The New York herald., 1921-07-04
MEYER STUDIES OLD
CHARTER REYISIONS
Finds Utility Of Borough Sys-
tenn of Government Hard
Problem to Untangle.

The Meyer committee. created by the
Legislature to investigate the New York
city administration is finding the ques-
tion Of the future of borough govern
ment. upon which 1t proposes to make a
recomms dation to the charter revision
committee, one of it's most difficult prob
lens. Senator Schuyler Meyer. chair
man. who has been studying the work of
other committees on charter revision. has
found that those committees gree upon
hardly detail which would serve as
guide now, he indicated yesterday.
'"rhe most impressive fact in studying
charter revision" he said. lis the diverg-
ence IN viewpoint concerning the future
exceptional interest to all citizens to fnd
out exactly how popular opinion to-day
regards this problem
The several Republican charters all
contemplated some diminution in borough
autonomy. On the other hand, the Gay
nor and Cullen Foley charters enhanced
the independence of the boroughs and
Borough Presidents. he found.
There can be no doubt" said Senator
Meyer, that the Ave separate borough
organizations make for a considerable
increase in municipal expenditures. Yet
ii may well be that upon close examina-
ten Of all the facts the devolution of
powers and responsibilities secured
through this system will counterbalance
its extravagancee.
ION this question OF local autonomy
the commission Of 1907 remarked that
Ii has worked very we'll in some very
badly In others, and really satisfactor-
lily in none of the boroughs While the
Mayor Is regarded as the responsible
head of the city government. he Is
powerless-except to the extent of his
three votes in the Board of Estimate
and Apportionnent-in all matters OF
public improvements
The WINS Commission, apparently,
was disposed to doubt seriously the
value of borough autonomy, but 1t rec
ognized the difficulties which would
be offered by weaker boroughs to any
proposition to centralize municipal ad-
ministration. Consequently. the WINS
commission reported for its continual
ton. but in a modified form.
THE WINS Commission emphasized
very strongly the unwisdom OF giving
borough presidents, as administrative
officers. the right to sit In the Board
of Estimate as appropriating officers
to authorize their own expenditures. 1t
suggested in place OF this system that
each borough should elect a representa-
tive to sit in the Board of Estimate.
whose functions should be limited to
that purpose. The opinion of the COM
mission of 1907 was reiterated by the
commission of 1903, which drafted q
charter along the lines drawn by the
first commission.
This second commission summed up
in it's report accompanying the new
charter it's views on the whole system
of representing the boroughs in the
Board of Estimate through the borough
presidents. as follows:
The experiment Of electing borough
representatives as financial officers to
vote appropriations. and as administra-
tive officers to spend appropriations
voted to themselves was violatve of
two fundamental principles inherit In
our system, namely, that appropriating
officers should never be expending Of
ficers and that administrative officers
should be. not elective. but appointive.
and be at all times clearly within the
sphere of unitary executive RESPONSE
bility'
Tho Hammond charter of 1910 was
practically a modification OF the WINS
charter. But the Gaynor charter diff
fered very materially from the preced-
ing attempts at charter making. 1t
increased large the powers of the
Mayor. decreasing in proportion those
OF the Comptroller and Board of Alder
men. Conversely. 1t increased the powers
OF the borough presidents. And this lat
ter particularly was additionally ernpha-
sized In the following Cullen Foley char
ter which took from the Governor his
power of removal not only of the bor-
ough presidents. but of the Mayor.
President OF the Board OF Aldermen. and
the Comptroller. IL perpetuated the
existing borough system and also gave
to the borough presidents power TO COM
pei the payment of bills against the
city without prior audit by the Comp
troller."