The New York herald., 1871-06-13


Tor the transaction Of business The Mayor sent his
annual message to both Boards. ana II was, on mo-
tion received ana ordered TO be printed.
GENTLEMEN or THE COMMON CoUSCu-
The city charter requires an annual message from
the Mayor ana reports irom the city departments
The intention OF the requirement is to furnish IN
formation TO our constituents as wen Us to anora
material Tor the practical cooperation OF city
officials.
Copies OF these annual reports are hereto annexed.
They end as nearly to the close or the municipal
year si0-1l, AprB 1t Is possible TO conform their
narrative or statistics TO period which best agrees
with the system Of work established by each de-
par,ment for its owa convenience. They are tho
rough IN Information an 10 not need calculation
Oh explanation.
Before proceeding to general comments
few statistics should be promised New York
Island has an area OF twenty-five square miles
and lwenty-nlne miles Of water 'front.' about three
ioarths OF which stretches along the Hudson
anu East rivers ana the remaining ona-fourth upon
tile Harlem river and Spuv.en DuyyI creek. The
streets, roads ana avenues measure 100 miles. Two
hundred and nnety-One miles or these are paved
iG9 miles are unpaGed. Nineteen thousand gasllgnls
are burned every night at the puulc expense TO
hight TINS area water 'front.' and extent OF streets.
Beneath the surface OF the city there are $40 miles
ui Croton water pipes and 20 miles OF sewers. II
we accept the last federal census the number of our
constituents Is a42 25l one thousand horse railway
cars, 267 omniUuses, about twelve thousand licensed
vehicles ana qulte as many more private
vehicles continually traverse tie thorougnfares ana
subject them 10 increasing wear II is claimed that
10000 horses are constantly stabbed used within
the ciS limits ON the -6th day Of May last relieving
oficers OF The Ordinance squad. stationed on Broad.
way, opposite the CITY Hall instructed TO re-
port the number Of vehicles tnat from O'Clock
A. y. unli! seven O'Clock r. NJ. passed aud repassed
and they reported 1890. exclusive OF omnihuses.
These specimen statistics imply how great city we
have to care ior keep IN repair, sustain by TAXA
GrpIren
puatluns aud make provision Tor III respect TO It's
more impolIan future. Durlng the ten monlns ple
cedlng May l, ISL, S2S4,u9g,O~O worm ol foreign
merchandise exclusive oi specie. was Imported into
thls city During the same period New York city
pad the government .l20 900 900 for duties on I'M
lorts, and tue value OF exports exclusive OF specie,
was s25l,0o0,000.
Certain peculiaritfes OF the city and It's people
may he seiyIceaby recalled New York Is the cos
mopoulan city OF The globe. People OF all nationah
ties. mauy jealousies ana diverse creeos inhablt IT,
Every good and bad habit human nature Is Illus
tfated WITHIN It's limits. Every development Of mis-
TO the evil IN 4nilestatons as well as the excellent
ones Of our city lie every cline contributes. II is
misfortune to New York population that, contrib.
uted 10. as is by all parts OF he world, local Pride
develops within our CITY under increasing difficulty.
Every other CITY seems 10 have lts pulpit aud It's ci
zens more prone from motives OF local loyalty Dot
10 apologize Tor or screen a. least 10 al kindly to-
wards, the defects and faults .! fellow citizens ana
rulers Topographically city Is peculiar because
1t Is long and narrow and lacks circumference
OF immediate rural suburbs. The suburbs are
really tributary cities divided from New York by
wide rivers. Nearly sixty per cent oi the daily
business inhabitants Of New York own or rent their
residences IN tue adjoining country, and while their
wives and children are practically under the gov
eminent OF other ces and counties ana eN en- states
the business interests and security Of persons ann
properis Of the family men are practically under the
government OF New York CITY, aud they are more
impressed 70 blame where they have no domestic
lGcrests. Thus, while The city possesses az will be
Mlerred from many OF the foregoing references
sfeat advantages Tor development OF commerce aud
wealth otner references imply how dcult fl 1. to
fame, ana now vexatious 1t s for rulers 10 Try aud
pal government.
Alter quar,er century OF legislative experiments
uYoa the government o. tins clIy-al OF which have
Oeen from time 10 ume complained about and re-
ierred 10 IN annual messages Of MAYORS OF both par
iies-the eAslng mUnlclpa system went into ope-
ration one year ago. We simply returned then to
tie original form OF our city government. Its
temi aimosi identical With that which prevails in
fuuf-llths Of the cities III the Union. But We had
been so long accustomed TO something else mat this
return has been actually received IN some quarters
directions common cant to call the government OF
New YORK desrotism. " hat Is this system, The
Commonaty elect the Mayor Executive duties are
distributed and classified among many departments
Ihe Mayor appoints the heads OF departments
Inc Common Council or legislative depart
ment IS nlled by election The Oldest legal tribunal
the Court OF Common Pieas-is a court OF mpeach-
men before which the Common Council MAY pre-
fer charges against the Mayor OF the Mayor In his
turn prepare Charges against the city departments.
low these departments operae, and wnat subjects
they appropriately take charge OF, Will be discovered
~ the reports. some OF these departments are
uOlled by boards ana commissioners, and CON-
ment continues 10 he made upon the alleged incon-
sislency OF maintaining boards and commissions
alter az s averred, the advocates Tor independent
cny government denounced them. But no one
did denounce boards and commissions per-
ihey nave always existed within our local govern.
nenl. The opposition only 10 The centralized
inode ol appointing al Aodry boards and commits
SONS OF local control aud without any voice what
ever nom local officers or constituency Ia the ap-
pointment.
illogical and erroneous comments have been made
upon the recently authorized land what Is supposed
10 he mover mode oi estimating apportioninV and
levying Dy TAX TIE city and county expenditures.
Dlspassonate examination, however couyinces
that the system Is "a customary one. New York CITY
always held, Ia ths respect, an anomalous position.
Everywhere else local ot1lclals made up estimates
and reported them 70 the Boards OF Supervisory and
InereupOn the latter levied those eeti
mates. Heretofore the Legislature made up our tax
budgets 10 Is true the local authorities attempteJ
to make and did submit estimates IN Albany. But
these were comparatively dsregarded. And II
came 10 pass each session that when lax levy ap-
peared II was accompanied by horde OF JobbeTs
and claimants who turned aside by tho local au-
thor1tles sought TO and sometimes dldl Impose upon
uy-informed rural Legislators.
TIE BOARD OF APP0RTIONMENf.
When the Metropolitan Polce law was enacted
tls5Tl one OF It's provisions created Board of APP
portonment consisting OF tue Mayo ana Comp
tTOllers Of New Ork ana Brooklyn and tie ton-
missi0ners Of Police, VINO met, estimated and fixed
the expenditures Tor police purposes in eacu ensu
iug year Tney reported this amount, and II was
evled by the supervisors. The Court Of Appeals held
the whole law 10 be constitutional. The provision
was found serviceable, and accepted by the press
ana public. Other metropolitan departments
Health, Central Park and Fire. pursued a similar
course for themselves in Ixlng estimates and
lakes. In the charter OF 1870 the Ike pro.
vision was applied 10 the municipal departments o.
Police Health FIRE. Buildings, WORKS, Parks and
Charities and Correction Wnen the Legislature as.
scnDled IN January last only the expenditures for The
Judicial, Aldcrmanic and Finance Departments, aud
Tor rents and interest la these expenditures being
ported 10 he 5upeTv s0rs. u was therefore, deemed
luaiclous Ny the Mayor. Comptroller and other city