New-York tribune., 1879-04-29
A MOANING RIDE,

There are romantic stories about the new
Police Commissioner, who j. said to be play
ing the part of the good HarOun Alraschid,
going about the city in disguise to see for
himself how the laws are maladmInistered.
In the gray dawn he mounts his buggy and
drives through the quiet streets while the
early shOp-bOy is sweeping INTO the gutter
the litter of yesterdays business, and slatterns
are besprinkling the curb and roadway with
ashes and potato -parngs. Beyond doubt he
collects in these morning tours an immense
fund of information for the use of the police.
The unobstructed view of our thoroughfares,
obtainable only while traffic is nearly sus-
pended, is full of instruction for a gentleman
in his position and we are confident that
few weeks persistence in this exercise. be-
sides benelitting his health, will explain to
him why it is that all Police Boards, sooner
or later, come to have a bad name, and why
no expenditure Of money seems to be of much
avail i'll cleaning the city.
When one of the Commissioners stated the
other day that the appropriations for street
cleaning were more honestly and economically
laid out now than they ever had been before,
and that as matter of fact the streets were
really clean, he may have told as much of
the truth as q Commissioner can be expected
to know from an Office inspection of vouchers,
account books and reports of subordinates.
A personal examination would have dispelled
n great many illusions. The regulations for
public are. perhaps, well enough, and we do
not know that there Is much extravaganza III
the rates paid for the work assumed to be
done. The trouble is that everybody con-
cerned, from the police inspector to the
kitchen maid, constantly violates the rules
and ordinances. The streets are often so
crowded with unauthorized obstructions that
they cannot be swept clean. There are many
so-caled thoroughfares sixty feet wide, even
in the middle-class residence quarters, where
two vehicles cannot pass each other because
the roadway has been turned into wagon
yard for the storage of trucks and
carts. Under these wagons refuse of every
kind accumulates; the -sweepers pass it by,
and it forms q reservoir for the distribution
of dirt over the nelghbOrhOod. Sweeping AS
a rule is done with absurd ineificiency, the
broom and hoe removing not more than two
thirds of the surface filth. The collection of
the sweepings is still worse managed, the
cart being often twcnty-fOur hours behind the
broom. Ash-men are great disseminators of
rubbish, for they spill a considerable propOr-
ton of every load they take up. Thus all the
city sweepers and collectors leave trail of
dirt behind them, aud the work for which the
taxpayers are charged is never completely
done. The fact that hOuseholders IN many of
the fashionable streets combine to pay
private contractors for keeping the front of
their premises clean is the severest possible
Judgment upon the imbecile operations of the
police. For nearly half the dirt IN the streets
the citizens themselves are to blame. I'm
mense quantities of rubbish are thrown and
swept into the cutters in violation of the
corporation ordinances. Bat this is only
another count in the Indictment against the
police. Ordinances, of course, become dead
letter If no attempt is made to enforce them.
Mr.. MacLean has fine opportunity to make
a reputation. There are many executive
bureaus in which efficient service might be
performed for years without attracting public
notice but the Police Commissioner who
gives us clean streets will be one of the most
famous men of his age. If the newly ap-
pointed member of the Board cares about re-
plying to the current rumOrs about the rea-
sons for his appointment and the service he
is expected to render one wing Of the divided