New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-05-06

allowed to continue for so many years,
although attention has been frequently called
20 them in the newspapers. Judge Wallace ex-
presses the opinion that his predecessors were
undoubtedly misled by a plausible presenta-
ton of the facts on the part of the Com-
missioner" 1t is only another evidence OF the
difficulty In reforming a thoroughly rooted
abuse in public Office. The same kind OF
plausibiity that continued Commissioner Dun
can in Office has served to shield such a faithess
city official as Commissioner Thompson,
although the abuses in his department have
been far worse than those in the Shipping Office.
The way In which a worthy act can be counter
balanced by bad one was well illustrated last
night in the State Senate. After approving the
proposed constitutional amendment restricting
the indebtedness of cities and limiting the tax
rate, the Senate passed Tin" Campbells
ridiculous bill, authorizing the Police Com
missiOncrs to appoint 500 additional patrolmen.
If this bill becomes law it will add over
100000 to the city's burdens. Already the
Legislature has added nearly q million dollars
TO the city's expense account by increasing the
pay Of policemen and appropriating twenty-five
per cent of the excise moneys for the benefit OF
the Police Pension Fund. The Fire Depart
ment bill to the same purpose will probably
pass. 1t is time to halt in such work The folly
of the Campbell bill is self evident, as the Beard
of Estimate now has the power to authorize
the appointment of additional patrolmen. Does
the Legislature know more about the city's
needs in that respect than its authorized repre-
sentatives in the Board of Estimate. In one
De1;o tod n n1uph llrppr
number of patrOmen than were authorized by
the Board of Estimate. II that action was legal
there is certainly no need of further legislation.
There is a prospect that the Senate will vote
to-day on Senator Flyes Shipping bill. 1t
differs in several important particulars from the
House bill. which was loaded down with an abb
surd amendment admitting free of duty vessels
of over 1000 tons burden, although retaining
the tariff rates on the raw materials used in the
construction of ships. About ninety per cent
of the cost of a vessel is represented III the labor
expended on it. Hence, free ships would mean
the speedy extinction of American yards, as
labor could not be procured here at the low
rates paid in Europe. This same difficulty Is
met in securing seamcn, Americans declining to
work for the wages paid to foreigners. Amerl-
can vessels constructed in Europe and manned
by foreign scamen would not form the kind OF
q merchant marine that the country wants. Oh
the many wise provisions i'll the Senate bill, one
Of the most important is that which allows in
creased pay for carrying the foreign mails in
American bottoms Last year $4,000 was
paid to our own ships for that service. Even
Canada paid 100000 to ncr vessels, while
France expended in the same way, TG,4II,OOO.
In fifty years England has paid ont
$3.50. OOO. OCO on mail contracts to her ships
thus extending to them ample protection.
Under the Senate bill $1,j00,000 might be
paid on mail contracts in one year. But the
Democrats no doubt will prefer to cXpcnd many
times that sum in constructing costly buildings
in country villages and in alleged Improvements
on unknown rivers.