New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-03-10
THERE INQUIRY. NAY DO GOOD.

When the Senate Committee on Cities gets
fairly at work here it might do well to turn
one of its strongest search lights on the De-
partment of Charities and Correction. Not
long ago the contractor who has been furnish
ing milk to this department pleaded guilty in
court to charges Of selling adulteiated milk
Now, surely, to the wreched inmates OF our
public hospitals to the helpless wards of the
CITY, to the feeble infants in its institutions,
only milk that is pure, sound and Wholesome
should he given. And yet the Commission
ers of Charities and Correction seem to have
taken no steps to get their milk supply from .
less tainted source after their contractor mad
confessed his crime. Such strange callousness
TO the health and comfort of the miserable
creatures in their care is almost incredible.
When MAYOR Grant had an opportunity to
fill a vacancy in this board, did he select from
the community broad minded, sympathetic
benefactor of his kind Did he pick ont
trained and accomplished student OF charitable
and reformatory systems? Did he look for Il
citizen of conspicuous ability in admnlstra-
tion-one who would put new life and vigor
into the management of this great depart
ment. who would bring order ont of confusion.
VINO WOulu cStdDlISu S'StNH "hN N-''N'N"N.
where there had been carelessnesS and sloth,
who would get for the unfortunate thousands
in the hands of the Commissioners the best OF
results from the public money appropriated for
the department? Did Mayor Grant look about
and choose a New Yorker OF such approved
ability and so conspicuous public service that
all the citizens would cry out with one voice ::
"This man can be trusted to do good work
No. The Mayor did none Of these things. lie
took a microscope and he peered through 1t at
all the smallest, pettiest partlSans whom he
could collect with a fine-tooth comb from the
ranks of Tammany Hall. and he chose from
the lot one. the most mcagrc and insignificant
Tammany centurion that he could well dis
cover and made of him a Commissioner OF
Charities and Correction.
1t can hardly be doubted that this official has
since been doing yeomans service for the
MAYOR. and Mr. Croker is making Tammany
machine out of the department. If dilisent
scrutiny should be made of the appointments 10
minor places in this department in recent years
might not the disclosures shock and appal the
people of New-Yo rll? We all remember just
where the responsibility for the wicked and
wanton appointment of Fatty" Walsh rested
Are there not troops and hordes Of g Fatty
Washes all through the subordinate places in
the HOSPITALS and institutions ia this depart
ment? In 10 part of the public service should
more care be exercised in the choice OF en-
ployes than in the selection of hospital AT
tendants and men for the delicate and divcrsi-
fed duties required in our charitable, reforma
tory and penal institutions. Is any such care
exercised in the Department OF Charities and
Correction? Is all the public money appropri
atcd for that department wisely and prudcnt'>
used? Are not the payrOllS OF hospitals. asy-
lums and prisons stuffed with names of po-
li,cal hcclcrs? The superintendent OF these
institutions are in some cases men of cXpcn
cnce and ability who have served the public
well for years in places to which they were ap-
rointcd before the Commission Of Charities and
Correction as now constituted was made up.
But is it not true that upon these Supcrn-
tendonts have been foistod many ignorant.
idle, incompetent undcrlings put there by the
partisan politicians in the Board which controls
the department? An unsparng investigation
would answer these questions and might ac-
complish great good.