USA > Connecticut > New Haven County > New Haven > A modern history of New Haven and eastern New Haven County, Vol. I > Part 13
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It became necessary in 1878 to do some legislating for the Borough of Fair
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Ilaven East, and from time to time appear evidences that the dual existence of town and city was a double burden. In 1880 there was an important amendment incorporating East Rock park. with mention of the park commission, which had been earlier created. but without, evidently. a great burden of duties. In 1881 there was considerable legislation concerning that part of New Haven outside of city limits.
The revision of 1881 had to do with ninety-four seetions, forty-six pages. It was fairly thorough and complete. The number of wards was not at that time changed, remaining at twelve. Mayor and all city officers were elected biennially in December. The duties of all officials were defined : the mayor, as William S. Pardee dryly says in his "Charter and Amendments," "'shall be chief executive and it shall be his anty to be vigilant." The charter of 1881 did not make the mayor an especially potent individual. It seems to have been largely a routine revision. The city was approaching the period when tinkering the charter became a fixed habit. Some of the more important features were a new align- ment and natural increase of salaries ; the provision that the allermen and coun- cilmen could obviate the mayor's veto by a majority vote (more power for the mayor) ; the aldermen to fill all vacancies on boards and "of the same politics." Mayor could sit with boards, and vote in case of tie: Board of Compensation created : some provision for building lines.
There was no further general revision of the charter until that of 1897-1900, but it cannot be said that it was left at rest. In the years from 1881 to 1900, no less than eighty distinet amendments and special laws were attached to the charter. Thorough revision of such a mass was inevitable, and it is readily con- ceded by all good judges that the revision which went into effect in 1900 was needed and was a material step toward modern city government. It was a little too early, however, to participate in the radical advance in charter construction which has affected many cities of the country. Even if that era had come in, New Haven's natural conservatism, probably, would have kept it back.
The amendment period preceding this revision was not without materially important legislation. In 1883 there was an annexation to the Town of New Haven. so as to include that part of Springside (the new almshouse farm) which had belonged to the town of Hamden, and compensation to the latter therefor. There was other special legislation concerning the Town Farm. In 1884 the city was authorized to straighten the channel of West River from Derby Avenne to the great bend above the old Derby railroad. This made for a river which orig- inally was painfully crooked, a practically straight channel from a point north of Whalley Avenne to Oak Street, and a symmetrically eurved one from there on to the great bend. It was also at that time provided that no sewer must empty into it except storm overflows.
In 1885 there was provision for the biennial election of two members of the Board of Public Works, police commissioner and fire commissioner. The next year the Public Library was established, with an appropriation of $10,000. In 1887 a special law made the newly straightened channel of the West River the
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boundary line of the city, also the boundary line between the towns of New Haven and Orange from Derby Avenue to the Derby railroad. In 1889 New Haven was authorized to issue $200,000 park bonds, and Town Park commission was created-the new parks were outside of city limits. The same year Benja- min R. English, James Rice Winchell and llenry C. White were appointed a committee to investigate the affairs of the Town of New Haven, and report at the next town meeting. More evidence, perhaps, of the unsatisfactory dual civic personality.
Apparently there was another raise of city salaries in 1893-anyway, the schedule was revised. Soon after it seemed best to limit the right to hold office in the City Court to those living within city limits. That same year there was legislation petitioning the Superior Court to condemn the toll rights on the Derby Turnpike. In 1893, also, the city was authorized to provide and main- tain a Contagions Disease Hospital-but it was not until almost twenty years later that the long fight as to where to place it let np sufficiently to allow New Haven to get the hospital.
A civil service commission was created in 1895, and for several years per- mitted to pretend to be of some nse in protecting New Haven officeholders against polities. Here the revision of 1881 was so amended that the Board of Public Works, the police and fire commissioners, were elected by the freemen instead of by the aldermen. The same year the amendment consolidating the Town and City of New Haven, to be referred to later, was first tried. It did not "take" until two years later, at the second trial in 1897.
