New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-01-06
BEYOND THE BIG BRIDGE.
WHAT PEOPLE IN BROOKLYN FIND TO TALK
ABOUT

txree VI
Committee Peculiar interest attaches to this for
| 49,. r.asors ono is that the committee VIII be more
numerous than ever before as 'he representation OF
the various wards and the four county towns Is based
| on the vote for Governor, ana inc Noe Tor Warner
Miller was much larger than that Tor Ira Davenport
The other is that an attempt has oeeh MADE ia certain
quarters TO create the impression mat the party Is
| sr,aod Franklin Woodrtld was early In tbs field as
a candidate for the chairmanship Of the committee.
II Is not likely that there was al any 'hc any serious
| opposition him. But an eHoi' was MAUI 10 sNo
| the impression that he would not DO acceptable 20
| some members, and the chairman Oh inc committee
| for last wear. David a. Baldwin, was urged to be-
! ~. candidate against woodruff. II there
apv o,nosition of consequence, however, II has all
died out and Mr. woodruff will doubtless DO the
| unanimous choice of the delegates fot chairman lie
| is a man of fine and commanding presence and will
WELD the gavcl with ability and dignity
| Brooklyn IS still Democratic city III spite OF The
| gains which tho Republicans are steadily making
| Nevertheless with the beginning oil tho year the re
publicans entered upon tho possession OF The second
| of the three principal county Offices which arc con
| troI,sd nv them Five of the seven Sherfs elected
I'm the last twenty years have been Republicans, In
Gliding tho present incumbent, and there have been
Republican Registers in that period but for the first
time in almost a quarter OF century the ONCE OF
| County Clerk Is filed by Republican. Cap
tain Kaiser's victory was a crcdfab'e one; the moro
tionabe candidate except in so lar a. ne was rep
| resentative of the Democratic machine. Tho Re-
publican party should not lose sgnt OF Tho lesson
which Captain Kaser's success suggests IL IS GER
fanIy a gratifying circumstance that Doth tho Sheriff
and the County Clerk now Republicans The
next duty In will be to put Republican In the
Mayors Office
County Clerk Kaiser has done wise and popular
| thing in rcappointing George @. barnard as Ma
| DO
renders him almost indis pensable aiG he IS so we'll
| and favorably known among lawyers that his con-
tinuancc the Office he has so long nllcd VIII give
| general satisfaction Among the officials OF Brook
Ign Mr. Barnard entitled to stand In Tho first rank on
| the score Of possessing a handsome face and figure.
But beyond that, he IS always courteous and obligng
and is descrvedly popular. 1t Is not probable that
he will be displaced by any OF the successors OF
tho present County Clerk
| Although no women havo yet been appointed on
the Brooklyn Board of Education 1t Is gratifying to
learn that Mayor Chaplin went so far as to offer an
appointment to ono of the well known ladies OF tho
CITY, II WILL be a. matter Of regre: the part Of
many since the fact has become known ar this late
day, that Mrs. sranahan did not see her way clear
| to accepting the offer made 1t appears that Mrs.
Sranahan visited by the Mayor himself, the Rev.
Dr. storrs Corporation Counsel jerks and others,
but she was busily engaged at that time her re-
| comfy published History of French Painting and
after three days. consideration She decided that she
could not AFFORD the time necessary for tho proper
discharge of the dudes Of a member OF the Board OF
Education Probably If Mrs. stranahan had decided
otherwise Mr. Chaplin would have chosen another
lady 10 sit with her In the Board He Will have
other chance when the appointments como to be made
this year. and 1t is sincerely to be foped that he will
not be discouraged by his non-suoccss on the first
trial. Women so deeply interested In the schools
| which their children attend that IT IS not strange
that the enlightened sentiment Of to-day demands
that they should have a direct voice In the manage
| ment Of the publlcschool system.
| In regard 10 the recent accident the Bridge
railroad It has been officially announced the result
of the investigation made that OF the employees
was at fault. That accident of this Kind could
happen and yet be TO blame llttlc diff
cult for tho average mind TO comprehend The Bridge
| authorities seem to have perceived the Inconsistency
Of the attitude taken. At any rate they have
solved to adopt additional automatic signals. with
the Idea Of preventing the of like accident
This is undoubtedly wise. 1t is likewise confession
that not all the necessary precautions against
rcnces OF this nature had been taken. IL would have
been wiser TO foresce the possibility Of what might
happen and to provide the needful safeguards betmes
But better late than President Howelrs talk
by the way. about the accident being no Of
the publics is calculated to I'm way that he
did not look far enough ahead Tho public
temper in regard to the Bridge management is becom
Ing moro and moro aroused and the efforts TO allay
IL cannot long prevail Governor Hill has not tho
same motive for refusing approve a reorganza~
ton bill that he had when the last session of tho
Legislature closed. Tho bringing forward Of another
bill ought not to be long delayed after Speaker Cole
makes up his committees and the lawmakers at Albany
settle down to their winters work
1t is almost laughablc to contemplate the efforts
that are made from time to time TO render the path
Of the Bridge trustees pleasant one to walk in.
The difficulty Of getting quorum of eleven out OF
the twenty members made 1t impossible to hold any
meetings for nearly six months last year Now It
is proposed to seek legislative authority for reducing
the quorum TO seven. I believe that is the mum
bcr, but that makes little difference II a quorum
can be any less than majority, why should the
line be drawn at seven The thing to do saws
one familiar with tho subject not reduce the
quorum to seven but reduce It to zero SO far as
the present Board Of Trustees is concerned. Let US
wipe the slate Clean Let us have new deal This
bulky Board of twenty has long outved its use
fllness, and cannot be too got rid Of be-
ieve tho chance of getting bill through giving
Che right sort of Bridge management, is better this
winter than ever before. 1t Will be highly desirable
however, to get the matter before tho Legislature
early. Both times when bills abollshiDg the Board
OF Trustees have been passed, 1t has been very late
In the season. That is, think, why they
have failed'
| Legislation relating TO Brooklyn has begun early
THIS year One least Of the bills already introduced
deserves favorable Considerations That IS the one
providing for return 10 the ward system of eecting
Aldermen The change IN this matter MADE six years
ago has not accomplished the result hoped for The
election Of Aldermen by districts and by the city at
large and the fact that under this system salaries
are paid, has not resulted I'm bringing into the Board
better class of citizens II anything 1t has operated
In the opposite direction The bill introduced Tues
day proposes to return to the old system whereby half
the wards elect Aldermen year, and the other half
the next year. This Is good bill TO pass. though
probably the best plan would be have the entire
Board elected every second year, tho term
coincding with that OF the Mayor Certainly
the city be no served than It has been un
der the law Of 1889 and the principle of ward repre-
scntatlon seems to be the one, long as the