New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1867-02-02
c0MuISSIONS FOR OUR CITY.

authorities have denounced them, of course,
because they involve transfer of power and
patronage which our officials would prefer to
retain in their own hands. They have seen
with disgust the control of the sanitary inter-
ests of the City taken from themselves and
entrusted to enlightened sanitarians-men free
from political ambition and independent of all
local cliques and rings-and though the City is
an immense gamer by the change, yet the
Common Council has lost the spending Of
large sum Of money and the appointment of
numerous officers. And so of other Commits
sions. They all take away patronage and
power from the old local officials, and of course
arouse their enmity. This is easily understood
But why any of the disinterested friends of
good government should object to Commissions
of wise and competent citizens, selected to
take charge of each of such local interests
as it is thoroughly qualified to manage, is a
problem not so easily solved. Take the inn
portant matter of the public health, and is it
not clearly much wiser to put the whole
power into the hands of educated, experienced
physicians and sanitarians than to assign 1T to
an average Common COuncil9 Even if that
Council were composed of honest men, they
would be unfit for the high responsibility. And
so of other Boards or Commissions, each
charged with its special department of local
administration, and each selected fer its special
competency for the duties assigned it must be
far wiser and better than any miscellaneous
collection of men gathered from those grades OF
society which usually furnish our Common
Council with members.
oil IF fbc Of Aldermen
and Councilmen; inquire into their intelligence,
their morals, their pursuits i'll life, &c, and
even supposing them to be rght-mindcd men,
who would think of selecting Committee
from the members to guard the health and
lives of their million of constituents Would
any one doubt that a far better and more
competent Committee might be selected from
the body of our citizens not in office! And,
after all the cutlery against Commissions, our
City Council always acts through them, calling
them Committees, and choosing from their own
body men who have not the slightest knowl-
edge of the interests committed to their con-
troll.
But the great grievance of the Directors to
Commissions is the source whence they oiigl-
nate. Why are not the people OF the City
pelmitted to choose their own local rulcrsG Why
does the State Legislature NEEDLE with its right
of self govcrnment7 1t is enough to say that
the State has vast interests at stake in this
City, to be imperiled or promoted by its local
government The remotest counties and towns
are deeply interested in the character of our
municipal rule They are bound up with us in
partnership of trade, social improvement,
health, comfort, and enjoyment. They are in
terested in our Sanitary Police in our Piers
Wharves, and Streets; in our Fire and Water
economies, and in all that pertains TO the gen
er;,I welfare. and which mdiatcs from this
great center of business and influence.
1t would he strange indeed, if the State
authorities did not keep watchful eye upon
this great City, and provide for its wise govern
mcnt. This, instead OF being "A grievance, Is an
honest and honorable recognition of the high
claims of this imperial jewel of the State 10 the
care and service of the best legislative aid and
counsel.
Besides, the question il not whether we shall
bc governed 10y Commissions; for this our own
Common Council provides but it is who shall
appoint these COmmisSiOns-Albany, or Mack
crelyillc, the Hook, and Five Points, One or the
other Of these powers must settle that question.
And should il be a ground of complaint that
this grand Empire State rises up in its majesty
to protect this brightest gem of the continent
from the degrading vandalism that threatens
to oyerwhem her2 Have the thousands of
citizens in tho great western and northern
counties of the State no interest in our NUM-
cipal affars7 OF course the men who have
got possession of the local government
wish to keep it. They can work it
to their own exceeding profit, whatever
becomes of tho public welfare. But the whole
system of Councils and Boards and Bureaus
is vicious and cumbrOus--a relic of a low civil
izatiOn-and is held TO for the facilities it af
fOrds to cheat the people. 1t is n great, lum
bering machine, costing enormously, and yield
ing no valuable return to the taxpayers. Ev-
cry five years it costs US $l0O000,OO0, and has
nothing to show but dilapidated wharves and
piers, and various other evidences of unthrift,
extravaganza, and neglect IT, ten years ago, the
whole system had been swept from existence,
and n half-dOzen Commissions, selected for
their knowledge and virtue, had taken in hand
the various chief public interests of this City,
on the plan proposed by the Citizens Associa-
ton, we should have secured development
and progress never dreamed of by our Com
mon Councils and City Inspectors, and should
have saved many millions to the people. There
are gentlemen enough Of high and honorable
standing among liz, who would have taken q
Just pride in rendering such services to the
City, had they been invited to the task. Now,
since Mackcrclvie and our present officials
will not choose such men, the only remedy is
to solicit their appointment by the Albany
authorities.
California, while reducing her export, manu-
featured 100000 pounds of her wool-crop in