New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-02-27
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
MUNICIPAL REFORM.
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SIR: What We went in large City. with poiaA-
t!on like ours, s . strong Government, win respsa-
sblc head, and q system Of esponsblity extending
downward 70 its lowest sgcn's and servGnts We
vsnt no administrative Boards no scattering aa4
splitting up OF powers, and multiple ston Of ssiaIes
snd officers. sush IS has been going for yesn
past but; on the other hand We require coaces<ra-
ton and dminutien Of Off ccs There are fas ~
MANY OF them established solely for purposes Of p.<-
yato plumber, and not OF pubic good. instead Of
seyen Heads Of Departments, there is no necessity
n, more ID n three. All the branches of the CITY
Covernuent naturally fall under three divisions:
l. FINANCE.
III CoNsrRUCrioS AND RsFAIR,
III puR,tc HEALTH, EDUcATIoS AND CHARITIES.
The Police should form independent braneh %
the pubic service under the Mayor as its head Tne
money pnt OF the Croton Water Department YOU'D
coma under tho Controller; the Engineering part ia
co. Construction ard Repairs. Ire head of this
peDs,,uoDt shculd be civil engineer, and bis duties
,bc.Ia be 90 regulated ha, be would not dni himself
IN the position OF the late Mr.. Wright, tie drstn-
op;,hsd Engineer Of the Erie Canal who was Street.
Commi, ,iorer shout the year 1870 lie remained IN
Office only one wear and then resigned because a.
he ad he found tina, he was expected 10 be- MT tho
~ nd of Depsr;rnt MT and the Engineer OF the CITY,
br, The clerk Of parcel of illiterate fellows the Al
de,u,eu o. tbs City. Mr.. Wight LEFT behind him
many very valuable recommendations, not one %
which Of course wss adopted
Ts,h { he heads Of y apartment be'og appoin'ed
h. tie Mayor. shouid bod ofiice for he same TINS
vim ;m-sny isr not - than five years Their saa-
,;, .,crl6 he from five 20 ten Thousand dollars
wear each. Competent could not be hsd at
low, -ta,e. Tie head q Departments Ike the Mio-
;to-s in Etelsn8 should have seGt in the Board OF
Ald.rmen with voices but without any vote In sieir
delib,>niors The duties OF the places now ni'ed
nv the other fso-cslledl heads of Departments ana
heads of " Burs AUX" and the other eccentric USE
le.s and anomalous offices which have been inanu-
featured Of late years by the cunning of corrupt puo-
lie servants ard Legislators with the purpose OF trans
f.rripg other peoples money 10 their own puises'
.uch IA the Collectors of Assessments the Assessors
in the Street Department the Collector OF Taxes ana
bis army of Clerks and Deputies, the Tax Comn~-
sione,s-amost useless body, who receive large sAsr
ries for doing worse than nothing-the Corporapoe
Attorney. the Public Administrator, tho Inspectors
on Street. work and host Of others could os muou
better administered by clerks at tar sasr'es aP-
pointed by the appropriate hesds OF Departments.
The annual saving by such change would DO toso
by millions, and at the same time the puohc "'u'a
be greatly tho gamers in the increased efficiency OF
the service. We throw out these IDEAS not with any
eypt citation that they can be adopted at present we
are no, vet sufficiently walked up to the enormdes OF
our Municipal Government. The shoe pinches soreiy;
bu, the army of cormersnts mu,t dig still little
very little deeper into tho ytas OF The people before
,h,v rise in their might and elevate their plaudere1
to The post of their desert-the gibbet-unlsss We
have A decided change for the better. Revoiutioa
(" or Reform" will be the wstchory before two years
have passed over our he adsiu this City.
Your obedeut setvsat, -
kse.Yort, Feb. 20. 1855. AfANrAf