New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-03-01

smallest results 10 INC pupiic scl'i'0' 4
sure enough, in all these qualifications OF a
commissioner Mr.. Campbell proved to be
ridiculously inefficient. The Aldermen could
not get their friends put on where they were
not needed the works were prosecuted with
entire disregard of the exlgences OF
the sachems; Tammany got none OF
the money contractors were held to their con-
tracts laborers were obliged to earn their
wages and what was perhaps still more alarm
ing. the expenses of tho Department steadily
diminished And just then Alderman TuOmey
opportrnely discovered that Commissioner
Campbell was 50 much engrossed by his private
business az President of coal company that
be could not find time to attend to the affairs
of the Department.
1t must have been great surprise to Alder
man Tuomey to learn that while President of
the coal company, and before his appointment
rs Commissioner, Mr. Campbell had found
time to complete trlng little work like the
Fourth Avenue improvement, and that since
his appointment to the commissiOnership he
had contrived to reform the methods of the
Department, increase its efficiency, and save
for the city in one year million dollars by
economy in prices and half million more by
amazed Alderman Tuomey, of course,
to discover that, as consequence
of EMPLOYING a Commissioner who had
too much to do, rock excavation for which
the city used to pay 81 ~ per cubic yard now
costs the public treasury 81 cents and that
although the work of the Department has been
greatly increased in consequence of the annexa-
ton of the new wards and by other causes,
the total expenditures last year were $l,562,-
600 less than in 1875, $3,252,COO less than
in 1874, and SO, 100000 less than i'll 1873.
But whatever the objections to Mr. Campbell
OH the score of the coal company may have
been, they exist no longer, because the coal
company has gone to Baltimore and he has
ceased to be its President.
And now Mr.. Tuomey discovers q new cause
of complaint in the appointment OF Mr.. Hubert
0. Thompson as deputy commissioner There
is no sort of objection to Mr.. Thompson except
that he has the misfortune to be a gentleman.
1t is not alleged that he has manifested in
competency in any particular. lie had been
several years connected with the Department
in subordinate place, and since his promo
ton the public service certainly does not ap-
near to have suffered We have every reason
10 DcllcNc lllL lie Is IL pOOu utpult, HiSV o'-
cause his chief is satisfied with him, and
secondly because The distinguished states
men of the Board of Aldermen who
are trying to get him ont of the way and
to put political striker in his place cannot
find charge to bring against him, except the
painfully general and indefinite one that he Is
inexperienced" and "unfit." OF this we
may take it for granted that an accomplished
engineer and man of business like Mr.. Camp
bell is better judge than Mr. TuOmey, and
we may reasonably conclude that the Com
missioner would not choose to be served 10y
all incompetent assistant, when he must bear
the trouble of all his deficiencies and the
blame of all his mistakes.
The public will not fail to observe that the
attack upon Mr.. Campbell is part of the
ilrcpressible conflict between an honest and
dishonest system of municipal administration.
On the one side are certain public officials
who regard Office as serious trust to be dis
charged in the interests OF the people. On the
other side are professional politicians of
class which is the curse and peril of the Re-
public, who look upon Office as means OF
diverting the public money to private pur-
poses Good citizens will hardly he in any
doubt on which side to take their stand.