The revision of 1897 consisted of 204 sections, and was a complete and in some respects radical change. Following the consolidation, it provided for three new wards to inelnde the annexed districts, increasing the total to fifteen. Both this and the revision of 1899, which was in a sense one with it, retained the Com- mon Council of one alderman and three councilmen, elected annually, from each ward. The former gave the mayor considerable appointive power, as to corpora- tion counsel, sealer of weights and measures, citizen members of the Board of Finance, Police and Fire Commissioners, Director of Publie Works, Park Com- mission, Health Board, Public Library Directors, Board of Education and Civil Service Board. But as the revision of 1899 is the one of importance, and the one now in effect. that is the only one which need be further considered here. It contained 227 sections.
The same radical change in appointive power of the mayor was continued, with some enlargements. The date of the city election was changed to April. The Boards of Finance, Police and Fire Service and Public Works were re- tained, the last to be divided into bureaus of streets, sewers, engineering and compensation. Parks, Public Health, Public Library and Edneation were de- partments, as was Charities and Correction. The Civil Service Board was re- tained. Town clerk and registrar of Vital Statistics, along with the Board of Relief and Board of Assessors, the last appointed by the mayor, were inherited from the town government. The revision of 1897 provided that a woman might be appointed to the Board of Education, and this was not altered in 1899.
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The most important amendment, save one, to this last charter was that in 1901 which abolished the Board of Couneilmen and provided that on the first Tuesday of April in 1902 there should be elected six aldermen at large, and thereafter every second year six aldermen at large for two years, and that the odd-numbered wards should eleet one alderman and the even-numbered wards one alderman every other year for a term of two years.
The Permanent Pavement Commission, whose five members the mayor ap- points, was created in 1901. A Commission on Public Memorials was created in 1905. The same year the date of election was changed from April to the first Monday in October, where it has remained undisturbed for several elections. It was in 1911 that the Park Commission was given jurisdiction over the Green and all other public squares.
The most important recent charter change was the Home Rule Bill. which was enacted in 1913.
The bugbear of a generation was the dual and differing constitution of New Haven the town and New Haven the city. From 1784 until three-quarters of a century later there was little difficulty. But as soon as the population had completely overflowed to the town, there began to be trouble. It was the worse beeanse of the comparatively small area of the part of the town around the edges of the city. Had the town area of New Haven been great, as is the case with many Connecticut towns containing cities, the crisis would not have come so early, but it would have arrived soon or late. The people living and owning property in the town outside of city limits wanted, of course, all the city privi- leges, improvements and advantages. But they did not pay city taxes or their equivalent, and of course the city could not permit them to have these things. The result was constant and growing friction.
Then there was a conflict and expense of officials. The town claimed a sort of jurisdiction over the city, or at least some of the officials of the town neces- sarily had functions in the city. There was double cost and not a little confusion at elections. These were only a few of the disadvantages of a system which, being now of the past, may well be forgotten. Yet it took a good many years, and some patient work on the part of publie men and publie bodies, the Cham- ber of Commerce notable among the latter, to bring about the long agitated desideratum of consolidation. A well constructed bill was passed by the Legis- lature in 1895, but it was not acceptable to the majority of the voters on sub- mission. There were only a few minor changes, however, in the act submitted in 1897, and this time it was accepted.
Consolidation consisted, of course, in making the boundaries of the City of New Haven coterminons with what had been the Town of New Haven. The duties as to highways, private ways, bridges and sewers which the town had horne were transferred to the city. A Department of Charities and Correction
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of four members, appointed by the Board of Aldermen (later by the mayor), took over that portion of the town's duties. The town officials retained, most of them required by state law, were three seleetmen, town clerk, tax collector, registrar of Vital Statisties, Board of Assessors, Board of Relief, justices of the peace, grand jurors and constables. The property formerly held by the town was vested in the city. There was, however, this peculiarity, that the Westville school district, the South school district and the Borongh of Fair Haven East were kept intact. But the cherished old town meeting was, so far as New Haven was concerned, at an end.
