The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1864-01-05


are to obey. and to whom they ere 10 look for
their money. IN that case what would become
Of VI in tho event Of another rists We had .
little experience Of such state 81 affairs under
Mayor Wood. and arc not anxious TO have Il
again inAugurated. On tho whole, therefore. Il
"a best and safest 70 trust nothing to Seymour.
and We earnestly call upoa tho Legislature u
take immediate actiSn n the premises.
Mayer Ganther's Rnaugural Message.
In another part Of to-days paper VIII BE-
found Mayor Gunther's message to tho Com
mon Council on assuming tho duties Of his
present high and responsible position It Is
full Of excellent suggestions and reccmnenda-
tons to the Legislature, the municipal bodies
and the community at large. Setting out with
tho statement that the expenditures Of the olty
exceed, in proportion to the populatios, those
Of any other municipality In tho world, he pro-
ceeds to show that this hss been caused by the
creation 81 Independent jurisdictions In the diff
fefent departments and the withdrawal Of al
power Of control on tho part Of the Mayor He
oites tho CONFLICTS which ar6 continually taking
place between the Croton Board and tho Street
Commissioner. and which are keeping the up
per part Of Broadway and the entrances to the
Park constantly blocked up, to show how pro-
ductive Of unnecessary expense and inconve-
nience to the public such system must always
prove.
Mr.. Gunther ID opposed to tho proposed plan
Of disposing Of the public markets, ferries,
wharves, piers or slips for the purpose Of pay
ing OF portion OF tho city debt. He says (and
we fully agree with him) that If those valuable
privileges were to be parted with to individuals
they would levy indirect taxes on tho COM
munity greatly exceeding what would be
saved by diminished taxation, and that would
fall most progressively on the poor. He recon-
mends that memorials be presented to Congress
and the Legislature calling for repayment Of
tho advances made by tho oity for war pur-
poses; that stringent measures be adopted to
Of personal taxes; that property assessments
shall bs made ~ early a. tho LIST Of March. to
avoid tho reprehensible practice Of issuing
revenue bonds in advance OF the collection Of
the annual taxes; that ell tho existing wooden
wharvss and piers shall gradually DO replaced
BY stone ones; that such amendments shall be
made in the Excise Law e. will bring to the city
dollars from that source; that tho trap block
or Belgian pavement shall be laid down
everywhere throughout the CITY; that tho
police shall be made to perform tho duties
Of street inspectors, and to make daily reports
Of their condition; that tho Mayor shall be
nomiaated member Of tho Reiioe Commission,
ana AAvs limited number Of sdipers detailed.
uadsr his immediate direotion. " enforce the
oity ordinances; that the oity railroads shall b
compelled to extend, their tracks a. far as the,
avenues they occupy are graded, and to run
cars ~ often a. tho local population reasonably
demand; and that general system Of retrench-
meAt shall DO enforced throughout tho whole
Of our city government. In illustration Of the
necessity for this, Mr.. Gunther says that, while
city officials Gro clamorous for another addition
to thor salaries, under the plea Of the increase
which has taken place Ia tho prices Of the no
cessarics ofliie, it isa fct thst tho clerical aid
required In Q single city department would
nearly suffice to perform the business in oil the
others, in addition . its own. @
II will be seen FROM the above summary Of
bis message that Mr.. Gunther has . full con-
ception Of what Is expected Of him from the
Independent voters who secured bis election.
But the concluding passages show that be is ~
despondingly alive to tho fact that he ID pow.
erless to carry out these 20 much needed re-
forms. He says:-"Although in theory en-
trusted with supervision over the executive
departments, that supervisory action which is
exerted over officers completely independent
Is . nullity. All the executive departments
are Independent Of the control Of the Mayor
aud Common Council, and only responsible to
the State authorities. The extreme point Of
disunion has been reached. Each individual
portion Of the city government is vio-
lated, and stands apart q sovereign in L.
SELF" There Is no exaggeration ia this.
Although the nominal head Of an admins
tration which expends from twelve to thirteen
miilionsA year (more than the whole skpeadi-
turs Of the national government under John
Quincy Adams In the year 1927, the Mayor 10
unable to control or check any Of Its disburse-
ments. The consequences are thieving and
population, prodigs*e waste Of the public
money and inefficient performance Of their du-
ties BY corporate officials. II the Legislature
has the least sense Of self respect It will put en-
end to this state Of things. Mr.. Gunther has
been elected to remove ell pretexts for It's fur
Their continuance. Let not our representatives
Tn Albany mistake that manifestation of the
public will. To disregard K would be an act
of suicidal folly on their part
SoUrHzRN RAnRoADs-BAD ron rmz REDEL-
Lros.-At the beginning Of this war, with their
newly built and we'll stocked railroads. includ-
Ing those Of Tennessee, Kentucky and Missis
sipDi the rebels had suoh facilities az trans