New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-02-02
THE DEPARTMENT OF IMPROVEMENTS

DAA 0AsAW0A w 4W1 V6MENIS.
Last Tuesday, at the regular meeting
OF the City Council resolution was intro
duced by Major Burke, authorizing a
committee to examine the accounts of
his predecessors in Office as far BAG k as
the original date of the city charter ere
ating the Office.
Why such formal resolution should be
required to examine the accounts of a de-
partment the official records Of which are
completely In the pc session and control
OF the present incumbent is not very clear.
Nor is the object deducible from the reso-
luton itself. To those acquainted with
the workings Of small legislative body
like that of the City Hall such formalities
are absurd. It is the Mayors duty, and he
has the power, to examine and supervise
the operations of all the departments,
and the trouble heretofore has always
been about finding the time and the
assistance required from the Adm inistra
tors to do So We imagine, in this respect,
the present Mayor is not more fortunately
situated than his predecessors, while the
problems Of the hour and the immediate
future crowd him and give him, perhaps,
more sleepless nights than his craving to
know what good or bad the Republicans
or Democrats Immediately before him
may have done. They are out. He has
to deal with living issues. 1t is some
what remarkable, too, that the accounts
to be examined are tn ose of the only Office
which has been in charge of Republican
Administrators up to the advent of Mr.
Burke, and that no desire to examine has
been manifested by the gentlemen who
have succeeded Democratic oficeholders,
But, however, let us hope and trust that
this caca,thes quirendi proceeds from an
honest desire to profit by the faults and
errors of others. If so, and If the leisure
be at hand; that is to say, if the municipal
wagon is now well smeared, Oh good rails,
running smoothly and no snags ahead, no |
great credit is due to Major Burke for this
invitation to the Mayor and colleagues to
devote their time to the study of that
nonstrous and extravagant branch of the
public service.
A few days roofing in the musty records
Of that overgrown institution will show
the earnest reforiner that it should not be
made hospital for old worn out and de-
oauched party hacks and, moreover, that
rs camp of instruction for political re-
fruits, it is entirely too expensive and
ought to be abolished
1t might also be found that to put down
paving stone by order of the Admins
rator of Improvements, under the super
ntendence of district inspector, ward
Inspectors, foremen, time keepers, ETC.,
osts more than it comes to. That this
immense army of generals, captains,
olonels, majors, camp followers and
tragglers ought to be disbanded, and all
'ork given to honest, responsible and re-
able contractors, who should be paid in
ash.
The cheapest and best way to run the
department. of Improvements is to reduce |
s personnel to as few men as possible,
~ five or six, who, with one or two |
equities from he surveyors Office, should {
'llow up the Contractors closely and see r
at, they perform their duties strictly in t
,mpliance with their contracts. p
More and better information for the l
ture guidance of the new Administrator b
not likely to he cleaned. :
1he worst contractors to do public
DIE, manage laborers and mechanics are P
g Administrations themselves. Every y
ny Knows that men like Messrs. Cole. b,
a. Henry, Rllerman, Bietry, Harrison Of
d others, old and well known contrac. te
IS, can get ten times the work ont Of ns