The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-02-02
The W~y Our 0ity is Governed.

VAc WY Our Ufty - GOvornc0s
THE DEPARTMENT OF REPAlRs AND SUPPLIES.
The appropriation required to meet the expendi-
lures of the Department of Repairs and Supplies for
the present year, according to the Comptrolers es
innate amounts to $366655. The department con-
ssts Of the Bureaus Of Roads, Of Public Buildings Of
Street Pavements, and the Bureau Of Supplies for
the Fire Department. The chief officer, who is en-
titled the Commissioner Of Repairs and Supplies,
receives salary Of 81 900 year. in addition to what
II rs generally believed hA makas and VII is said
to vary from fifty to . hundred thousand dollars
during his official term of three years. As the greater
portion Of his duties aud the business Of his Office
could be transacted in the Street Commissioners
department, it should either be merged in or form
under it separate bureau. As at present con-
stituted 1t Is one Of the most expensive un-
der the city government. The same evils which
we have described springing out Of the contract
system to be found here as well as in the other
departments, and the same extravaganza ia the
number Of persons employed. OF the eight hun
dred thousand dollars that are expended yearly on
work for the city it is calculated that onehalf
finds its way, In the form of profits into the pockets
of officials or contractors.
The duties Of the Commissioner are to ascertain
and report to the Common Council, from time to
time, upon the necessity propriety OF making or
repairing public buildings, wells and pumps; sup
plying the public rooms and Offices Of the corpora
tion; regulating, digging filing, paving repairing
the streets, and constructing or repairing all the
machines and apparatus of the Fire Department.
He is also required, on the first Thursday in each
month"; to render to the Comptroller full statement,
under oath, OF the receipts and expenditures of his
department. In awarding the contracts for the
work over which he has the supervision and con-
troll he has almost unlimited power, and, if dis
honest man. he may make uss Of it to defraud the
city Of hundreds Of thousands Of dollars The diff
Guilty Of procurngs conviction in all of Official
malfeasance would also throw kind of security
around him. and protect him from the penalty Of the
law, and where he is corrupt, the parties whom he
appoints are generally as corrupt himself. Iude.
pendent of these considerations however, there s,
We have said, no necessity for such department
separate from that OF the Street Commissioner. The
bureaus Of roads, public buildings and street paving
should be merged in one, and the control OF
it given to one officer, who should be held to
strict accountability, and placed under the
control and supervision Of the Mayor. IL
would be absurd to expect to free IT, any OF the
departments, from the influence Of politics, but with
proper restrictions it be prevented from being
converted into sinecure for dishonest and design
ing men. In the performance Of work there is no
reason, as has been frequently the case, why the
persons who per Orm that work should realize more
upon the city government than they would realize
upon the sane work when done for an individual.
As this is matter which is very important to tax
payers, the Comptroller, who il reformer, ought
to propose some remedy. We should, for the satis-
faction Of the community, like to see an estimate OF
the real value OF all the work performed by this and
the other departments, for the purpose of contrast
ing it with the actual amount paid. If this is not
his duty as Comptroller, we think 1t should sug'
gest itself to him as reiormer. However, we give
him the suggestion, aud hope he will take advan-
tage Of it.
In the Office of the Street Commissioner there is
term which is known only to the initiated, but
which is full Of meaning to them. When an official
has lucrative atuation--one in which he can rea-
lze four or five thousand dollars year over his sa
lary-he Is said to have nice billet" This term
is also applied to those who perform contracts for
the department. and who are supposed to be making
large profits from then. 1t often happens that the
person to whom the contract Is awarded to paint the
public buildings, to supply the furniture, has no
connection with either business, and his only recon-
mendation is his political affinity with the head Of the
department. Thus upon the contract which he has
obtained the manufacturer Of the article which he
supplies must also have bis profits In this way the
expenses of the department are increased, and the
city is made to pay in some cases double the value
Of the article furnished or work performed.
The chief officer OF the Bureau Of Roads Is charg-
ed with tho duty of making and repairing the pub
lie roads and enforcing all he laws, ordinances and