New-York tribune., 1922-05-22
" WestcIlester's
City Plan Foes
Urged to Action
Report of Investigator AS.
serts the Proposition Is
Much Alive and Has the
Backing of Ward Men
commission Scheme Tn
Fight Against Change in Gov.
ernment To Be Direct.
ed Through Mems Club

"estchester County is buzzinr with
renewed antipathy for the schema r.
substitute city for the existing form,
OF government A report made TO the
BOARD of Trustees Of the Village OF
felham Manor by Edgar Beecroft has
awakened opr onents of tbs project to
'hc necessity of making a fresh demon
Stration Of d!sap7rovaf,
MIR, Beecroft, an attorney. was ON
powered by the trustees to make an in.
Veshgation for them of the reports
that the Westchester, machine poll.
tlcians were behind tae scheme to
create city out of the Scattered towns
ard villages of the coilnty. Mr.. Bee
crott's report. delivered orally to the
trustees, startled them.
The Westchcster City proposition is
far from dead declared Mr.. Beecroft
III IS so much alive that unless if is
fought vigorously it will become 4 fac,
one year from next November. I talked
70 about ten men, nine of them LEADING
kepuhlcans, and all assured me that
thc scheme was going through: tha+
william /. Ward was back of il 10 a
finish.
Commission Plan as Alternative
II talked to one Democrat, John sin.
mott, Of Mount Pleasant. and he, too
expressed himself in favor Of this pro
posed change, The Republicans
talked with were men who are par,
OF the ward machine. They were gooc
enough to explain that the plan is tc
have the County Government Commits
SION recommend two propositions, one
the city scheme and the other a com.
mission form of government,
The County Government Commits
sion Will make its report before
November and then. as provided in tht
constitutional amendment, it can be
presented to the voters in 1923-ar
odd numbered wear. The voters will not
get chance to vote yes or no They
will have Hobsons choice, either a
commission form of government or =
City of Westchester.'
The Mems Club of Pelham is a non
political civic body with a membership
of about 500 It has taken a leading
part IL exposing the character Of the
city scheme President Henry u
Nuchols. of the Pelham Manor board
of trustees said last night that the IN
formation contained IN Mr.. Beecroft's
report would be turned over to the
Pelham Mems Club, of which W. 7
Grant is president.
Fight Through Mems Club
"The trustees can only adopt a reso-
luton expressing their opposition to
any change that will wipe out village
authority to govern village affairs,
he said. "but we shall lay all our in
formation before the Mems Club.
don't know the politics Of my fellow
trustees though we are elected officials
However, as we wish to avoid any sus-
picion that politics flavors our attl
tude in this affair, we will wage the
fight through the Mems Club.
1--WE are certainly opposed to any
thing that will take away from the
village authority TO rule OF its own
improvements and other affairs"
Ever since the wave of condemnation
that followed the public statement by
Surrogate George Slater. of Westches-
ter, declaring that the City Of West
chester would come into existence
within two years, politicians affiliated
with William L. Ward have denied up
on all occasions that they knew any
thing Of such q proposal. Surrogate
Slater. who is said to have acted as
Wards spokesman in telling about the
city plan, has kept silent about it too
since his original announcement in
Iapuarv a