The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-04-26

The matter will be dealt with IN regular torn,
and Mr.. Sullivan will gain his point. The
course he proposed was manly one.
and will commend itself to journalists all
over the world. The best rule on the
subject would be that adopted by our own
Senate. When matters requiring secrecy are
brought up the Senate. by vote, goes into q
secret session. The House should reserve
this privilege-one that belongs to it--and
make the reform which Mr.. Sullivan suggests
The Proposed Change IN tho street
Cleaning Business.
The failure of our present street cleaning
system is generally admitted. The fault does
not lie wholly in the want of capacity of the
present Police Commissioners. 1t has become
evident that the management Of the Street
Cleaning Department should not be made
part of the duties of the Police Board Tho
four members of that Board have quite enough
to do to attend properly to their Legitimate
business, to give us q well-disciplined, efi
cient force and to see that the lives and prop
erty of citizens are protected and the laws
enforced. If they should perform these func-
tons faithfully and effectively they would
not find time to distribute the patronage
of the Street Cleaning Department. to
look after inspectors, superintendent and
contractors and to exercise the constant and
close supervision without which the street
cleaning business cannot be satisfactorily
managed. Besides, the power of employing a
large force of laborers, of hiring horses and
carts, of disposing of garbage, of looking
after the dumping ground, is not calculated to
improve the character of police commissioner
or to keep him out of the dirty pools Of
politics and jobbery. Under any good system
of cleaning the streets it is necessary that the
police should be empowered and required 70
exercise a sort of sanitary supervision and to
see that the ordinances and regulations of the
city OF of the street cleaning authorities ara
observed or enforced. But this is all the
connection the force should have with the
business.
bill is now before the Legislature dissev.
ering the Street Cleaning from the Police De
partment and placing it under the control OF
n commissioner to be appointed by the Mayor
and confirmed by the Board of Aldermen, the
same as other heads of departments of the
city government. Of course this bill is de-
nounced as 'FTammany job" by the politi-
cal gamesters who profit by the retention OF
the Havemeyer officials and who at present
enjoy the patronage of the Police Depart
ment. But it is only making the Street
Cleaning Department a separate one, as it
ought to be, removing its demoraliz-
ing influence from the Police Board,
and placing it on exactly the
same footing with oil other departments,
as formed by the charter of 1873. 1t would
certainly be an improvement thus far on
the present inefficient and Objectionable sys-
tenn. Whether we should secure clean streets
under the new department is another ques-
ton. Many practical persons believe that We
shall not have q proper return for the money
expended in street cleaning until we divide
the city into convenient districts, let the
cleaning to contractors after public invita-
ton of bids, and under rules, regulations and
obligations to be enforced by the police. But
almost any change from the present abomin,
able system must be q welcome one. We can.
not do worse than to throw away million dol
lars year upon corrupt and worthless po-
litical machine, and we hope the bill now
before the Legislature may become Law.
RAILWAY INTERESTS The relations between
the Erie Railway Company and the National
Stock Yard Company, with the rumors of q