New-York tribune., 1884-01-02

ing trains obstructed from those travelling the
si5eTs sa:a "iaa 100 fee: Of tn: crossing I'D
y5%S!s 5a5i5 i q s%s5 nc 5:$: s55
during the last fye years; -. - ~ 2ss
ings protected by gates or agnen............ 119
The question of freight rates railroads has been
considered by the Board, In connection with bill
referred TO them by the last Senate involving that
subject and report will as soon as possible be subj
mitted, which II Is hoped will aid Just and wtss
legislation regarding this question.
A number of laws and amendments 10 existing
statutes will In duo time be presented by the Board
for the consideration of the Legislature. As these
will be the result of intelligent reflection and in@
qury and will have relation 10 important interests,
trust they will receive careful attention.
STATE SUPERVISION OF CORPORATONs
The action of the Board in requiring the filing Of
quarterly reports by the railroad companies, ex-
hbting their financial condition. is a most im+
portant step IN advance, and should be abundanty
sustained. 1t would, in my opinion, be a most
valuable protection 10 the people 4 other large
corporations were obliged to report TO some de-
paTtment their transactions and financial condition.
The State creates these corporations upon tho
theory that some proper thing Of Deneht can DO
better done by them than by private enterprise,
and that the aggregation Of the funds OF many III
diyiduals may be thus proiitabiy employed. lley
are launched upon the public with the seal OF the
State, in some sense upon them They are permit,
ted to represent the advantages they possess and
the wealth sure to follow from admission to mem
bership. In one hand is held charter from tho
State, and in the other is prOfered their stock.
IL Is fact, singular though well established,
that people will pay their money for stock IN a
corporation engaged IN enterprises IN which lhey
would refuse to invest If in private hands.
1t is a grave question whether the formation Of
these artificial bodies ought not to be checked or
better regulated and III some way supervised.
At any rate they should always be kept well IN
hand and the funds of its citizens should be pro-
tccted by the State which has invited their invest
- he
the corporate property, nOtoriously they are Often
times completely in the power Of the directors and
managers, who 10y this means acquire uaJOrlty OK
the stock and by this means perpetual their con
troll using the corporate property and igr
their benefit and lroht, regardless 0i tAe interests
and rights of the minority stockholders. Immense
salaries are paid TO officers transactions are con-
summated by which the directors make money,
while be rank and lie among the stocknoidcr5 !Dso
it; the honest investor waits for dividends aG th'
directors grow rich 1t Is suspected TOO t't largo
sums are spe't under various dsgulses III Efforts 10
II is not consistent to claim that the citizen must
protect himself, by refusing to purchase stock lno
law constantly recognizes the fact that peOp,e
should be defended from false representations and
from their own folly and Cupldlty. Ii punshcs OBJ
tanning goods By false pretcnces, gambling aad
If is n hollow mockory to direct the owner Of a
small amount OF stock one of these institutions
to the courts. Under existing statutes, the laws
delay, perpleXlty and uncertainty leads but to de-
The State should either refuse 70 allow these cor
poratIons to exist under It's authority and patron
age or OwlCdLing tAcrpIts srnlty SndItsTospOn-
sihility shUuld p.OyIde a simple, easy way Tor MS
people whose money Is invested, ana the pubI1
generally to discover how the funds 3t these luStI-
tutiOnS are spent and how their affairs are conduct
ed. 1t should at the same time provide a way Dy
which the squaudcrlng or misuse OF corporate lUt5
would be made good &C. the pdrtlc, injured thereby.
This might well be accomplished by requiring
cOrpoTatlOus 10 frequently ille reports made OuJ
with the utmost detail, and which would NOT allow
lobby expenses to be hidden under the pSete4t ot
vouchers and sworn to by the Officers making men,
showing pa ticularly the debts liabilities eApehd!-
lures and property OF the COOPERATION Iet TINS tr
port be delivered 70 some appropriate department.
or officer who shall audit and examine the same
provi le that a false oath TO such account
shall be perjury, and make the directors IaDie 10
refund tG the injured stock holders any expenditure
which shall be determined improper 0y the AUDITING
authority. ,,, =.
stock speculation. but they would protect the lhlo-
cent investors; they might make the management
of corporations moro troublesome, Dtt tillS oush.
not to be considered when the projection OF the
neouIe is the matter in hand. ltwOult prevent cor
norate Efforts 10 influence legislation; the honestly
conducted and strong corporations would nave
nothing to fear; the badly managed ana weak ouSAI
THE CIVIL SERVICE.
During the year the provisions of the act passed.
by the last Legislature to regulate and improve tho
civil service Of the State has been put into operation
Fortunately commission was secured whose meh-
bers were in hearty sympathy with the principles
of the law and wLo possessed much practical lnOWl-
cd ce of the needs of the public service. The com
mission tse If was also fortunate in securing tho
services of Silas W. Burt as ChIet Examiner "h"o
experience il. public affairs ana iamlldtIy WIN
the best methods Of regulating the clFu scI'l,o
enahIed him t. render invaluable assistance to tuo
commission aud the state The preliminary class
hcatior and the framing 81 rnieS cohteihpateu pg
the act governing the appointments To place haNllS
bceu COMPLETED and received my approx al tlt NN5
ten viii become operative IL respect 10 al nll,S
officers and in all State institutions on the Ioul.n
day of the present month. rms work, o"l4s !,
tho diversity Of the state service ana, Ihe
number and variety of positions Affected ny
y5ig wi,b iT% manv difficulties Although some
slight revision may be necessary, on the "hoIo
am confident the scheme Will he found pra'' i'al
and effective without beng too rigorous oi Dur"oG-
In addition the commission has co-operat'd with
the mayors of cities who, under the law, nave g.
erI cIties. notably New-Y6rk and Brooklyn 2
thorough system Of civil service has been pfeP"tri
and PROMULGATED as nearly in harmony with no
state systcm az the charters ana StdtuI 'IC-a'"s
10 municipal matters will permit. -s
New-York then leads in the Inauguration oi u
comprehensive State system OF CNu s,fltIc. l"SS
principle Of selecting the subordinate euploy"N Il
tie State on the ground OF capaclty anu hlnTTN''
ascertaincd according to fixed aud impartial ThlrS
without regard 10 political productions ana WIN
reaSonoble assurance of retention aud pOmou7n
In caseof neritOrOus service, Is now the estaD>h"l
pCllcy Of the State. ThechldIenQ Of our c'tEc2 ao
educatcd and trained in schools maintained dJ
common expense and the people as whole have =
right TO demand the selection for pubHc Srf'lto
nfthoSo whose natural apttudes have been I'M
proved by the educational facilities furnished by
the state The application to the public service OK
the same rule which prevails IN ordinary D',i'g,
Of employing those whose knowledge and training
hest it thrm for the duties at hand without regard
10 other considerations, must elevate ana Hhpi"ho
the Civil Service and eradicate from II many ''s
from which it has long suffered. Not the Irtt
gratifying of the results which this system prom
fses to accomplish is reof 10 public men lrom tio
annoyance Of impoTtuuity in the strIe Tor app"l''
mcnls to subordinate places.
BUREAU or LABOR STATISTICS.
On the 4th day of May, 1888 an act was passed
providing for the appointment of CommsSion-
er of statistics of Labor" and on the l"th day ot
the same month such Commissioner was duly ap-