The second and successful consolidation bill had a few additions of compara- tively minor importance. It was accepted by a safe majority, and if everybody has not been happy ever since, the years have brought increasing satisfaction with the change, until the younger generation of voters finds it hard to conceive that there ever was a separation between city and town. Yet there are the still independent units of Westville and Fair Haven East to mar the perfection of consolidation, and the city is steadily growing into them. Recently there has been a revival of effort for complete consolidation, and there are those who believe that it is near.
In the first 130 years during which New Haven was faithfully and constantly and hopefully amending and revising its charter, it was necessary on each occa- sion to go to the General Assembly either in the State House on the Green or at Hartford, explain all about it and secure the consent of the majority to the change. There were two ways of looking at this exercise. Some regarded it as one of the greatest of winter sports to get the charter amended ; others believed that the matter of altering municipal laws to meet changing municipal needs was a matter of home business about which Hartford-where of late years it was always necessary to apply-had no concern. And when at the last it some- times became necessary to do some expert political bargaining to obtain the most innocent and obvious charter change, the number grew of those who be- Tieved that New Haven ought to have home rule.
There was talk of this for years, which eame to little result. The thing seemed like a more or less elusive dream, pleasant to entertain, but not expected to turn to any reality. However, there was a growing feeling that New Haven could have home rule if it insisted. At any rate, William S. Pardee, a member of the General Assembly of 1913, determined to make a trial. He drew np a concise and. as he believed, comprehensive home rule bill of five sections, con- ferring on the freemen of New Haven the right to amend the charter of their city by initiative and referendum, withont the advice or consent of the General Assembly. The bill went through on May 17, 1915. after a delay of over a ses- sion, and considerable doctoring of his second and essential section
By this act it was provided that the Board of Aldermen or 30 per cent or more of the registered voters might initiate charter changes, to be voted upon by the electors at a special election. As passed, the act defined the powers of amendment under it as follows:
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"To provide the manner in which candidates for the office of mayor or for any other office required by law to be filled by popular election may be nomi- nated for their respective offices, and that no person unless nominated in accord- anee with sneh provisions shall be eligible to such office.
"To provide whether the mayor or any other officer required to be elected by popular vote, shall be elected by plurality of votes cast, by enmulative voting, or in case of boards constituted of more than one member, by minority repre- sentation.
"To provide how the Board of Aldermen shall be constituted, the number of its members, their qualifications, tenure and terms of office, and for the eler- tion of any part or all of them at large or by wards, and the amount of their salaries or compensation, if any.
"To provide that any officer of said city, now elected by popular vote. shall be chosen by appointment, excepting that the mayor, members of the Board of Aldermen, town clerk, members of the Board of Selectmen, registrars of voters. and justices of the peace shall continue to be elected by popular vote.
"To provide how, by whom, when and in what manner any of the officers, boards, directors. commissioners and employes of said city who are or may be subject to appointment and not to popular election. may be appointed, their qualifications, the terms and conditions of the tenure of each.
"To provide for the payment of salaries or compensation of any officers of said city who are subject to appointment, and the amount of such salaries or compensation, or to provide by whom such salaries or compensation shall be determined and regulated.
"To provide that the powers and duties given to or imposed upon any of the commissioners, hoards, agents or employes of said city shall be exercised and performed by any other officer, board, agent or employe, including the power of appointing and employing other offieers, agents and employes, excepting that the powers and duties, other than the power of appointment as herein otherwise authorized, of the mayor or Board of Aldermen, shall not be curtailed under the procedure authorized by this act, nor shall the powers and duties of the town elerk. Board of Selertmen. registrars of voters, or justices of the peace, be in any respect enrtailed.
"To provide for the abolition of any office, the powers and duties of which shall be transferred to another officer, board or agent, and to provide for any new department. burean or officer as may seem best for the exercise of the pow- ers and to perform the duties given to or imposed npon said city.
