New-York tribune., 1884-03-23

70 loosen the hold of the politicians on Boston
and other municipalities in the OLD Cohn,on-
wealth. 1t will be well for the New-1orK
Senate to act promptly on the like measure
sent TO it last week by the Assembly.
Such COMPARISONS as those made by the testi-
monv before the Senate Committee yesterday
must be particularly odiOus TO MIR. thompson.
They proye that under his administration IL
costs the city more than twice as much to clean
buildng as it costs other owners OF property
TO do similar work; and everybody familiar
with the buildings under Mr.. Thompson's care
knows that in point of cleanliness they VIII ho'
stand comparison with any well-kept private
building. The testimony taken yesterday aiso
showed that in levying political assessment 7l
the Public Works Department dld not cN1n
spare the widows and orphans. otree'-spiinA-
ing routes left to support such helpless peiso"'
| had to pay per cent to Mr. Ihoihpsoh i'i''"'
Tho renort made to the Mayor yesterday, III
recard to the accounts of the Attorney for the
| Collection of Arrears of Personal Taxes, pre-
sents some interesting facts. In theseven years
that F. ID. Gale held that Office before his death
in 1882. he paid into the city treasury only
l..
! received S54, 1854 from that source. This makes
clear the fact that Gales defalcatlon was hucn
larger than has been generally supposed HAD
the Commissioners of Accounts done their duty
and discovered Mr. Gales stealings when lhey
began. or before his death, the city might nave
| been saved large amount OF money. Inc re-
| mort does not explain why the receipts or thls
office. during the wear of the present lncum-
bent's term, have been less than during
| the wear his immediate predecessor held
the Office. 1t is to be hoped that politlcai
| duties do not interfere with the collection
of taxes; or is 1t because the present lax
| Commissioners do their work more thoroughly
| than their predecessors
The people of this State ought to know that
| powerful lobby is now at work at Albany to
defeat any straightforward practical measure
| for the preservation of the Adirondack forests
and that some of the bills introduced IN the
Legislature are apparently nothing but hypocrlt-
| ical devices to prevent any action Whatever OIL
| the subject In another column the Commlt'ee
| of the Chamber of Commerce, which Is 1aith-
| fully endeavoring to secure the state against
great calamity, records its objections TO several
hills now before the Legislature, and briefly
| states the provisions which any bill must con-
tain in order to meet its approval. Some of the
opposition which the Chamber of Commerce
! Committee has encountered would doubtless
disappear if the peoples representatives at
Albany could only be made to realize that there
are public- spirited citizens who are Wiling, al
their own expense to expend time and ciiort
for the public good and that zeal does not al
WAYS conceal job. We invite special attention
to the committees letter.
1t is highly desirable that public interest III
legislation at Albany for the benefit OF tins
! CITY should not anguish. For that reason the
mass meeting to be held in Cooper Institute on
| Thursday night ought to be largely attended
The influence of the previous meeting at which
the Citizens Committee of fitty-three was
appointed, has been beneficial at Albany, be-
cause it served to show to the rural members OF
the Legislature what the people OF this city
| wanted. The meeting on Thursday night VIII
approve worthy municipal measures now before
| the Legislature, along with such new bills as may
be agreed upon. bill ought to be prepared Ill
| accordance with the suggestion made by FRO
| fessOr Dwight yesterday, adding to the mem
bership of the Board of Estimate. That body
should have the sole right to determine the
gross expenditures in all departments All
special laws. such as those giving the Dock De-
partment and the Commissioner of Public
Works the right to expend millions of dollars
annually without the authority of the Board OF
Estimate, ought to be repealed. 1t would be
well to have the city budget made up in OctO-
ber previous to the annual election, instead OF
in December, when there is less fear OF the
wrath of the taxpayers. A vigorous expression
of public opinion in favor of such legislation
will make it comparatively easy for the New
York members to secure favorable action at
Albany.