New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-05-22
LOCAL MISCELLANY.
THE NEW STRENGTHENING BILL


THE NEW STRENGTHENING BILL.
COMMENTS OF MAYOR GRACE IHAIGHEE % roISTEp
AND d. WILLIS JAMEs-soMh DEF 10
OUT. - , A.
The st,eet- Cleaning bill. which has passed me
Sanate and il understood to he likely to pass me az
sembIy was discussed Yesterday with good deal ol
Interest in this city. When questioned Ill res"iu ~
fbe matter Mayor Grace replied: o,,
wonld have greatly preferred Senator Strahans
bill, which was supported by the Commit
sSg Which has passed the senate. Tn. lat
ter measure lacks the strong point Oh n
rect responsibility for the exercise OF inc a'npI
authority which the Citizens bill proposed 10 tTss
i'm The Mayor as the directly elected r'Pr u k
of the people and responsible executive MI, ~ Iii
city government Under the provisions % ,n' I'll H.
there would have been no excuse ior Iaiulo. ~ .i
blame would have thin restel Siu' i ~ "" - IL
Mayor BY the Senate hlll me resPonsi , H. The
Con,;sssoner of Street Ceaning shall hc api"ln,eH
or rrmoyed only with the consent OF the BOARD vi
Health is a new feature in muncipal goN'Tnhlehl.
That Board was not constituted Win any we" , ~
act upon nominations of heads OF delirtnenls. I'm.
like the Aldermen, who ar elected th
board of Health il the president OF the f"lce "ru
Who is now on ria. for failure in duty III cohn9cI"h
with street-cleaning. lie, IKE Ihe lwp I i!.
Cn,o;ssouers il an executive subordinate
of the Mayor whose acts he Is 70 take part III sup'
ysing and controlling, while the Other 'nein,r vi
The hoard the Health Officer, is state 0ncer anu
only incidentally participant IN locai autnorIlE.
The substitution of two of these oihccrS 'or me
Commissioner is the strng' st feature ot the pm 90
long as a STRENGTHENING Commissioner c"uu T.tal
the votes of majority of the Board OF ned 1 ne
conld DEFY both the Mayor and Governor ana De IT.
r.mnvahle ON any charge. He would III effect be
rather a subordinate of The Health Department tnai
of the Mayor The freedom oil me loWcr VI 90
might prove even more important than the uilre-
stricted power of appolntinent III la1''J a.
like street-cleaning, III when hcM ne'n l us
might have to Ice devised and dlnertnt mon
tried before one was found fully successful IN the
very difficult task. Besides these general } ,h
10 the bill rs compared with the Cil~hS DILL tleIo
are some noticeable defects in details.
1.-THE eleventh section seems To me eSpeciaIly "e
fectve 1t does not give the Commissioner 81
Street. Cleaning any authority to enforce the sam
fairy ordinances as to the separation OF aSheS anu
garbage or To institute prosecutions Tor NlodlonSi
but merely requires their enforcement ny t''o %
force of policemen entirely Inadequate TO the laSh.
The act should give full authority m TINS matter 10
The noce force strictly to enforce the ordl-
nance and give special powers Tor tnls pun
pose A mere authority TO recover Ill cNle
suits will not he sufficient to cause Tue Sl1aII'u VI
ashes nd garbage throughout the city when Is IS
sental to success in street-cleaning Inc Tr"NiSun
that no purchases of plant or appliances eAG''u!nS
~ 900 in amount shall be made without auNtrlls-
ing and bidding may prove embarrassing III Il o9Si
MSS subiect to such emergencies. The Board oil
Estimate and AppOrtlOnment might wei nave ,t'n
authorized to approve purchases bc\oilt me nun
when necessary. The pr0prley oil the NM! ioI ttc
purchase of appliances aud other eNpehdliu III
1881 fixed hv the thirteenth section may lie dOuh,cu
IN view of the fact that the Police Department h'S
Incurred Indebtedness IN excess OF lnt pIopoit"h
ANIMAL expenses available for the first four months
of this year If the Senate bill should become 4
law i shall do all in my, power TO
make its operation successful but thlhk
il right to point out candidly its appar-
en defects while there is yet time for ainendineht'
Under the Citizens bill would have cheeTfuIly az
sumcd the entire responsibility of keeping tue streets
Gem | trust that whatever law may DC
passed il will work a great Improvement;
Thatcher VI. Adams said: Individually canh9l
sanction the BILL it sacrifices the very principle
for which tine Committee of ECenty-one has been
contending-that of undivided responsibility. All
along il has been fight between the business men
ON the one side aud the politicians on the other aiG
the politicians have triumphed. The plan proposed
NAV operate well for a short time, but before ohB
n will result in the restoration of the old evils.
"The bill. although defective, d. Wills James
said "contains many good features. Some OF
them were copied from measures when
were strongly urged by the Sanitary he
form Society. The system proposed is
an Improvement upon the present one III the streets
can he kept clean for three months, and II 900 or
600 lives can be saved that is something to be de-
sired Nevertheless, the committee cannot take
the responsibility for any bill which does not en-
body the principle of giving full control OF the
street cleaning to one man and hold him TO stIlct
accountabiliv Under the Conference bull, II II be-
comes law the Mayor will probably appoint Lieu
tcnant-C commander GOrTinge "a the Street Cleaning
commissioner and the Health Board viii probably
confirm him But if he should wish at any time 10
return TO active duty in the Navy, a vacancy VII,
be created which might be filled by the old politcdi
Methods