The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-01-08
Two Interesting Messages-Mayor ELY
and Mr.. Adam

sents a large collection OF facts anu STATS
tics, but no very noteworthy recommends
tions. MIR. Ely seems to take no more in
terest in any particular department than ne
does in every other, and, having no plan on
any subject which he wishes to urge on the
attention of the Aldermen, his Message is a
tepid performance with little interest for
the public beyond the information it COM
municates. 1t is satisfactory to know that
there has been q small diminution in
the expenses of the city government, and
that the growth Of the city debt, which was
SO frightfully rapiN for many years, has
been arrested and was reduced by two
million dollars during the year 1877. The
Mayor informs us that, if the further issue
of bonds for public improvements could be
stopped and the debt prevented from in
creasing beyond it's present amount, the
sinking fund would extinguish it, large as
it is, in eighteen or twenty years. The
present amount of the funded debt, as
stated by the Mayor, is SLY, 741, $50; one
year ago it was S119, 81 $40.
We doubt if the city can avoid accumu-
lating any new debt for improvements dur
ing the next eighteen years. Within that
time there will be necessity for a
large addition to the water supply
at heavy expense, and good deal
of money will have to be expended on the
docks Most of the other improvements
that have been planned approach compile
ton and the city is entitled to period Of
rest. With regard to the water supply the
Mayor states that the new reservoir near
Brewster's Station will be completed early
in the spring and will hold between three
and four thousand millions of gallons.
This, in addition to our present resources,
will supply all the water that can be deliv-
cred through the Croton Aqueduct, and the
Mayor thinks that this must suffice until
season of prosperity, rs a new aqueduct
would cost twenty millions of dollars In
stead of congratulating the city on the great
progress that is making in the construction
Of the rapid transit roads he expresses his
preference for an underground road and
thinks the elevated roads 'infict much un-
compensated injury upon property owners
along their routes"
Considering the Mayors recent attempt
to remove the Police Commissioners for I'M
fitness and gross neglect of duty his COM
pliments to that department are a marvel
lous exhibition of weakness. He now says
of the Police Department that Gin strength
and efficiency it is worthy of high common
dation." He even inserts in his Message an
apology for the failure Of the Police Depart
ment to clean the streets. He says that the
act Of 1872 makes no sufficient provision for
the disposal of the sweepings and garbage and
that by various acts passed since, "the
Police Department have been impeded in
the removal and disposition Of the refuse
matter taken from the streets until at pres
ent it has become a matter of very great
embarrassment" If this apology is true
now it must have been equally true q
few weeks since when Mayor Ely undertook
to remove the Police Commissioners. Be-
tween his action then and his praise and
apology now there is a>contrast which puz-
zles and distresses those who would gladly
be his friends.
How utterly worthless is the Mayors
commendation of the Police Department,
and how unfounded and ridiculous is his
apology, is made apparent in another docu-
ment, which we also print to-day. We refer
to the intelligent and convincing report Of
the committee of the Municipal Society,
prepared by Mr.. Thatchwell Adams, and
signed by himself and the other members of
the committee This is altogether the most
instructive document on the subject of
street cleaning that has ever been published
in this country. It's extensive collection of
facts relating to street cleaning in this and
many other cities proves that Mayor Ely
was entirely correct in the view he took of
the malfeasance of the Police Commits
sioners when he undertook to remove them
and that his present apology for them is not
only self-stultifying but preposterous
In the following named cities-Boston,
Philadel phia, London, Liverpool, Manches-
tey-the streets are kept really clean at
fraction of the expense per mile which is
paid in this city for leaving them in con-
dition of insufferable filth. In London the
average annual cost per mile is ST. 25S; in
Liverpool, 1921; in Manchester, S2S5; in
Boston, 1914, after deducting receipts for
the sale of garbage; in Philadelphia, $3.50
per mile after making the same deduction.
But in New York the cost Of the false pre-
tence Of cleaning the streets for the year
1877 just closed has amounted TO 81, 80 per
mile It's an insult to the common sense of
the community 10 pretend that such dis
proportionate amount of money has been
honestly expended.
There is similar contrast, though not
SO great one, between the cost Of street
cleaning in this city by the Police De-
partment and its cost by the contractors
who preceded them. The work was better
done then for half the money. Messrs
I-a..... nos.oo LII 49,.