The daily gazette., 1877-01-26
New York City Extravagance.
THE CARNIVAL OF HIGH II PRICES
Economy Demdnded.

Economy Demanded.
From the Sun:
Mayor Ely has invited anumber q of
respectable citizens to meet at his office
this afternoon for the purpose of con-
fering with him on the affairs of the
city. We suggest for their considera-
tlon. among other things, these topics
Our Police Force. are now paw
ing about 88, 200, 900 a year for our
police in salaries alone. There are
four Commissioners, who, among them
receive $26, 900 one superintendent at
81. 900 four inspectors at $3,5 each
nineteen surgeons at alariesamounting
in the aggregate, to $29, 900; thirty
five captains at $4,000; one hundred
and forty sergeants at 81, 600 two
thousand two hundred and sixty,one
eight doormen at 5000. Besides this,
$4,000 is required to pay messengers
telegraph operators, and other en-
ployees. 1t seems to us that the bulk
of these salaries could be safely re-
duced one-third, and thereby @1, ,O00,-
600 year be saved to the tax. x.payers
The Fire Department.-The annual
cost of this department is 81, ,226 900,
of which over 81 200, 600 goes for sala-
ries and pay rolls. The ate Of com
pensation paid is altogether too high
for tfese hard times. When an indus
trious mechanic can hardly earn $500
a year it is too much to give fireman
81 200. Let the conference inquire
whether some 100000 or S400, 900
year cannot be saved in the Fire De-
partment.
Our Public Schools. s.-The amount
appropriated for the use of the Board
of Education this year is So, SOC, 900, of
which 81, zoo, 900, is for teachers sala-
ries. We have too many teachers, and
most of them are paid too much. 1t
is absurd for the public to give in
struction in music and the foreign
languages gratis. Why should the
taxpayers, fer example, be saddled
with even $4,000 year for "pianos
and repairs of pianos?" The whole
system should be reformed, and the
cost of our public schools be cut down
at least another million.
The Department of Public Charities
and correction costs $1,190,000, A
severe economy could doubtless re-
duce this some hundreds of thousands.
The Judiciary.-This will cost us
$658, 900 this year. The Supreme
Court takes $i25, 800; the Superior
Court. $152, 800 the Court of Com
mon Pleas, $156 900 the Marine Court,
$116:6O0; the General Sessions, $S2,-
900 ;the Special Sessions. $23, 900; the
Surrogate's office, $40, 900; the City
Judge, $4,000; the Recorder, $12 900;
the Commissioner of Jurors, $15, 900;
the County Clerks's office; $49, 600; and
the District Attorneys office, $40, 900.
Numerous useless hangersSon conld
be dropped from this department., and
the salaries of the rest cut down so as
to save at least $3.50, 900 a year.
Street Cleaning. The cleaning of
the streets under the direction of the
Police Department cost $725, 900 a
year, or nearly $4,000 day, and the
work is only half done. A judicious
system of districting and district con-
tracts ought to save one-third of this
sum.
When the conference have disposed
of these topics. they might take up
the salaries paid in the Mayors and
Comptroller's offices. the Law depart
ment, and several other departments
of which they will find the estimates
in the budget printed for the use of
the Board of Estimate and Apportion-
ment, The carnival of high prices
which reigned during the war, and
the extravagance which it engendered.
have been severely put down by our
citizens in their private affairs, and is
high time the same wholesome process
was applied to public expenses. The
Tax Levy for this year will take nearly
$31 900, 900. 1t need not have required
more than $2s. 900, 900. A saving of
So, ,000, 900 means saving of over
$3.50 on each s., 1000 of assersed valua-
tion of real and Lersonsl property, aud
is not to be despised.