New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-03-11
A TALK WITH GENERAL SMITH.

of the whole matter.
TALK WITH GENERAL SMITH.
Police Commissioner General William F. Smith
was busy in bis office in the Bennett Building yes
terday when TRIBUNE reporter called upon HIM 10
make some inquiries in regard to his refusal 10 vote
for the payment of bills incurred by the Street
Cleaning Bureau.
eyes" replied the General, laughing II under
stand that it has been intmated by members OF tne
Board that have been furnishing the Mayor EVIL
dence concerning the STRENGTHENING Bureau Ihey
judge me by the low standard common TO their
judgment of any man."
Then you did not furnish the Mayor evidence LOT
his recent letterp
al knew nothing about the letter further man
that early in the month when passing the City Hall
called upon the Mayor merely to exchange the
compliments of the day. He was not in his Office,
and Mr.. Ivins his secretary. asked me what time
the Police Board met. / told him at p. M tie re-
Piled that the Mavor had an important communica-
ton he wished to get before the Board that alter
noon. l then went up to Police Headquarters anu
Mr.. Kipp told me that Mr.. French was not well
and wanted the Board to meet at his house. AS
had other business on hand | did not feel called
upon to attend q meeting of the Police Board IN
any PERSONS private house especially as tound a
quorum was to be present and as am OF no account
therefore told Mr.. Kpp that the Mayor intended to
send up an important communication, and that ne
would better have q messenger at headquarters TO
convey the letter to the Board meeting at Mr.
French's private house. That was the extent OF my
knowledge in regard to the letter"
"A gentleman connected with the Street-Cleanlhg
Bureau said that the Mayors letter was lnstlgated
by Police Commissioner formerly connected with
the bureau. did not know whether he referred
to you or Mr.. voorhis," said the reporter.
II doubt If even Mr. Voorhis had anything to do
with It," said Mr. Smith. Incidentally did learn
that while the Mayor was preparing his inaugural
message he called upon Mr. Voorhis for some infor-
nation in regard to street cleaning. l also gave
him. in the form of letter, my views on the sub
ject."
what are your views, GeneralP
81 think the street cleaning should be made into
a separate department, with a responsible head,
who should have no vested right TO his office. AS IL
is now there great difficulty of getting nd OF an
incompetent official oven when you have good
reasons for believing he should be removed. Hence,
would hire the head Of tie Street
Cleaning Bureau from day to day if necessary. in
order to be rad Of him if he proved incompetent or
dishonest or neglected to clean the streets. The
work could be done best by contract, 1 think with
proper provisions to enforce 1t"
Would you keep the bureau in the Police De-
partment "
NO. The Mayor has time and opportunity to see
that the work is done. ! would place 1t under bis
care He has offered 10 attend 10 it and 1t should be
given him to lo No Mayor who had the RESPONSE
bity of the street cleaning could ever be reelected
if he failed 10 keep the streets clean"
"You have had several yearS experience in the
Police Board, what do you find to be tho cause of
the failure of the present systemp
Politics"
Cant the Board keep politics out of the Street
Cleaning BureauP
"It seems not. The first year was in the Board
there was bill before the Legislature to take the
street cleaning away from the Police Department
opposed it because thought that having new
broom we might sweep clean. The bill defeated,
and after years trial was satisfied not to oppose
another such bill. The system on which the street
cleaning is conducted is all wrong Ii Is man
aged as q political machine and majority of the
Police Commissioners cannot be got 10 change IL.
There is o bill now before the Legislature to take
the bureau out of the Police Department, but II Is
opposed OPP! %e'r ~ frcsiuen' FRENCH anu 0'nerS'
1t Would entail loss of patronage"
captain Williams says 1t will require 81 100000
annually to clean the streets. Do you think 1t can
~ Not nnder the present system where they put
100 or more old men who cannot 10 cents q day
to do the work Of ablebodIed men. simply because
these old men will vote certain way on the 4h of
November,
the streets could be properly cleaned for 100000
less than the present appropriation. l think
$500 600 would do the work. Coleman d Brother
offered take the contract. and every guarantee
was gwen that they would do the work; but 1t was
not given them to do"
why did yOu refuse to vote IN favor OF paying
the STRENGTHENING bills ]"
/ have voted against payment Of the bills since
last fall am not allowed TO know anything about
their contracting; consequently, Will assume no
responsibility tor their pay ment"
why do you not attend the meetings of the
STRENGTHENING Committee !"
Even when can find out the time and place of
the meetings l can learn nothing by attending
them. he business of the committee consists IN
one man holding the bills and another the vouchers
and checking them of TO see If they agree. Une
man contracts all the bills apparently TO SUIT him
self and the committee compares the vouchers and
If found all right certhes tho facts to the Board
which IS expected to pay the bills without further
inquiry. When voting against Mr. MasOn's
bills one day he asked me Iny reasons. and told
HIM because could not vote TO pay bills knew
nothing about. lie said was quite right. IL Is the
system object to. One man makes all the eXpendi-
lures and then divides the responsibility with three
Others. The Street Committee should have some
thing TO gay about the expenditures before they
made and whether this or that thing Is necessary
or advisable OF not. Under such system the com
mittee would be of some account but where we
are simply asked TO pass upon bills already con-
tracted then it is practically useless as the bills
have tO'be paid"
honestly conducted the streets could be cleaned for
less than the present appropratlonT
"Yes; never gave Mr.. AacLean credit for much,
Int according to their own figures be did much bet
ter with less money than they are dong now, and he
ont administrative experience. shall take no re-
for the present administration OF the