New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1867-01-29
4 K0RD or CATION.

Several bills are now before the Legislature
of our State proposing additional Commissions
for the control and management of the Schools,
the Markets the Public Edifices, Piers and
Wharves, Real Estate, &C., of our City. So
far "a we have been able to read them, these
bills seem to us to embOdy many wholesome
and wise provisions. A Board of Public Works
in orr Judgment, is absolutely necessary At
nresent there seems to be no officer or Board
authorized to perform public duties that are
essential and urgent. Our Public Markets,
for example, would disgrace the capital of
Dahomey. They embody every character
istic that Markets should not ex-
hibit. They are ill-placed inconvenient, filthy,
costly, and abomnabe. They should all be
sold forthwith, and one grand market, access
ible by water and by rail from every quarter,
with a space free to all producers of poultry,
vegetables, fruits, &c, should replace and sup
plant the whole of them. Twice, at least, have
our municipal rulers bought ground for such
market, stealing 100000 or so in the process;
and there they have stopped, for want of a
clear opportunity to steal any more in connec-
ton Herewith. The ground thus bought re-
mains vacant and useless; the old, tumble
down eyesores and nuisances, covering the
lower wards like an eruption, still answer de-
testably for markets-that is, they hare to an
swer The whole market business emits one
concentrated stencil of municipal fraud, job
berry, ineffficiency, and general rottenness.
Our Wharves and Piers are death traps-rln-
slightly, decayed, incOnvenient, and generally
execrable. Neither London nor Liverpool
would tolerate them for even month
Our School management is radically vicious
A Ward Board, to spend money raised in that
Ward by taxation of its own inhabitants and
property, is just and right but here are Ward
Boards drawing at will from the revenues of
the entire City to spend in their special To-
cality-a plan that might corrupt angels. The
teachers are often sons and daughters, nephews
and nieces, of the Trustees who employ them
and fix their remuneration, which is drawn
from the general fund a few hundreds added
here Git is urged will scarcely be perceptible
in the general aggregate. Our school-houses
are built, altered and enlarged, under the same
impulse. And so the expense of our School
system is annually and most wastefully
swellcd, until it threatens to become intolcr-
able
Mr. Bcnyman's bill proposes to sweep away
all these useless and squandering local boards ;
and so far is emphatically right. All our
present Commissioners, Trustees, and Inspec-
tors (their name is Legion are to give place
to q Board Of seven Commissioners, chosen by
the Governor and Senate. That is, perhaps,
indispensable. Not so this:
as 49, The salaries OF said shall be five
thousand dollars per annum each.'
No, Sirl-not if we can prevent it. If seven
| off he
found to undertake this most responsible and
honorable duty without pay, then we prefer to
see the bill defeated. The Commissioner who
acts as Treasurer, and gives heavy bonds for his
fidelity, may properly be paid for that service;
but for the residue the honor and conscious
ness of well doing must suffice. 1t has done so
up to this time why not hereafterf We protest
against saddling this new bill of expense upon
our tax-devourcd City.
Last year, bill was put through increasing
the pay of our Police-that of their Chief up
to $1,000 per annum. Now there is bill at
Albany which proposes TO add several hundreds
to the number of patrolmen, and of course
several hundreds of thousands to tho annual
cost That bill should be killed. And we
think the chief of police ought to he satisfied
with a salary equal to the Governors.
The bill creating Board of Public Works
abOlishes far more places than it creates and its
passage will lessen the enormous aggregate of
our taxation. We hope it may be passed; and
that it may render needless the bill creating a
Board of Commissioners of Markets We must
not increase expenses; we must reduce them.
Friends at Albany good many go up to
you from this City who have axes to grind,
and they want you to turn the grindstone. If
by so doing you would add dime to our al
ready heavy taxes, please do MT!