New-York tribune., 1922-07-31
IHyla1n Dropped
Home Rule,Says
Citizens Union
Organization Charges Mayor
Massed Forces ON Bills
of Partisan Nature for
Campaign Propaganda
Refused Aid of Miller
Insist Only Good Done
Was to Give Friend d s
Albany Pleasure Trips

Was to Give L rlend
Albany Pleasure Trips
The Citizens Union, in the first in
stallment Of it's annual review of activ-
tiles at Albany, made public yesterday,
charges that Mayor Hylan and his ad-
visers during the last session Of the
Legislature abandoned virtually all real
home rule measures and concentrated
forces on measures Of a purely political
Gus consideration by the Legislature
but for campaign propaganda
The introduction of these measures
did some good, the Citizens Union
ironically observed, in that it enabled
city officials and other city employees
to go to Albany on sightseeing junkets.
The review compares the work Of
Mayor Hylan and Governor Miller on
behalf of home rule, calling attention
to the fact that in his first term the
Governor created a commission to
study the city's needs in this regard
and frame a charter giving the munich
pality a full measure of freedom from
legislative interference in managing it's
own affairs. Then it adds that during
the last session the Governor gave even
more unmistakable evidences of his
growing conviction of the Importance
of municipal home rule.
Miller Began to Learn
On this score the report says:
mayor Hylan has heralded himself
as the high priest of home rule. At
the same time he has denounced Gov
ernor Miller as the arch enemy of
home rule, Governor Miller had given |
comparatively little study to the prob
lem of municipal home rule before be |
became Governor. He frankly admitted |
that he had not satisfied himself as to
The proper scope and limitations of |
home rule grant to cities. But he be-
gan TO learn as soon as he assumed |
office. He started with the idea that
great deal could be accomplished |
through statutory enactments, and he |
was not at all sure that there needed !
TO be a constitutional change. From
his public utterances and his veto mes
sages, however, it is evident that he
very soon saw the extent OF the evil of
legislative tinkerng with local affairs
through mandatory anti-horae rule
bills. He vigorously applied the only
corrective he found at hand, namely, |
his veto.
cat the same time the Governor was
taking a firm stand on the New York
City traction and Port Authority issues
on the ground that his remedial legis-
lation involved proper exercise of the
states power Yet his belief that New
York City should have the opportunity
to frame and adopt its own charter
and that such charter should itself
carry specific grant of home rule
powers, was clearly set forth by him at
the close of the session and thereafter
"This year the Governor gave even /
more unmistakable evidences of his
growing conviction of the Importance
of municipal home rule. The most !
striking instance of his practical ac
ceptance of the idea was seen in his |
action in submitting a score of bills |
dealing with county officers and salaries
to Mayor Hylan, as head of the gov
ernment that must pay the increases |
desired, with the reQues- nat h. give
his views in regard to t. ii. Unuer the
law these bills would be considered
city bills" and wor ther >re notI
come before the Mayor at all.
Thus very unusual opportunity
was afforded the Mayor TO apply the
home rule principle in respect to a
very important and vory active field of
legislation He responded by recon-
mending disapproval Of the entire list,
and this recommendation Governor
Miller followed. with the result that
nor ~ the bills became law
'"lha Governor, however, carried the
application OF the principle still
further by vetoing several anti-home
rule bills Of relatively small inpor-
tance, but of an unusually vicious sort,
which Mayor Hylan had approved, in
GLIDING the Henry and Lahey reim-
ment bills. Much to the discontinue
of the Mayor, he also applied the rule
to the veto of the bill increasing the
salary Of the Mayor ana other city
officials, which Mayor Hylan had ap-
proved, as well as to that providing in
creases for the city tax commissioners
"Mayor Hylan does deserve credit
this year, as in several previous years
for his vetoes of many bad anti-home
rule measures, some of which were
passed with the avowed purpose ofI
embarrassing him, and with the ex-
pectation that his vetoes would arouse
employees. Of this sort were his
courageous vetoes of the Police and
Fire Department salary increase bills
Yet the Mayor, who would be looked to
as the natural defender of the city
against hostile Legislative raids" has
a record on his home rule vetoes this
year that is distinctly weaker than that
of the Governor, whom he has continu-
ally attacked for his failure to accord
proper recognition to the views of the
city authorities.
"The Citizens Union has on several
occasions particularly complmented
Mayor Hylan for his vetoes on anti
home rule legislation. For this he de-
serves his full share of credit"
Neglect Home Rule Bills
Taking up the home rule measures
advocated by the Hylan administration
for campaign propaganda purposes, the
Citizens Union saidsthat they included
bills which the city administration
would not have advocated had the
Mayor and his advisers thought for a
moment that they would have passed.