The New York herald., 1875-03-25
THE POLITICAL PATRONAGE.

WHAT THE DEMOCRATS ARE SECURING IN THE
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS AND WHAT
THEY CAN GET AFTER THE 1sT OF MAY
HOW THE NEW PATRONAGE RULE Is BEING
CARRIED OUT.
Tammsny Hall, under the new patronage rule,
seems be gradually getting all the patronage in
the Department OF Public Works, just according
to the liking OF the leaders and even the RANK
and file who were when the rule was nrst an.
nounced, rather dissatisfied with what they called
the uneven way the Committee on Patronage
divided the positions among the various districts,
at last beginning 10 look at the situation with
favorable eyes. Thus far the laborers In tho dis
tricts who have anything like a "pull'' on the
members OF the general committees and the
Aldermen have been dealt with quite equirably.
when the small number OF places to be given away
is taken into consideration, and that for every
labor ticket issued there are at least . hundred
who expect TO be the captors OF the PRICE Still it
must be confessed that the
GIVING AWAY OF THE PATRONAGE
to the district general committees will not be
found to work so very nicely to those aspirants
for certain o1lces from the districts when other
departments than the Department OF Works can
be controlled by the democrats, II tho appoint
ments already made by General Porter (of course,
under the rule, at the request OF the majority Of
the district general comm1ttees) are to be taken
as o criterion. The 1act Is that the general com.
mittees seem to have decided that the best way
to farm OUT all places OF profit awarded to their
districts Is to consider no one not memoer Of
the committees worthy of good place. In every
case thus far, where anything like . welLpaying
ONCE has been filed, the appointee has been q
member OF his district committee. For instance,
Colonel Mooney. appointed on Monday Superin.
tendent OF Roads in place OF Mr. Gilmore, resigned,
Is a member OF the general committee OF his dis
trlcG, ana yesterday three other appointments
made, each appOintee being member OF the COM
mittee Ill his district. They are as follows seth
Q. Douglas appointed superintendent OF Encum-
brances chairman OF the General Commit tee of
the Eighth district; Daniel O'Reily appointed
Wafer Purveyor Urom the Third dls,rlcU; George
A. jeremiah. Superintendent OF improvements
(rom the Ninth dstrict.) 1t said that the other
FOUR HEADS OF BUREAUS
have already been appointed, but no definite In
formation could be obtained yesterday as to
whether they mad been or not. AS Two OF the bu-
reaus must be filed by engineers, 1t may be that
the successful men VIII not be members of the
general committees OF their district, and in this
connection 1t may be mentioned that there is a
lively scramble going on ior tne best one OF the
four-the Water keglstershp-tne salary OF which
once Is s5ooo year: Inc scramble IS not lor the
matter OF course.
GOOD TIME AT HAND.
1t should be borne In mind that since Mr.. Wick
ham has become Mayor position OF any impUr-
lance IN the city government has become vacant
term of oflce. General Porter as Commissioner
OF PuUiic Works. Salem II. Wales DOCK Com
missioner and the otner persons appointed by The
Mayor as commissioners IN the depar tmenbS were
appointed to fill vacancies caused by death or
otherwise before the terms OF their predecessors
had expired. Thus the Aldermen have had no say,
officially at least, in any appointment OF a head
OF department. or commissioner, their confrma-
tory power being cOnnneu 10 appoin Lmcnts made
to fiji .ull terms. But the time Is now near at
hand when they Will have say and they are con-
graduating themselves hugely over the TACT, On
the 1st ol May several important changes win
take place.
General Duryee's term expires then. and demo-
crat Will succeed him II he should not, as he Will
probably not be, his own successor.
The Tax Department. now stands two rcpubli-
cans and one democrat, and the Fire Department
Is the same. On the 1st OF May Mr. WlcKham will
have the appointment OF Commissioner In Mr..
MoutOns place, thus making the depar tmcnt
stand two democrats to one republican.
FIRE COMMISSIONERS.
Mr.. Van Colts term Fire Commissioner ex-
pires at the same time, and democrat In his
place Will give the democrats majority-that IS,
Office py thar time.
DOCK AND HEALTH COMMISSIONERS
One vacancy VIII occur in May, also. in the Dock
and Health partments-CommiSsloner Budd
plrng then. The appointment OF democrats In
their places will give the democrats majority in
each Board.
PARK COMMISSIONERS.
Mr.. Stewards term as PARK Commissioner ex-
pires also IN May; bat the appointment OF demo-
crat Will possibly only make q tie IN The Board.
lt Will thus be seen that the Dock and Fire De-
partments Will be at the disposal OF the democ rats
in months time, and that the thousand and one
aspirants for ONCE In the Department OF Public
nothing and are not likely to get anything, may
not be left out IN the cold till next winter