New-York tribune., 1874-06-02

a selection far superior to some OF DIS recon'
ones. Mr.. Stewards character and aDlilty are
alike unquestiOned.
Whetber the arrangement concluded by the
CITY with Mr.. Vanderbilt for the lease of land
on the west side for a great grain elevator, is
the best that might have been made, either for
the city OF for the grain trade, we do not know.
But it is certainly step in the right dlrec-
ton. The fact that it often costs as much to
get bushel of grain from the Central Rail-
road to the hold of a sea-going YES
sci as it does to carly 1t from
Buffalo to New-YOrk is discreditable
to the city, and must be injurious. We can
not continue doing business in this mon
strously wasteful way, without sooner or later
finding business gradually leaving us for less
extravagant ports.
The House of Representatives have con-
Cured in the Senate amendment to the Cen
tennial bill. This completes the needed legis-
lation on that subject and gives the President
authority to invite other Governments to O
participation in the celebration and exposition,
provided no expense shall be thereby incurred
by the United States Government. This is
the proper and honest thing to do. There
can be no mistake now about the attitude or
the National Government; and now that so
much of the seal of governmental appreciation
has been set on this enterprise, the whole
people of the Republic should take hold or IL
with renewed and enthusiastic zeal. 1t Is the
peoples work.
The action of the Laborers' Union Benevo-
lent Society in advising that the hod-carilers
must strike for two dollars and half per
day for tending masOns, and two dol
lars and seventy-fve cents per day for
tending plasterers, is not likely to amount to
much. When they struck for these wages on
The TRIBUNE building some time ago. it was
found that their places were all readily filled
within two or three days by nOn-sOciety
men, and since that time hundreds have
applied for work to whom our builder could
offer no employment. The stage drivers strike
has utterly failed, in spite of the absurd stO-
ries which the drivers out of place are still
telling, and it does not seem good time for
strikes in any branch of labor, in which the
supply exceeds the demand, while the amount
of work in progress is so small, and while the
tendency of the times seems to be rather to
diminish than to increase it,
Now that the doom of the present govern
ment of the District of Columbia is sealed,
Congress is exercised to find a new form. One
scheme already suggested cOntemplates a
division of the powers of government among
the various heads of the National Govern
ment. The President is to have manage
ment of the executive department., the finances
are to be managed by the Treasury Depart
ment the streets and sewers by the Bureau of
| Engineers of the War Department, and so OH
through all the branches of the public SER
vice. 1t is quite likely that this will insure an
honest administration but there are two very
grave objections to such distribution of
| powers; the system would be cumbrous, COM
plcated, and without unity, and the people
of the District would be as effectually de-
prived of all participation in the direction of
affairs as they would if they were ruled by an
absolute autocrat. 1t is hard case. Is it
worth while to give up self-gOvernment in
the District of Columbia because few scamps
have defeated the latest experiment