New-York tribune., 1883-12-17
HE DEMAND FOR MUNICIPAL REFORM

THE DEMAND FOR MUNICIPAL REFORM.
1t must by this time be evident to every
reader of The TRIBUNE that the condition or
the city government is such as to call loudly for
reform The administration of t he Public
Works Department is thoroughly bad. And, as
we show to-day, that of the Park Department. is
not what it ought to be- But while in the, Park
management there are signs of Improvement,
the opposite is the case with the Public WORKS
The expenditures in this department have in
creased enormously under the administration OF
Commissioner Thompson. Last year they were
Ia per cent greater than in 1879. What per-
celtage of the 100000 expended by Mr..
Thompson since he became head OF the de-
partment has been a total loss to the city can
only be estimated. That it is very large per-
centage goes without saying after the cx-
posures we have already made. The shameful
and reckless way in which the laws are broken
and evaded is startling, even to public fam
iliar with the ways of Tweed.
The question is frequently asked, What is
going TO be done about it The answer must
come from the law officers of the city, the
courts, the Legislature, and the people them
selves. If the law officers do their duty, ana
the courts act promptly, it is certain that some
of the men who have been swindling the city
will not be long outside prison walls. But that
will not alone bring about the needed reform.
The laws must be changed and the repetition
of these frauds made impossible by the action
of the people at the polls. The city wants faith
full agents who will promote and defend It's
interests 1t does not want officers who seek 10
enrich themselves from the treasury they are
set to protect and who quarter their relatives
upon the Taxpayers and push their selfish
political schemes regardless of the public wei
fare. Against such organized schemes for
plunder the city must have resOlute defenders.
THE TRIBUNE will be found unyielding i'll its
determination to expose and drive out OF office
these corrupt public officials.
While there are grave defects i'll the laws, they
in no wise excuse bad or reckless administra
ton. The statute in regard to contracts is
good illustration of tlks statement. 1t is aInaz-
ing that the frauds perpetrated by system of
unbalanced bids should continue in this city
after they were exposed Oh the canals years
ago. But it is not the fault of the law. Under
Commissioner Wales the worst effect Of these
unbalanced bids promptly disappeared i'll the
Park Department. Although the same statute
governs all branches OF the city government
there are no unbalanced bid contracts in the
Department of Charities and Correction; nor
even in the Dock Department. But under
Commissioner Thompson the city suffers cnor-
nous losses by such contracts. That it is not
the law but the will Of the officer that is to
blame is shown by the frauds we have exposed
under Mr.. ThompsOn's 5000 order system. For
that practice there is not the shadow of excuse,
except the desire 10 enrich at the public cX-
pense personal and political favorites. Indeed,
we believe it TO be carried out i'll defiance Of
law, as we'll as dccency.
1t is undeniable that the Public Works De-
partment is organized as a great political
machine. BY that means multitudes of political
retainers are bileted upon the city treasury.
Their influence has been most demoralizing
upon the public service. They Overawe and
influence the entire official activity OF the city.
Their creatures have been elevated to con-
spicuOus legislative, judicial and executive
office. The result has been enormous loss to
the city and general demoralization Of the city
government.
There must be not only a change in the head of
that department, but change in the laws that
allow millions of dollars to be expended by its
head without the supervision or practical
control of any other branch of the city govern
ment. That is a work which the Legislature
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