New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-12-14

| 4 Reform UHkRE IT is MOST AEEOED.
The Democrats are iDdulging in a good deal
| of loud talk at present about the reform meas
! ures which the next Legislature will pass.
| Judging from some of the persons mentioned
as candidates for Speaker the legislation at
| Albany this winter will be anything except re-
| iormat0ry in its nature. That such notorious
PEI SONS as NJ. G. Murphy and F. b. SpinOla
| should find encouragement in becoming candl-
dates for SO responsible an Office, while it is re-
garded as practically beyond the reach of an
| honest Democrat Ike ErasCus Brooks, speaks
volumes for the character of the majority in
| the next Legislature. No sensible person ex-
poets that it will do much that will be OF credit
| to the State Instead OF devising charter
schemes to grab more offices, the Democratic
leaders might better make show of reform hv
passing bill to compel the present city off
GERS to perform their duties Mayor Grace
indirectly referred to this subject at the meet
ing of the Board OF Estimate and Apportion-
ment yesterday. His recommendations in re-
gard to the Civil Service Of the city, though
coming rather late, are good SO far as they go,
bat they merely touch the surface of an evil
that requires more radical treatment than the
classification of salaries.
Under the British Government Offices were
often given as a reward for distinguished civil
and military service-in lieu of pension, as it
were. In the course of time the British courts
laid down the principle that the holder of an
Office of this character need not render any
contempOraneOus service, as his office was
merely reward for work already done. Eng
lish precedents have been drawn into the sup
port of the principle that an officer or place
holder is entitled to the salary while lie holds
the place, whether or not he renders any ser
vie. This rule has been literally applied to
sustain and uphold slnecures under the Dem
ocratic city government. Men who have done
service to IA boss to the injury of the community
are paid fiom the city treasury under the pre-
text of performing duties which they ostenta-
tiously neglect. Many commissioners and
other office-hOders who are paid large salaries
at the same time carry on absorbing land re-
sponsible private business. 1t is a common
practice for some of these highly paid officials
TO spend months at Albany during the session
of the Legislature directing some of its menu
bers how TO vote. A Democratic Police Com
missioner, the head of the Public Works De-
partlnent and other officials were SO engaged
last winter. Snecunsm is encouraged bv
men holding the highest Offices, who give but a
mere pittance of their time and energies to the
business of the city, while charged with the
duty of seeing that it does not pay for services
that are not actually rendered or required. It
is the exception rather than the rule when
heads of departments can he found in their
Offices even during business hours. In one I'M
portant branch OF the city government the
time devoted to the public business is from 10
a. III. until p. III. Few of the offices are open
for business for more than 1--WE hours "a day,
while the majority of the taxpayers are obi ged
to toll early and late on incomes much smaller
than the average salaries of city officers.
IL is "a wellknown fact that of the 5000
and more oiiceholders under the city gov
erhment a considerable proportion are
practically sinecunsts. committee of tho
State Senate which investigated this matter
two years ago reported that one-quarIer of
the amount paid fol the salaries Of officers
actually employed could be saved il full bust
ness time and service were rendered. That