The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-01-27

While most Of the newspapers at the West
are bitterly sarcastic upon harbor improve
ments in the East, they nearly ali advocate
river improvements for their own section.
The improvement Of the national channels is
demanded, we are assured by the st. Louis
Republican, by all the river towns from St.
Paul to the Gulf Of course the villages on
the streams emptying into the Mississippi will
all ask for equally delicate attentions. We
must take issue with the Republican in regard
to any such grand scheme of public improve
ments. The improvement Of the national
channels is very imposing phrase, but it is
not more captivating than was the poetry we
heard ten years ago in regard to that grand
national highway, the Pacific Railroad. 1t
was the comprehensive enterprise of the West
that forced that work upon the nation years
before it was absolutely required. The same
logic that applied to this national highway
applies with equal force to such national chan
nels as the Mississippi River Indeed, it may
be said that the argument in behalf of Missis-
sppi River improvement is stronger than
that so effectively used in favor Of the Pacific
Railroad, for the river, like the Harbor of New
York, is constant commercial necessity; but
the waste, extravaganza and corruption in the
one case would equally disgrace the other if
Congress should seriously undertake any plan
of river improvements Already, we are
assured by another St. Louis authority-the
Globe-the lake ports Of Michigan cost the
government more money than it receives as
revenue from the whole State. River i'm
provements would soon cost more money than
the revenues of the entire Northwest and
propositions Of this kind must be battled
against with the vigor necessary to destroy a
new and extremely plausible method Of de-
pleting the national Treasury
The POLICE JUSTICE CoNrRovERsY.-The
question as to the constitutionality Of the law
under which Mayor Havemeyer has appointed
the Police Justices now performing the duties
of the Office at the various Courts is to be set
tied by the decision of the Court of Appeals
on test case agreed upon by the old Police
Justices and the incumbents. The formal
evidence in the case was taken in the Court of
Common Pleas yesterday, and the appeal will
be made Immediately the decision Of that
Court is rendered The question is one of
serious moment to the city, and should be set
tied as speedily as possible.
DRuNKABDs.-It is proposed by one of the
Commissioners of Charities and Correction
to abandon IS Intellectual, expensive and
mischievous the system of committing for
ten days persons arrested for drunkenness.
It is argued that where the person arrested
has been guilty Of only chance indulgence
detention till sober is sufficient punishment
but that habitual drunkards should be CON-
mitted to the Workhouse for terms long
enough to make possible some reform in their
habits; which sounds sensible
GREAT FIREs.-An account given elsewhere
of the great conAagration that recently de-
stroyed the better commercial districts of the
city of Jeddo, in Japan, will recall the fact
that extensive fires, like the one that destroyed
Chicago. are not product of civilization, but
are among the relics of an almost barbarous
condition. against which civilization has not
yet provided altogether adequate remedies.
DEATHS WHILE TRAVELLING.