The New York herald., 1867-02-21

---- A 49, - - -
rhs Csss Of . Many-HsaAsa CIty Govern
: p q n ass'ss neAs. t =,
: A few days ago we published the city
budget for 1867, showing the estimated amount
Of appropriations required to be made for the,
support Of the city government for the current
year to be oyc, eleven million dollars. To-
day we publish the county budget which
estimates the amouns % be raissd for county
purposes al over eight hcillion dollars This
makes the expense Of the l0Sal government Of
New York for the year 1857 reach nearly
twenty millions, and these estimates, We. are
told BY the late Comptroller. Will have 70 be
raised above this amount.
A glance at the Comptroller's reports for
the past six or eight years shows that the
expenditures have been steadily increasing
and that the creation Of number Of inde-
pendent commissions, responsible to no ex-
ecutive head, has neither lightened the burden
Of taxation nor given us an efficient city gov
ernment The expenses Of the Metropolitan
Police have increased from eight hundred
thousand dollars to two millions and quarter
in eight years, and this year the estimates for
that department. reach nearly two millions
seven hundred thousand dollars. The Metro
politan Fire Department swelled its expendi-.
lures from four hundred thousand dollars in
1865 to over one million in 1866, and asks for
seven hundred thousand dollars for the cur
rent year. The Commissioners ofPublic Chari-
ties and Corrections spent five hundred thou
sand dollars in 1868 and increased their
expenditures TO over one million in both 1866
and 1866. Their estimates for the present
year reach within few dollars Of one million.
Besides these there are the Health and Ex-
else Boards and half dozen other commits
sions, whose cost comes out of the pockets of
the people, in one shape or another. If with
ell this outlay we had secured . vigorous and
efficient city government, whose benefits were
enjoyed by the people in increased comfort
and security, very few objections would be.
made to the expense. But the government Is
in little better condition now than it was ten
years ago. The grogshop rulers and munich
pal rings have been deprived Of some Of their
power, but they continue their .rascality In
somewhat circumscribed limits, 1t is true, but
with as much effrontery as. before. Taxation
presses more heavily than ever upon the peo-
pie, whose only consolation, II it can be re-
garded as such, is to be found in the fact that
the expenditure Of their money has been trans
ierred from one set Of officeholders to another.
The city government, in its present irrespon-
siole and disorganized condition, costs too
much. II would be an unnecessarily extrava-
CANT .sysiem-f il can be called . system at
al even should every dspastlent be honesty
and economically administered. In the single
Itsm u law sxpsnsn shs muisplicasicn 81 In
lepsndent commission enfsils heavy bnrden
spn ~ people, sRt ef.wAese poekeb shag muat
directly or indirectly come Every depart
ment has il counsel and its attorney, and their
salaries, fees and costs reach IN incredible
amount. Litigation is one Of the inevitable
consequences Of such . system The new
Health Department d said to have given
liberal sum Of money TO one counsel TO travel
In Europe and investigate sanitary laws in
the principal cities there, and to have paid
q good many thousand dollars to another
counsel who discharged bis duties during
his absence. The law expenses Of that Board
and Of the Exose Board are reported TO have
reached an extravagant amount during the
past year. Under properly organized city
government there would be but one legal ad-
wiser for all the Departments and in this item
alone great saving would be e6scted
These evils can only be removed BY pro-
viding the city with compact, ef1cient and
government To multiply the In
dependent boards and commissions now In
operation will only add TO she exis:ing con-
fusion and incressc the burdens of the tax
payers. Il is very desirable to put . stop to
he corruptions Of Supervisors, Aldermen,
Jouncilmen and all municipal srings;" but
his can be accomplished more eff6ctuAlly by
the city with . sound system Of
government under one responsible executive,
head than by swelling the number Of irrespon-
'ible commissions The State Constitutional
will have 1t in It's power to effect
thorough reform. II should provide for the
election Of three Mayors by the voters Of the
,ity. one Of whom should 60 out Of once every
rear, bis successor beirg elected for three
years. In this Board or Mayors should vess the
whole, executive power. They should have
he authority to appoint and remove the heads
,f all the subordinate departments, and each
read Of a department should hold Ike authority
over all his employees. The Board Of Super
visors should be abolished alto9cther, and the
D. "A. - AlSo~ssorx .ra fr,.r ,slu~n .hcv,rJ
posscss Legislative power alone, and the right
Df investigation into every department from
he Board Of Mayors, down. Under such q
Iystcm a. this We should have sound and
ancient government, responsible directly 70
he people through il supreme executive head,
md compelled 10 render an account Of It's
stewardship every year. II the State Legisla- |
ure will refuse to create any moro commis- |
lions or to entail any new expenses upon the