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1	Conceivably it can.
2	MR. MILES: I have to be excused, I am sorry.
3	THE CHAIRMAN: All right, Mr. Miles.
4	DEAN FORDHAM: Look at the thing traditionally.
5	You see, we had the situation, particularly as to larger
6	cities, they have to go back to the Legislature. In the
7	case of New York City right now, some man from a newspaper
8	chain called me a day or two ago saying he had heard I had
9	meddled in this field a good bit, and asked why is it the
10	City of New York has to go to Albany every time they have
11	a tax problem? Why shouldn't there be a broad grant of
12	authority under which they could act?
13	MR, MELVIN: In those cases, does their consti-
14	tution have the provision that the State Legislature can-
15	not, act on local affairs such as what I am proposing?
16	DEAN FORDHAM: The New York constitution permits
17	the Legislature to pass legislation as to 'particular
18	cities if the city asks for it. If the city asks for it,
19	they can pass local legislation, and New York City has
20	asked for it. New Jersey has this, Massachusetts just
21	proposed it. That is in favor of the city. They couldn't