New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-04-30
PENDING CITY LFGISL1TTON.

1
| A good deal is likely tn be accomplished at
| Albany this week in the way of reformatory
| legislation. The Senate yesterday ordered to a
| third reading seven of the bills which were pre-
| pared as results of the investigation of the
| municipal departments by the Special Assem-
| bly, Committee. If these measures become laws
they will bring about greatly needed reforms in
! the Offices of the County Clerk, Surrogate, Sher
| if and Register.
There is some difference of opinion in regard
to making the Park Department single headed.
But the weight of argument seems to be
in favor of such a change. The power
to appoint the new Park Commissioner
under this act will be lodged with the.
next Mayor. He will be chosen with n view of
assuming such responsibility. The bill offers
prospect of an improved administration
of the affairs of the Park Department.,
the need of which no one Will deny.
In line with that reform is the
one that will follow if the Assembly passes
Senator Gibbss bill to give the next Mayor the
power to appoint Commissioner of Public
Works and Corporation Counsel. This meas
IRE is oae of the most important now before
the Legislature. 1t passed the Senate
unexpected opposition in the Assembly.
1t is said to lack ten votes of enough to assure
its becoming law. Ii will be diScredit-
able TO the Republicans in the Assembly if obey
permit such a wise measure to be lost. Against
it not a single reason, worthy of consideration,
has been advanced.
TO defeat Senator Gibbss bill the same evil
influences have been at work with those
used in the cndeavOr to get the Senate Commit
tee which investigated the Department OF
Public W Orl,s to bring in embarrassing re-
port. Such an effort succeeded with a previous
committee because it was induced to stop TAX
ing testimony. While the present committee has
not from lack of time, exposed all the scandalOuS
abuses that prevail in the Public Works De-
partmcnt, yet 1t has made many damaging
disclosures, fully warranting the removal OF
the head Of the department. \ whitewashinS
report under such circumstances would expose
the members OF the committee to serious crit
icism. But ii is not to be expected that the
efforts of the Department of Public Works III
that direction will be successful. The
reportvwhich is due this week will no doubt be
an honest one.
Among the measures which will probably
buttons proposing amendments to the COnStitu-
ton in regard to the sef-goycrnmcnt Of cities.
Both of these resolutions have passed previous
Legislature, and only require the approval Of
this one to be sent to the people for final adOp-
ton. One OF these measures is known as the
Andrews Amendment, and is No. G34
on the Assembly file. The vicious
character of this amendment has al
ready been exposed 1t would faSten
upon the people of this city, with
out hope of change, all the evils that now
exist in the City Government. The fact that
Assemblyman " Jimmy Oliver stands sponsor
for the measure is enough to condemn it with
the public. The other proposed amendment
No. 673 of the Assembly file, introduced by
Mr.. Van Allen, and No. 800 in the Senate,
introduced by Mr.. Daggett, has an entirely diff
ferent purpose in view. 1t proposes TO restrict
the indebtedness of city to 10 per cent of the
value of its taxable property. Such an enact
ment cannot too soon be engraftcd upon the Con-
stitution. There are projects now under way
to increase the debt of this city from fifty to
seventy millions of dollars The sooner the
city is saved from such danger the better.
The Civil Service bill, and the one to improve
the Sinking Fund of the city, are pending in the
Senate, having been passed by the Assembly.
There are several other important measures re-
lating to the city which ought to go through
without fail. The time remaining for work is
short, and the members cannot be too vigilant
in watching opportunities to advance these re-
forms. The record yet to be made by the Legis-
laturc will largely determine its character with
the voters in November.
a DEFENSIVE C1HPAiGNp
TIE Ereaing Post with Pecksnifian gesture
deprccates "a defensive campaign" for the