New-York tribune., 1921-12-21
Craig to Pen
Handy Little
City Charter
Comptroller Promises TO
Dash Off, Over Holidays,
Short Document Which
Solves Municipal Affairs
First Four Steps Taken
Commission Insists CITY
Name Number of Em-
ployees and Fix Salaries

Ihe first steps toward shaping n new
city charter were taken yesterday when
the New York Charter Commission
tentatively agreed that the city
authorities should be vested with
power to determine the number of
city, borough and county officers and
employees; fix their salaries: consoli-
GATE departments, Offices, boards and
commissioners abolish positions and
create tn, new departments and Offices.
Inc commission also tentatively
agreed to recommend to the next Leris.
la1ure the adoption of a constitutional
amendment giving to the Mayor the
powers pg"1 OF approval or veso over laws
anectlng county wholly within a
city. AT present laws relating to a
county are classified as general laws,
ana a therefore not subject to the
Mayors action.
Craig Urged to Write Charter
During the discussion on the broad
principles OF policy adopted by the
compassion, Chairman Scott suggested,
IN humorous vein, that Comptroller
craig could write charter which
would be confined to four naees
Comptroller Craig admitted he could
ana then seriously added that if given
tlme over the holidays he would draft
such document Whereupon HERMAN
a. Metz, Comptroller under Mayor Cav
nor, moved that the commission
authorize Mr.. Craig to prepare a short
charter with the Legislative power
vested in the city This motion was
UNANIMOUSLY adopted, and Mr.. Craig
announced that he would submit the
ora1t TO the commission when it re
sumes Its sessions on January TO-
me appointment of charter drafter
was made after Mr.. Craig declared he
woula only favor charter which would
sive TO the city the broadcst grant of
nome rule, with power to adapt it's own
local laws and ordinances. leaving to
,he State Legislature only power to
pass laws affecting the city which
would be of obvious state concern. The
local legislature, he said could be nat
termed after the State Legislature. the
Board of Aldermen corresponding to
the Assembly, and the Board of Esti
mate or similar body, TO the Senate,
WIN some provision for the local
legislatures right to override tho
Mayors veto.
1t was the opinion of those VINO at
tended the hearing which was held in
comptroller Craig's Office, that the
WORK OF the charter revscrs probably
Will be divided into two parts; a char
ter proper, and an administrative code.
the latter being subject to amendment
by the local authorities after it's
ENACTMENT by the State Legislature.
rms was the manner in which the
WINS Charter Revision Commission
submitted its draft. To this MIR. Crajo,
is committed, with the reservation that
the administrative code should be
adoped by the local legislature in the
hrst instance, leaving the city to get
along under its present charter until
the city lawmakers have prepared q
new legal framework.
-Four Matters Discussed
Only the four matters agreed unon
yesterday were discussed although ex-
Justice Edward j. McGoldrck, CHIEF
counsel to the Commission, submitted
long list of questions of policy The
four considered were those on which
there was no difference of opinion
In the language of Counsel McGold-
rick, these four questions policies
adopted were:
81. The charter, after creating the
departments of administration, shall
vest power in the city to consolidate
departments, appointivc Offices, boards
and commissions, to transfer their
functions, to abolish positions and to
create new departments and Offices.
"2. The charter shall vest in the city
power to fix the salaries of officers and
employees. Notwithstanding the pro-
visions of any law regulating such
salaries.
"3. The charter shall vest in the city
power to regulate the number of Off
GERS and employees, notwiths standine
the provisions of any law upon the
subject.
%. The commission shall propose to
the Legislature constitutional amend
ment, declaring that laws relating TO
county wholly within a city shall be
special laws ard, therefore, subject to
approval or rejection by the Mayor"
This last proposal was recommended
to the 1916 Legislature by the Brown
committee, which investigated the city's
finances. 1t passed the Senate but WAS
killed in the Assembly in committee
Chairman Scott announced that pub
lie hearings would be held in all the
boroughs, although the major portion
of them will be held in the Aldermanic
Chamber and in the meeting room of
the Board of Estimate.