The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-06-01

there is not likely to be any action on the sub
ject this session of Congress.
The Embarrassments OF the Reform
City Government.
The reform city government is full Of EN-.
barrassments. The machinery refuses to
work smoothly, and every effort to put it ip
good running order only seems to create new
entanglements. The Police Department.
which is supposed to watch over the lives and
property of the citizens and to guard the
morals of the community is involved in dim
culties, first of one character and then Of
another, until the puzzled locker on Is induced
to believe that the department is one COM
posed Of criminals instead of one established
for the prevention, detection and punishment
of crime. Now it is charged with being In
league with gamblers, policy dealers, banco
men and other enterprising individuals
in search of living. Now it is in
trusted with the supervision of street cleaning,
in addition to its other duties, and becomes
the subject of investigation for alleged mall
practices in the contract and dumping line.
A vacancy occurs in the Commission which
rules over the department. and the Mayor and
Aldermen get at loggerheads over the appoint
ment and fail to supply Commissioner. In
accordance with bargain between the repub-
lican leaders and the Mayor the latter 10
endowed by the republican Legislature with
the power of filing vacancies without the
confirmation Of the Aldermen, and straight
way the venerable aspirant for third term
appoints commissioner Of his own selec-
ton, whose cue appears to be to settle
up all outstanding difficulties and make
straight sailing for his patron But the
astonishing appointee is scarcely warm in his
seat when he commences rafting of the dry
bones of the old Board, which bids fair to
prove more damaging than dozen investiga-
tons. The Department of Charities and Cor
rection is no better of than the Police Do
partment. Placed in the hands OF new conn.,
missioners, with the calcium light Of re-
form shining brightly at its head, the
Charities and Correction business is sup
posed to be above suspicion at last. But
Grand Juries are inquisitive bodies, and one
Of these inquests chooses to inquire into Ger
tain purchases made by the reform depart
ment and to present them as being Of very
questionable character, illegal and tending
directly to corruption. The chivalrous Mayor
rushes to the rescue of his Commissioners,
slumbers sweetly over pretended investigs-
ton and dreams that the trouble is over. But
the newspapers persist in discussing the sub
ject, and desire to know whether it Is honest
reform to buy supplies for the city Of a middle
man and to pay from twenty-five to thirty-fve
per cent more than the articles cost The in
quiry widens until it promises to embrace the
purchase of -four, meat and horses as we'll as
dry goods, and to involve the point whether
the location of the whole Commission ought
not to be changed from Eleventh street to
Black wells Island.
While Commissioner Stern's dry goods will
not be forgotten, and while Commissioners
Laimbeers -four may require sitting, the ques-
ton Of the meat supply for the paupers and
criminals promises to come up as o new en-
barrassment in this particular department
glance at the warrants drawn by the Comp
troller from April to July 49, 1873, period
of little more than FIVE months, shows that
fortunate butcher has received from tho
Charities and Correction Department in that
time for meat eighty-two thousand five hum
bred and ninety dollars. At six cents per
pound, which, we understand, is the average
price under the contract, this sum pays for
more than one million three hundred and
seventy thousand pounds of fresh meat in less
than six months, or over two hundred and
twenty-eight thousand pounds per month.
As the inmates of the institutions arc
only allowed fresh meat four days in the
week, this, allowing eighteen days in the
month for the luxury, would make the CON-
sumption about fourteen thousand pounds
per day. 1t appears that meat and poultry
are supplied for the officers by other contrac-
tors. Now that these figures are likely to come
up again in the Grand Jury room, despite the
searching investigation made by the Mayors
high and somnolent court the embarrass-
ment of the reform government can be readily
understood. In view of these facts the will
ingness Of our venerable Mayor to accept
again the cares Of Office must be regarded a.
an act Of devotion to the public interests
worthy of the days Of Curtius.
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The Mill River Dam.
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