The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1849-01-21
Reform IN our CITY oov.rnm.u,.


opinion OF the community, absolute necessity for
RADICAL and complete reform of our city charter,
and the manner of conducting and managing our
municipal affairs. Year after year we have gone
on expendlDg money In governing our city and
yet, IL the wide world were to be searched, we
could not find more laxity, less responsibility
taxes, sbenefts-more corruption, less attention.
to The wants and comforts Of the people, than we
see in the administration Of the municipal af airs
OF The city of New York. All parties have been
tried, but the same recklessness and waste of
money characterize ALL When the wings are in
power the streets dirty, and the taxes increase
They are put out, and the streets become dirter,
aud the taxes heavier, under the democrats The
wings are again tried, and the streets are still dlrter
and the taxes still heavier Thus we have gone
on from year to year, until, finally, eur city is
like vast hog pen, and our taxes amount to three
millions OF dollars per annum, greater amount Of
money than II costs to maintain the government
of any State in the Union. Indeed, our Common
Council leglslate upon greater sum of money
annually than do the Legislators of any State In the
whole confederacy, and yet there Is no response
bility, no guarantee that this vast sum OF money
will be legisated away judlciously, or after it is
voted, appropriated properly, and to the benefit OF
the city
We have, on many occasions, advocated the
necessity OF complete and radical reorganization
ofthe whole frame work of our municipal govern
ment, and in dong so, we know we expressed the
opinions OF our tax-psylng readers, as well as OF
the public at large 1t takes great deal OF time,
however, for the population of New York to move
or to be moved; but we believe they are now alive
to the importance, If not the necessity of change.
It has been forced on them by the great annual in
crease in taxation, and the increasing filth OF our
streets, as well as the general mismanagement OF
our municipal affairs. The subject of amending
the city charter u.s. to be sure occupying the atten
ton OF the present Common Council; but we con-
fess that we do not expect much reform from that
source. The alterations in the charter, which
those saplent fathers propose, are not sufficient
although they are very good as far as they CO.
They propose to amend the charter 80 that the
aldermen will hold their seats for three years;
one-third Of them to go out Of office annually;
every fifteen thousand persons to be represented
by an assistant alderman the municipal affairs to
be divided into departments, the heads of which
are to be elected by the people. There are other
features IN the amended charter which Is now &C.
cupying the attention of the Common Council;
but do not think that the system which they
are discussing, night after night, will. even
if made as perfect as Its warmest support
ers could wish, be adequate to the end
in view. In order to ensure a faithful admia-
isiration of our city government, as well as
an economical expenditure of the large sums
which are imposed on our property owners IN the
shape of taxation, we should have government
founded on plan as much similar to that of the
United States as possible. We should have, as
we have before frequently stated, Board of
Assistant Aldermen on the plan Of the House Of
Representatives Board Of Aldermen on that of
the Senate, and Mayor. The business OF the
city should be divided into bureaus at The head of
which should be men of character and responsl
bility. The members of both boards should be
paid literally for their services, and so ought the
Mayor and heads Of departments, and none but
well tried and respectable persons should be
elected TO fiji any of those Offices, In addition
to this, responsibility security, and impeachment
for malfeasance, should mark the city government
through all Its gradations, from the Mayor down to
the lowest officer. Such system this is abso-
lutely needed, and must be resorted to sooner or
later. If the present corrupt system be tolerated
much longer It will be a serious injury to New
York. AS 1t is. thousands of our population have
of the alarming taxation to which residents of the
city are subject, and thousands more will leave 1t
from the same cause every year, unless we have
some reform IN our municipal government.
Now what time Is more appropriate for agita-
ting this question than the present In short
time citizens will be called upon to elect an.
other city government. Have they not something
more to think of than the mere ascendancy Of one
H. IL. -.
councils! What difference to them or to their
pockets has it ever made, whether the Common
Council is composed of majority of wings or of
democrats, when under each there Is an equal
amount of corruption, waste, extravaganza and
taxation! Let the people, therefore, take the sub
jet of city reform in hand now. There Is abun.
dance of time between this and the period of cleo
ton to digest plan of city government which
weuld answer every purpose. Let an effort be
made TO divest our city elections of the partIzan
character which has marked them so long, and if
we are to be taxed three millions of dollars, let, at
all events our streets be kept cean-let us get the
benefit Of it. AS 1t Is, we pay heavily and get
nothing for it.
FACTORY LABOR IN THE UNITED STATES - We
have gwen some Of the evidence addressed
on curious trial that recently took place in Pitts.
bureh, growing out OF an fmeute In factory there.
and the prosecution of certain parties for attempt
ing to interfere with the work Of others 1t seems
that the Legislature Of Pennsylvania passed law
limiting the hours of factory labor to ten per day;
but some of the factories in that neighborhood re.
quired their operatives to work twelve. This
caused revolt in the factory, stimulated the ope
raives, and produced disturbances, arrests, prose-
cutiona, and trials. According to the last intelli-
gence received from there, several of the rioters,
male and female, have been convicted.
The condition of factory labor, and the policy OF
the factory propretors of this country, are daily
assuming the characteristics which prevail in Eng
land. In the manufacturing establishments of
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