New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-11-05

| IL
which seems to apply here.
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THE SORT OF MAYOR NEW-YORK NEEDS.
! There is no other position in the gov
eminent which gives So valuable prepa-
ration for the Mayoraty as is afforded 10y
the ControllershiD. By our financial system
the Controller even more than the Mayor as a
rule, becomes familiar with the needs, the
merits and the faults'of every department. In
the meetings of the Board of Estimate and
| Apportionment the body which decides
whether or not the money of the people shall
| be squandered. the influence of the Control
Ter is generally even more potent than that OF
the Mayor. AS his daily duties, if cOnscen-
tiously performed, require rigid examination
of the manner in which the appropriations for
| the departments are spent, the Controller be-
comes more completely a master of the details
| of administration than the head of the city
government. Mr.. Allan Campbell has been
| Controller for two years, and 1t Is safe to say
| that New York never had better One Be-
fore that, as Commissioner of Public Works, he
had gained an exhaustive knowledge OF all
city improvements either proposed or IN
progress Neither as Commissioners ncr as Con-
troIler has he allowed his department to be
turned from its legitimate uses for the advantage
of any political machine or faction. In all
his reports, in all his public utterances, and
what Is more important, in all his votes and
acts, he has shown an earnest desire tor
| clean, honest and efficient administration. To
elect such man for Mayor will be great gain
| for good government
Mr. Campbells claims to the esteem and the
support of his fellow-citizens are quite sufii-
| Gent without any resort to exaggeration The
men who are responsible for the circulation Of
wild and foolish statements giving him all the
credit for reductions in the tax rate and in the
amount of municipal expenditure are ill-ad-
yised. Just such extravagant and baseless
claims were made for Mr.. John Kelly. The
Controller with all his power and all his inhu-
ence, is not financial autOcrat. lie alone
does not settle the tax rate or determine the
appropriations 1t is true that the Board of
Estimate and AppOrtiOnment, of which he is q
member, does do just those things so tar rs it is
not hampered by legislation at Albany. But
| that Board has four members and the Controller
has single vote. When the other members
of the Board are honest men an honest Con-
troller can accomplish great deal in lighten-
ing city burdens, because his advice OH account
| of his position carries more weight than that of
any other member But if he is Outvoted by
extravagant or dishonest colleagues he is pow
erless. Give Mr.. Campbell credit for what
| is Justly his due, but don't fall into the nom
| sense of ascribing to him absolute power over
| the expenses and taxation of New York. Folly
| of that kind became sickenlng enough in Mr..
| Kelly's time. Mr.. Kelly was not the worst
| Controller the city ever had by any means.
| He has been lied about most recklessly.
| Except when blinded by prejudice or PARTISAN
| ship he was in favor of economy and efficiency
| in the departments. But Mr. Kelly's prcu-
dices and his partisanship are of the strongest
and when Mayor Cooper got Oh the right side
of controverted question that was reason
enough for Controller Kelly to get on the
wrong side. When the debate was on an APP
preparation for department in which Tam
many Hall controlled no patronage there was
no more jealous champion OF economy than
the Tammany leader. But when the money
was going into channels where the disposition
of it might be controlled by his political lieu
tenants, Mr.. Kelly was quick to see the adj
vantages of generous policy.
| Mr.. Campbell's course has been marked
| by no such Inconsistencies. No matter what
| faction or what friends 1t might hurt, lie
has always insisted on keeping down the
expenses to the lowest point consistent
with the law and with the honorable
and convenient government Of q great city,
Over millions of annual outlay the Board of
| Estimate and Apportionment has no power
! The Constitution and the laws-many of the
| latter evil in the extreme in their effects-pre-
| vent the reduction of dollar. In regard to
the remaining millions MIR. Campbell has always
urged fearless and sweeping retrench-
ment. A few complaints have of late
been loudly urged to the effect that
his policy has been niggardly and mean
That was precisely the kind of chorus we
| heard in the Tweed times when any measure
| of retrenchment was mOoted and TO some
extent the chorus of to-day comes from the
came sources. What large taxpayer has ever
objected to Mr. CampbelPs course as mig
gardly7 Such complaints always come from
taxeuters While the city budget amounts to
more than $25,000,000 yearly there is no
danger ..of serious errors OIL the side Of
economy.
The election Of Mr. Campbell to the Mayor
atty will be promotion OF the fttest and All