"To provide that the mayor shall act as a member of the Board of Aldermen : that any or all of the powers and duties which might be exercised and performed by appointive officers, boards or agents may be exercised and performed by the Board of Aldermen in such manner as it may determine, either directly or through such agents as it may select or for whose selection it may provide.
"To provide for a general revision of the charter which may include any of the amendments herein authorized.
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"To provide for pensions and pension funds for any class of employes of said city, and to apportion to any pension fund or to the general city income any license moneys payable to the city or to any pension fund."
For the rest, the act provided that no amendment affecting the City Court could be passed, nor any affecting the duties of town clerk, assessors, registrar of Vital Statistics or other officer whose office or duties are fixed by general statute.
III
Within a few years after the revision of the charter which became effective in 1900, the modern city charter wave began to sweep the country. Commission government was commending itself to an increasing number of the cities of the country, albeit attended with much luxnriance of the initiative and the referendum, and much utter nonsense of the recall. A little later there were still newer features, such as the City Manager or Mayor Manager plan of con- ducting the business of a city. They made New Haven's recently adopted charter, improvement though it was, appear out of date to some of the citizens.
Yet suggestions that there ought to be a further and really radical change appeared not to waken a great amount of enthusiasm. As early as 1910 Judge A. MeClellan Mathewson made some tentative experiments with a charter of his own designing, but did not secure encouraging results. But the demand per- sisted, from some quarters, that New Haven make another attempt at charter improvement. It became so positive in 1915 that Mayor Rice appointed a Com- mittee of Fifty to see about charter revision. That committee, after holding several meetings in the spring, and choosing a sub-committee on charter con- struction, made a report in June suggesting a moderate number of essential changes in the charter.
The first of these amended the section of the charter providing for the election by ballot of city officers, by striking out the treasurer, clerk, collector and city sheriff, and providing that these persons should continue in office until their successors were chosen, or they were duly removed for cause. It was provided that whenever there should be a vacancy in any of the offices the mayor should have power to appoint from a list provided by the Civil Service Board. It was further provided that a banking corporation or trust company might be ap- pointed to the office of treasurer.
The second suggested ehange was the abolition of the ward aldermen, and the election of eight aldermen at large, four each two years, with minority representation. Of this board the mayor should be a member ex-officio, but might not vote except to dissolve a tie.
The third proposed change was the removal of political requirements in appointment to the Board of Finance-that is, the hest men might be chosen without inquiring as to how they were accustomed to vote.
The fourth recommendation abolished the Board of Police and Fire Com- missioners, making the chief in each case the responsible head, the same to
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be appointed by the mayor from a list of names suggested by the Civil Service Board. In connection with this there was some detailed legislation concerning the powers of the heads of these departments and the government of the de- partments and their finances.
Fifth, the report proposed a radically new method of nominating and electing mayor. Candidates might be nominated by petition, and the choice made by preferential voting. The plan was interesting, but as it did not then come into civic being, is not important in this consideration.
These recommendations were duly submitted to the aldermen. That board passed the second, third, fourth and fifth without change. It saw fit to add to the continning officers recommended in the first that of controller so that the treasurer, elerk, collector, city sheriff and controller holding offiee on December 31. 1917. should be continued in office. Then the aldermen proceeded to some charter revision of their own. First, they adopted an aet eoneerning the pension- ing of members of the fire department. Seeond, they proposed to make the con- troller a general purchasing agent. And third, though it had been re-submitted by a committee of their own body, the aldermen refused, nine to eight, to submit to the people an amendment consolidating the offices of director of publie works and city engineer. This amendment the mayor had been seeking to get through for several years, and it had onee been refused by the voters.
The mayor vetoed the list of recommendations in toto. It was not, as he sought to explain, because he failed to appreciate the work of the Committee of Fifty, or because he disapproved of all the amendments. The first failed of his approval because it did not provide for any passing by the Civil Service Board on the qualifieations of the men then holding office, who must, by the provisions, be continned. In the second place, he held that the provision that the mayor must appoint the chiefs of the police and fire departments from a list offered by the Civil Service Board limited his power. He objected to the proposed manner of electing mayor because, on his information, it eonflieted with state law. Henee he thought it best to refer the whole list of amendments baek to the Committee of Fifty.
