presidents.
The City Club docs not approve of
this plan, asserting that it would be
too top-hcavy and that there is strong
( opposition to it, based not merely on
local sentiment. Neither does the
club approve of the opposite scheme
Har I,
placing the work Of some of the pres
emit city-wide departments under the
existing borough governments
The report says:
Mayor Administrative Head
Let, the Mayors position as the
city's chief administrative head be fol-
lowed out consistently by authorizing
him to appoint for each borough citi-
zer Of that borough as borough admin
istrator This official should be
charged with all the administrative
work now under the Borough Presi-
dent. He would have big field of
work. and could devote to it the large
amount Of time and energy which the
Borough President is now obliged to
divert to Board of Estimate activities.
THE plan could be inaugurated with
little disturbance of the existing pub
lie works organizations"
1t is proposed that the Sinking Fund
Commission be abolished and its func-
tions turned over to the Board of Es-
innate. It is recommended that a new
Treasury Department be established.
to iavc complete charge of the ccllec-
tion OF city revenues. This would in
clude not only the revenue bureaus of
the Comptroller's Office but the collec-
tion Of water rents, license fees, etc.
For the Department of Taxes and
Assessments the plan is to reduce the
number of commissioners from seven
to three and do away with the assist
ant commissioners, making the Chair
for matters of administration. At the
same time, it is suggested that an
Appeal Board Of three laymen might
be set up for hearing appeals from de-
cisions Of the Tax Department so that
these appeals could be heard without
the formality and expense now involved
in taking them before the Supreme
Court. Decisions of this board would
be renewable directly by the Appellate
Division.
Police Department Suggestions
Strong objection is made to the
great number Of mandatory provisions
now contained i'll the charter govern
ing the details of police administers
tion. 1t is argued, however, that the
greatest weakness in the Police De-
partmcnt has been lack Of continuity
Of personnel in the management. With
provision for one Police Commissioner
and not to exceed five deputies, there
have been during the last twenty years
succession of twelve commissioners
and forty-siX deputies.
This represents not only the loss of
efficiency through frequent changes.
1t largely reflects the tendency of
mayors to feel responsible for police
policies other than for the obvious
policy of strict enforcement of the law
Sometimes it may be for an "open
town." sometimes for ''closed town.
and sometimes for compromise de-
scribed as s'outward order and de-
cency." The effect of these shifting
policies upon the force is demoralizing
The report adds:
"Charter provisions as to the Police
Department should provide only for
the creation of the department, defini-
tion Of it's general functions and estab-
lishment Of the Office of Commissioner.
All other matters not left to depart
mental discretion should go into the
local administrative code.
'.The Commissioner of Police should
serve for term of eight or ten years,
subject to removal by the Mayor or
Governor upon charges after a public
hearing, the Commissioner to have the
right to be represented by counsel and