New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-01-18

City institutions can be Just VOL managed by the
suits from the voluntary supervision of the advisory
committees comm. whom | hope to secure D1t there
the transfer Of the asyums to tho control of tho
State The city now pays the entire cost Of Its own
insane asylums, and forty per cent OF tho cost
OF the state asyums. This is neither reasonable
nor Just Il tho present system Is to be Continued
Inst ne ought to be funded from the State Treasury,
less the usual charge per capita paid by the counties
asylums.
THE BOARD OF EDUCATION.
This Board consists of twcnty-one commissioners
whose terms of Office expire one-thlrd each year.
This constitution OF the board is the result of very
long experience descending from the old Public
School Society Of this city. of which Dc Wit Clinton
was the first president IT has a largo experience,
and would be dangerous, except for wcighy reasons
seem TO be the slightest occasion for suggesting any
change; but the obligation Of the Mayor to select
the very important duties conhded to them is of tho
most serious character. In filling the vacancies
which occurred during the present year was glad
to find that there was occasion to make any
change. Mr.. Isaac Bell, who had ondearcd himself
TO his fellow citizens by faithful service for more
than twenty years commissioner, finally. de-
cllned to accept reappoIntment on account OF the
commissioner who, by long previous service, had
earned the confidence of the community shall pur-
falling in the next year. for nothing could, In my
Judgment, be moro damaging to the public interests
the Board OF Education. beginning has been made
toward the Introduction of Industrial training into the
public school system The experiment Will be y,-:ched
with very great interest by all classes Of tine co1mu
nifty For many years IL has been apparent that tho
avenues for Instruction in the of tools being
steadily closed up to tho rising generation in this
city. The result has been the growth of what arc
SnTc pSe for S W n aa T TSey
shtute ono of the crying evils OF the times, and tho
euro their suppression. But they ought never to
have existed and never would exist If these boys
could find an outlet for their energies In mechanical
pmplONmHnts E. that
different kind of education Shouts be supplied In
addition to that which has heretofore been given
In the public schools. No boy should be allowed TO
grow up without some knowledge of tho use of tools
which will enable him to engage in a practical EN-.
pOyment where his hands as well as his head may
be turned to profitable account II the present OK
pertinent shall give promise Of success shall urge
additional appropriations In the next tax lcvy Tor the
extension Of the system far It may be possible
to 90 without interfering with the ordinary elementary
education which the State should provide Tor us
children.
Serious complaints have been male to me that the
appointment of teachers goes by favor rather than
by the merits of the applicants. These appointments
made by the Trustees Of the schools and not by
The Commissioners. 1t seems to me that an eligible
list should be formed from among the graduates OF
the Normal College, which Is organized for the edu-
cation of teachers. and that ont of this list the APP
poinments Should be made In the order of seniority
But in that the appOintccs should be taken on
probation, for period Of three or six months, and
dismissed If at ,h> end Of that time they are found
to be incompetent or unsuccessful a teachers.
There Is great demand for additional school ac-
commodaons In the UPPER part OF the Guy Iro,
school but for the others, which ao equally nee
essary, it is deemed wiser to apply to the Dgsiatue
for authority TO Issue bonds, so as TO distribute tne
cost over a longer period OF time. If this authority
he refused however, 1t will be necessary largely 10
1t is found that the expenditures for education cor
res pond almost exactly with those Tor the ponce
but il NAV be affirmed that any attempt to curtall
tho expenditures for education would be followed by
a CORES pondng increase In the cost OF me ponco
system 30 that, while money would be saved inc
moral tono of the community Wouiu DC lO"Iou al"
Lo safety of society impenled
THE DOCK DEPARTMENT.
