The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-02-20

within the last few years have been spent on
the streetsf Here we have three facts admitted
on all hands. i. About two hundred thousand
dollars are levied on the city annually for clean
ing the streets. 2. The streets are not cleaned.
INC superintendent Of Streets admits that
no book is kept In which the several streets
o,eaneo are enumerated and an entry made Of
sne COST OF cleaning the same.u Our readers
can draw their own conclusions
Ano inoiuens AFFORDS q further argument in
favor OF changing the whole system A. onr c;tr
government. So long as our Comm;ss;o,,o. =.
Streets and Lamps and our Superintendent. a.
Streets are elected by the people, and indsn.,
dent of the Mayor and Boards, the evils rs
which we now complain will continue to erist
Subordinate officers who hold their Offices bv
the same tenure ~ their superiors can never he
expected to be under the control of the latter .
and without some efficient controlling power. the
municipal departments will inevitably perform
their work carelessly and extravagantly The
evil lies ct the root of the system: we must re-
vert to the old federal plan. repeal our present
charter and vest the appointing of the several
heads of departments in the Mayor and Alder
men, II we want to have q sound and good gov.
eminent, economy in the civil expenditures
and clean streets
The PRESENT HIGH PRICE OF FLOUR AND THE
ANTICIPATED RISE IN BREADsruFFs- SpHcUIA-
TON AND THE INDIVIDUAL CREDIT SYsTEA.-In
another column we have presented some inter-
esting facts connected with the present high
price of breadstuffs and its effects upon the COM
munity, but more particularly upon the work
ing classes. The enormous increase in the price
of -four during the past three or four months
may be attributed, not to the scarcity of the ar
ticle here, but to the anticipated demand for it
in Europe, the operations of spectators, and
partly to the remarkable extent to which the.
| system of individual credit is carried. The last
news from Europe must have an upward ten
dency on the -four market; and in the event of q
| general war, which would shut up the great
granaries on that continent, the price will pro-
badly exceed that OF 1887, when flour was thir-
teen dollars barrel Rents now are also at an
unprecedeItedly high rate, and next year they
will be still higher. What will be the effect of
this condition of things it is difficult at present
| to predict, but there must be a limit to 1t
soon. 1t may be said that these high prices
cannot last longer than Q year at
the utmost-that in view of the in
creased demand for breadstuffs in Europe
twice the quantity of land will be put under
cultivation next year; but can the great
mass Of our laborers and mechanics, who are
entirely dependent on their wages for support
4bar Co.
pectation! When they are urged by present ne
cessities they very seldom stop to think Of fu-
ture prospects. Besides there is no certainty
that our agricultural products will be doubled
in that time, or that the foreign demand for
them will not be greater. In the event of
general European war we must expect . large
reduction in the agricultural labor of all the
nations involved in it, and . consequent de-
crease in the cereal and other products Of each
country. To supply the want caused by this
decrease we shall export twice or three
times the quantity at present sent to Europe,
when spectators, taking advantage Of the great
demand will raise it to perhaps even higher
price than it has ever been sold for.
The individual credit system, it is true, by
fostering o spirit of extravaganza, gives in
creased employment to the working classes;
but it must end in q financial revulsion, when
the poor suffer for the prodigality OF the rich
After the financial revulsion of 1887 thousands
were thrown out Of employment and general
depression followed; but property of all kinds,
which had become unnaturally inflated, came
down to it's real value. We are now rapidly
tending towards this state OF things; we see
the greatest extravaganza exhibited in the STYLE
of living of those who are called rich, but who
are actually dependent for all they possess upon
the ir credit; speculation was never more rife
than at present, and real estate is more
valuable now than was ever known before.
There is an appearance of prosperity and every
one is Employed but the basis of this prosperity
is not stable, and the day is not far distant that
will see the end oft.
HONOR IN MIssEsIPPI.-Tbe apprehensions to
which the recent election in Mississippi gave
rise are being fully justified. Some uufortu-
nate individual whose conscience is not yet
hardened to the Mississippian standard moved o
resolution the other day in the House of Repre-
sentatives to declare the 100000 of State
bonds issued in favor of the Union Bank good
and valid. 1t was negatived by vote of sixty
against eighteen. Another resolution to ap-
point committee to devise scheme for pay
ing the bonds was likewise negatived by vote
of seventy-three to seven. These figures will
become interesting when Mississippi wants to :
build railroads or other works Of internal i'm
provement, and sends her agents into the mar
ket with bonds to sell. She will feel the con-
sequences far more severely than the creditors
she is defrauding.
OPPOSITION TO INTERNATIONAL CoPYRrGnT.-
We see that the Richmond Enquirer has taken
sides with the publishers AGAINST the anthors