New-York tribune., 1922-11-18
and Two
Associates Quit
Charter, Board
Secession of City Delegates
Comes as Protest When
Commission Decides to
Hold Executive Session
Cutcheon Plan at Issue
Comptroller Assails s'Steam-
Roller Tactics When
Refused Floor Privilege

The usefulness of the Charter Revi-
sion Commission, a non.partisan body
appointed by Governor Miller to draft
"a new city charter, probably ended
yesterday when the city government
members seeded and refused to par
aticipate in further deliberations of the
commission. Comptroller Craig, Muir
ray Hubert, President of the Board of
Aldermen, and Borough President Ed
ward Riegelmann of Brooklyn walked
out of the meeting after protesting
against the majority action of the
eleven members of the commission
present ia adopting motion by Her.
man Metz providing for executive ses-
sions as q committee of the whole for
future consideration Of charter pro-
posals.
Comptroller Craig characterized the
rulings of Chairman Henry de Forest
Baldwin and the action OF the commits
sion as "steam-roller tactics" the same
tactics, he said, that had put over the
i Meyer and Lusk legislative investigat-
ing committees and the Transit Com
mission. When the chairman refused
! to recognize the Comptroller in open
session after the Metz motion had been
carried and would not permit the Of
:
test a matter of record, Mr.. Craig
called in his own stenographer and de.
5 liyered his little speech to a stern and
silent audience.
Stormy Mood Inspires Session
The storm clouds which gathered
at the first meeting of the commission
since the recent election, earlier in
! the week, when Comptroller Craig de-
& Ah
T. W. NJ. Cuteheon as a despoliation
/. of home rule, and insisted upon the
consideration of his own "birchbark
charter" were still in evidence at the
opening of yesterdays session. 1t
was evident that the Democratic mem
bers, in view OF the recent election
returns, would not brook any inter-
ference with their own plans by their
Republican associates. The proceed
ings yesterday were strongly sugges-
tive of political and partisan color.
Frank L. Polk, former Secretary of
State under President Wilson, tried
hard to bring about harmonious ac-
tion by the warning factions, but with
out success. He said every one would
concede that the Democrats won the
election, but that fact should not
stand in the way Of getting gone
where" on the charter revision aues-
tion. Mr.. Polk voted for executive
sessions, but declared himself other
wise in sympathy with Comptroller
Craig's suggestions. He believed, as
Mr.. Metz did, that more could be ac-
complished in closed sessions than by
so much speechmaking at the public
hearings.
Craig Again Presses His Plan
There were eleven members, a
quorum, present when the meeting
opened. Comptroller Craig was recog-
ni2ed By the chair and Immediately re-
newed his motion, made at the previ-
GUS meeting, that the commission take
UP his short home charter and con-
slider it page by page. He said 1t would
be foolhardy and waste of time to
continue the arguments on the rela-
tive merits of his charter and the one
submitted by Mr.. Cutcheon. He de-
clared again that the Cutcheon char
ter not only did not provide for home
rule but took away any vestige of home
rule that now exists. He pointed out
that Mr.. Cutcheon's draft provided for
delay in the operation of it's provisions
until 1925, "under the assumption that
the present administration would be
out of Office" He warned the commits
sion that something ought to be done
Immediately, and IL n majority of the
consniss!on was in favor or the charter