, 1876-05-21

CONSOLIDATION or CITY OFFICES.
The distinguishing feature OF the new
Charter Is the power conferred upon the
Common Council to create, abolish, and re-
arrange the city Offices In the hands Of a
well-mesnfn8 and intelligent Council, such
as We believe the present one to be, this
power may be made Of the greatest benefit
to the people. The lata City Government
left Legacy Of Offices and ot6ceholdezs
which amounts to an embarrassment One
Of the first dulles of the present Council
should be to exercise It's power m cutting off
SONS Of these superhuous Boards and per-
functo9y officials. and consolidating the du-
ties In as small number OF offices as posai-
ble~ Il is true that, under the provisions Of
the Charter, no uhte created previously BY
the Council can be abolished SO as to take
effect before the end OF the fiscal year, but
it Is doubtful whether this applies to
tbs Board Of Public Works, the
Board Of Health, or the other
Boards Or officials whose existence Is
by authority Of tho old Chartes. Certainly
the 1ate Council abolished the Board Of Po-
lice, end no such objection was made. But
even if It be held that the discontinuance of
these Boards and positions Is not operative
till the close Of the fiscal year, their abolish
mont at tbs present time will assure their
discontinuance On the 1st Of Janoary, and in
the meantime the persons holding the SUPER
Haoun places may be removed BY the Mayor.
Thus, If the oice Of the City Marshal be
aboliRhed now, tho Mayors bin authorizes
Mayor HoYNg to remove Mr. GooDE11, the
present supernumernry incumbent, and does
not require him to fill his place. Indeed, It
expressly says that "The Mayor may appoint
any suitable person to discharge tho Office
from which ho shall have removed any officer
until his SUCCESSOR is appointed and quail
fed" Il, then, Mayor HoEsE should remove
Mr. GooDE11 On the ground that he Is an un-
necessary expense to the city (nnd certainly
that is good and sufficient reason for re-
movall he could designate the superntend-
ent OF Police as the proper person to dis
charge the duties Of Marshal without extra
pay. So with any other of the Offices that
it may be deemed wise to vecate.
! The saving to the city by the jud1cious
consolidation Of tho Offices may be made
very lnrge. The Board Of Public Works, as
such, may be abolished and the duties of
the Board safely intrusted to good Super
intendent There is no longer condition
Of things requiring threelnen at large salaries
for this work It il time to begin going
slower on public improvements in this city.
There has been no pause for twenty-one
yeazs,-a whole generation. Within that
time the entire city has bean raised from
several feet to one story; between thirty and
forty bridges have beeo constructed, mostly
OF iron number Of costly iron viaducts
have been built over the railroad tracks.
vater-tunnels have been constructed under
the lake and under the city, and passenger
tunnels at an expense Of mo=e than $500, 900
each have been run under the river. will,
land damages in litigation attached to each
to an unknown amount watef-works have
been provided With capacity OF 10000, 900
gallons day 40 miles of water-pipes have
been laid, with more large pipe than New
York City has; there are 269 miles Of sewerage
underlying nearly the whole OF the popu-
lated portions Of the city. Three and quar-
ter millions were spent IN deepening 80 miles
Of canal 10 drain and purity tie South