It was not so referred, however. The Committee of Fifty, as such, presently went out of existence. It consisted of a body of earnest men, but it was so large as to be unwieldy. As it seemed best not to abandon the effort to reconstruet the charter, the mayor in 1916 appointed a "Committee of Fifteen," practically all of whom had been members of the previous committee, to approach the task again. The members of this committee were:
Leonard M. Daggett, who was made chairman; Eliot Watrous, who became secretary ; Clarence Blakeslee, George W. Crawford, Yandell Henderson, Everett G. Hill, Charles F. Julin, Harry C. Knight, Patrick F. O'Meara, William S. Pardee, Frederick L. Perry, Matthew A. Reynolds, Isaae M. Ullman, Anthony Verdi and Kenneth Wynne.
This committee went to work with less of confidence, perhaps, that the time was ripe for radieal charter revision than with the determination to find out
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something of what the city really needed and the people of it earnestly wanted. As a preliminary, a public hearing, well advertised, was held, to which the people were urged to come with their views on charter amendment. The result was not, either in attendance or in views, highly encouraging or illuminating to the committee. So far as time would permit, all those present were given op- portunity to speak their minds fully. The number was not large, and the sug- gestions given were not especially constructive.
Then the committee tried another tack. This was the invitation to its sessions, one at a time, of the experienced heads of the various city departments. The result was considerable first hand information to the committee, though not a unanimous opinion as to the directions which amendment should take, or that it should take any. But the majority opinion of the committee at first was that there should be certain material changes, embodying in part those reported by the previous Committee of Fifty. There had been, however, considerable inci- dental discussion of the recommendation of a commission charter, or of the City Manager or Mayor Manager plan. Several of the members were much in favor of this, and none was strongly opposed to it. though there was not full agreement as to the form. The majority, however, were favorable to either the Mayor Manager or the City Manager form. But it was the belief of those most conversant with the home rule act that it did not permit so radical a change in charter without appeal to Hartford, since it said: "Exeepting that the mayor shall continue to be elected by popular vote." And again : "Ex- eepting that the powers and duties of the Mayor or Board of Aldermen shall not be curtailed under the procedure authorized by this act."
In the end it was agreed, first that it was not advisable to recommend minor charter changes at this time ; second, that when the time for a radieally changed charter was ripe, it was desirable that the question be submitted to the people, and that precedent to such action, it was necessary to so amend the IIome Rule Act as to permit the adoption, if the people should see fit, of a Mayor Manager or City Manager charter. And with the appointment of a committee to seeure such an amendment. the Committee of Fifteen closed its labors for 1916. The General Assembly of 1917 passed the amendment desired.
CHAPTER XIV
NEW HAVEN'S CHURCHIES *
THE ORIGINAL CHURCH AND ITS DESCENDANTS-THIE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE CHURCHI OF ENGLAND AND THE GROWTH OF ITS FORM OF WORSHIP IN A NEW ENGLAND CITY
I
"On this roek will I build," said John Davenport by his actions at the beginning of New Haven, "not my church, for the church is that rock, but my whole state. " The first institution of New Haven was the church. It was named before the town was named. Davenport and his tired voyagers had no time, when first they left their boats at the head of ereek navigation, to think about permanent shelter, and there was not much food about which to think. But this did not deter them from using that first Sabbath day for religious worship. That oak tree which stood near where College Street now joins with George was as important in its way, and should have been as carefully preserved in historieal depiction. as the Charter Oak at Hartford. It long ago succumbed to the wintry blasts, and the best reminder we have of it is its idealization in stained glass in the chancel window of Center Church. That window scene represents the. company of pilgrims grouped about Pastor Davenport under the oak on that first Sunday in the New Haven part of the New World. It is a depiction of the foundation that underlies all New Haven.
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