New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-07-21

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The Committee of Twenty one have toLcn
steps To remind the public that they are watch
ing the present experiment in street cleaning.
with view to renewing their agitation of hast
winter, should the new system prove "A failure.
The Committee have issued a statement and re-
port III detail of their work, in which this
pledge Is made, so that the new Superintendent
may perhaps be considered Us in "A spcciaI sense
on trial.
Inc Committee state that they still sustain
the objections made by Mayor Grace TO the law
under which Superintendent Coleman WAS an
pointed. The chief of these was that the ahso
lutte power OF appointment and removal of the
superintendent of Street Cleaning was not
vested IN the Mayor alone, but was divided
with the Board of Health. Others related to ,hc
provisions which released the Police Dcnort-
mcnt from all duty and responsibility in con
nccton with the work, instead of rcuuirin, -.
the original bill contemplated the enumeration Of
the whole police force and to the section which
requires that all supplies, exceeding 81 ooo IN
amount, shall be bought upon contract ovo,JoI
to the lowest bid, after sealed bids h,yo L.,,
called for and received. 1t was felt Inv MANY,
1T 'he llme tiilt II would be a wise policy to re-
quire the cooperation of the police. brcou., !,
that way the Street Cleaning Department would
secure the sci vices of Il laI re number of ins,oo
tors, whose services would cost them notI,in,,
and who would necessarily have the vboIo cit,
constantly under review. The rcuu;r.r,o,,t
with reference to the purchasing sunnl;os ,rn.
thought likely to be troublesome in emeryon,;n
like heavy snOwstorms in winter. esncci,I,v ~
this limitation extends even to thc hir;r &c
horses, carts, tugs tools, etc. 1t remains to H..
seen how far, if at all, these supposed defects IN
the law will hamper the working of fine no,,,
system, but it must be said that the chief obiec-
Ioh hladc by the Committee of Twentv-ouc
ana the Mayor has not proved SO far of auv
PTfucal moment. 1t was urged with great
warmth at the time that to give the Board of
iieai'h Che power to confirm reject the
Mayors nominee for Street Cleaning Sunor;n-
"hdch'' ana IL concurrent power upon the uues
ton of his removal, would utterly dcstro, IN.
principle OF dlrect personal responsibility for
which the leaders of the agitation were str;v-
ing, ana probably result in partisan strife over
the appointment.
In Tact, however, the Mayors nominee ,ros
promptly confirmed by the Board Of Halo,
without regard to his politics, and there is No
reason to suppose that any obstacle would ma
placed in the way of his removal. if il shouId
become necessary for the public interest IN
deed, while political considerations do ,nd,I,
edly Influence the composition of the Roord nf
llealth, 1t Is III large part made up of men who
are expected to take, and do take. fine bun,ono
interest OF men of science in 1hc health of ,ho
city and there is probably no department of
the City Government in which political obs5ruc-
uveness would be less likely. The chance rh,t
IA body OF educated and presumably puhlic-
spirited men would block II good nomination
Tor political reasons seems much less worthy of
attention than the chance that n Mavor who =
elected rs the representative Of II paytv ar of
faction within II party might, if vested with cola
power over this department. misuse il to beln
his political friends.
But these are questions Of detail. and an not
affect the obligation under which the citi2.ns of
New-Iork undoubtedly rest to the Committee
OF Iwenty-one. No one can be safe in fine nc
sertlon that we would have had any reform ,t
all III the STRENGTHENING system, without the
agitation which the Committee were LARGELY in
strumental in directing. If not all the rccom-
mendations of the Committee were incorno-
rated INTO legislation, it does not follow that