Under the existing laws all the receipts from the
docks paid tho Treasury to the credit Oh the
sinking Fund for the Payment of Principal and IntereS
of the CITY Debt, and all the expenses Of the DOCK
Deparment Including rol airs, construction saailcs
and running expenses paid by the issue OF bonus
This constitutes an exception to the general practice
vi .n cSrenscs are maid out of taxation. This
exception Is, however, JUSTIFIED 10y tno lao o ms
Snhcd dcbt Rut IL inv Olives one great evil which
should and can be corrected without delaS h poc1
Department, because, unlike all other departments,
thIs De oartnient does not come before the bodIu
of Estimate and Apporonment for an annmai ap
DroprIation to meet it's current expenses THIS ar
rangement confers upon the DOCK Def arIlcn ny, al
privilege which Is abnormal and dangerous, anu n''
remedy for this soecsm in the City Government, i
recommend that tho Dock Department sha n p no
time to time make It's acquisitions upon inc boaru
OF Estimate and AppOrtiOnment, ana snan % ~
strIctcd to such expenditures as tho boan ed my hy
the Iosnc OF bonds In tho same manner as the DOCK
bonds arc issued
TIE CIVIL SERVICE LAW.
find that the Civil Service EN- works we'll
IN tho civ Government, and it has raised and Is
raising tho standard of official duty IN inc sever"
Tho provision relating to tho preference
to no given to veterans Isl however, dfa"o~oA
and shoud DO abrOgated. These Veterans nav W.,
generally reached an age witch nn rsonnd of Of
the performance Of many OF the duues .eqv ,ern
ordinary clerks All the departments Oh inc sot ,
ment arc subjected to constant em9irrdssiaeI n '
this provision which is ony an co afTe and is not,
I believe approved by the more ,hleiIcn' az pi nt
am sure desire to be he ueSloSero , %, 'h0
which underlIcs the Civil Service system
THE SATURDAY HALF HOLIDAY
Another evil which requires prompt attention IS
the Saturday halfhollday provided Tor Dy inc las.
Legislature. In this city, 1t operates III TINS "'99
tho cmnoyes I'm private concerns either 90 not get to
hodav or get it by losing the wages which otherwise
tbcv would earn. 1t IS, therefore, largely personal
sacrifice so far as they concerned ana TINS same
result could be arrived at by voiuithy tbe inter-
between employees anu emPio1'i''
yentlon of the law. +, .roor,oa ,be holt
SO far public employment Is CO. eu the law
conne,s those who produce the fund out OF when 'e9e
salaries paid not only no pay G n lU for the holiday
of those whom they support in the public service rid
This is gross injustice to the producers and Sh9niu
ho nromntlv corrected by corresponding IeuuoViOh
in he SALARIES paid to the public officials. .
mt the public service suffers by this reducuon, 10
the hours Of attendance to the extent OF ~
Tn the MAYORS Office II has been found hpossio1 ~
keep up with the current work. eXcep. oy inc NO
lion ~ more force for whose compensation no pro
Vision has been made. Besides am constantly en-
barrassed by the closing Of the other department. 90
,ho citv poyernment at noon, and citizens who nave
business on Saturday with the public ofiicla,s are ps'
to great inconvenience and annoyance % a nav be
fore as this city is concerned trust that So S 20
exem pied from the operation Of law wheh cuJotS
be better adapted to rural tastes thar onsonant with
~ great city, II would be more consonahht
The habits and customs of our people TO n or
Cor The nresent lfhoday running through inc Sodl;
whole holiday on Saturdays In July ana Ausus'; sp
This arrangement would not work any Serious u0'ff
ment to the public interest.
THE ELECTION LAW.
III am right in my conclusions as to the causes
and remedies for the evils Of the municipal govern
ment 1t will be evident that many ot'tho an,iuo'o'
1900, In Tho mast are in the nature of quack nos
trims recommended by persons well-meanlng douht-
less but ignorant alike Of the facts ana tho poP n
treatment OF the diseases I'm the body polite opins
elections have been suggested as an eihcieht
Int II masses nv comprehension how such chahso
thn M H on