The New York herald., 1874-12-20
THE MAYORS DUTY-THE ISLANDS.


The affairs of the Commissioners Of Chari-
ties and Correction are now undergoing
investigation by Mayor Vance The acts
immediately inquired into are in connection
with the case Of William NJ Tweed. 1t is
alleged that this distinguished prisoner has
life since he has been resident of Blackwelrs
Island; that he has enjoyed privileges incon-
sistent with the rules Of the Penitentiary, and
which virtually nullify the sentence imposed
on him by the law. There are other out
standing charges against the same Commits
the Commissioners Of Accounts made several
months ago to Mayor Havemeyer. 1t is stated
in that report that the Commissioners of
Charities and Correction have repeatedly pur-
chased supplies for the city in direct and
wilful violation Of law, and that in order to
cover up and conceal the malfeasancs
after it had attracted public attention the
entries in the books of the department were
altered and false bills were substituted in
place of the true bills originally rendered for
the goods. The presentment of Grand
Jury is also on record, showing, from testi-
mony taken before that body, that one Of the
Commissioners thus illegally purchased Of
near relative several bills Of dry goods which
were charged to the city at prices from thirty
to forty per cent above the market value of
the articles. There is evidence that -four
illegally bought for the city during twelve
months by another Commissioner, at range
of six and o quarter to nine dollars and half,
could be purchased on the market at range
of from four dollars to six dollars and half
These facts are sufficient to prove the neces-
sity of . prompt investigation of the depart
ment and of o thorough reconstruction of
the commission as speedily as the interests of
the city will allow.
In the interests of the people it is desirable
that these alleged corruptions and frauds In
the department should be thoroughly sifted,
so that the unfaithful officials, if guilty, may
be brought to punishment. This work Mayor
Vance will not be able to accomplish, and he
should therefore, leave it to his successor.
ment Of Tweed or their designations at this
time would bear too much the appearance of
an attempt to condone their graver offences
and to give the appointment OF their success
sors to the temporary Mayor, who retires from
Office and responsibility in less than two
weeks.
Mayor Wickham, on the other hand, will be
responsible for the city government in all it's
departments for two years to come. II will
be his duty immediately after January to give
the people efficient and honest administration
in every branch OF the city government To
enable him to do SO the charter has vested
in him the power of removing heads OF depart
ments. He should exercise this power in the
case OF the Commissioners OF Charities and
Correction, but not until he has fully tried
the charges of malfeasance in Office made
against them. The department will disburse
one million and a quarter of the public money
next year, and Mayor Wickham should be
satisfied that it is intrusted to honest hands
He should also be enabled to prove that un-
faithfuiness in public trusts cannot any longer
90 unpunished. It will, therefore, conduce to
the public interests and to the harmony of the
ClIy SOVCIAAuCAC ~ 0AhyOl vdACC WILL uhuu
over the case of the Commissioners Of Char-
ties and Correction to his successor and leave
Mayor W,ckham to take inal action upon it
THE MAYORS DUTY-THE PARKS.
The Park Department has, no doubt been
honestly managed so far as the expenditure Of
its funds is concerned The fact that Colonel
Henry G. Stebbins is at the head of the de-
partment is sufficient to satisfy the people on
this point. But an unfortunate policy has
prevailed in the department Of spending
money on unnecessary works and involving
the city in debt without giving the citizens
any real advantages in return. We have had
buildings going OH in the Central Park, new
walks laid out, new bridges built, out-of-the-
way roads made and useless tunnels con-
structed, necessitating the employment
Of small army OF architects and en-
gineers. We should have confined our
expenditures to the proper care and mainte-
nance OF the walks and drives, and should
have made no new improvements, unless it
might have been the inexpensive and popular
one of combined drive, bride path and
promenade, which would have been worth all
the others put together. Our public parks
are good enough as they are for ten years to
come if properly maintained. The money
thrown away upon museums, galleries OF art,
observatories that have no existence, out-of-
the-way walks, bridges and tunnels and other
humbugs could be more proftably used in
repaving our wretched streets, matchmaking
Broadway and Fifth avenue and making other
substantial improvements calculated to benefit
the CITY, accommodate the people and revive
the value Of property
Mayor Wickham takes Office on January
and can make athorough reform in the policy