New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-06-11
THE STREETS.


The Aldermen took hold of the street-cean-
ing problem yesterday, and amended the rub
bish ordinance by adding clause which Tor
bids the scattering of paper OF any kind. If
this restriction is rigidly enforced and especial
" against persons who, being hired TO as
tribute circulars, content themselves WIN
thrusting their notices at the passer-by ana
dropnine them at his feet if he declines them
some procress toward cleanliness will soon be
discernible. The difficulty is, however, that
the new prohibition will not be enforced
During the reign of the good but misplaced
Ioomis great Joy was impaired to many inno-
cent and confding bOsoms by the announce
ment that at last, owing to the Unsuitable zeal
and insistence of our benefcent Mayor the
Police Department had been instructed to CO.
onerate with the Commissioner to the full eX-
tent of its authority. We were all led to ex-
rcct revolutionary results and many citizen
cot I'M at an unreasonable hour in the morning
in hope of beholding the majestic spectacle or
an arrest for violation of city ordinance. III
was understood that the courts would eagerly
lend a hand and that within week or TWO
at latest the rarest object in the town would
be man who had not been fined for depositins
rubbish where it didn't belong. We believe
that rs many as three separate individuals were
solemnly instructed from the bench not 10 40
it again. and there ended the police cruSaue.
Scraps of paper are unsightly, when viewed
one by one, but lying as they do IN the streets
of this metropolis, as thick as leaves IN Val
lambrosa. they are a hideous Disagreement 70
surfaces which without them might be reason
ably clean. There is not a block of palaces IN
the CITY which is not liable to be strewn win
these fiuttering remnants, and few indeed are
the citizens whose consciences reproVe them
for contributing to DETACHMENT of this sort.
We are n community of sinners IN TINS re-
sncct. and no mistake. The American stand
ard is low. and ideas are confused. The mill
ionaire who tears up and throws 10 the winds
the letter which he doesn't care to keep has
small reason to complain of the green grocer
whose stale vegetables somehow find their way
into the gutter We congratulate the Alder
men upon their virtuouS posture. 1hey nave
done a good thing. Thousands OF newspapers
in which their action is recorded will be lying
peacefully on our thoroughfareS before night
but that will not be their fault.
II is to be observed with satisfaction also
that the Board of Health is taking into CON
sidcration the manifold proofs of Commissioner
Bcatties appalling deficiencies. That body
possesses sufficient power of summary action to
accomplish great benefits at such junc'urc as
this. if only it possess the moral courage to
| assert its authority. Tre condition Of the city
is now absolutely vile Mr.. Beatte, of whom
| when he assumed the municipal broom we
spoke many pleasant and hopeful words for
which we pray to be forgiven, has actually
been UP TO this time wretched substitute Tor
Mr.. LOOMS, and not fit to be mentioned in the
same lustrum with the lamented Coleman, 10
whose administration the city now looks back
as the golden age Of the department. Mr..
Beattie is always on the verge of doing some
thing tremendous, and he may eventually
plunge over the brinSand do it. He has spent
Dot of money on uniforms and badges, after
gaudy and superfuous fashion, and when he
has toyed with this variety of nonsense to his
hearts content, let us still hope that he may
take a notion to 90 to work. By authority OF
the Legislature he is 10 have hereafter the
direct assistance and control of sixty police
men and they ought to be able, among them
to carry out the plan of enforcing the city
ordinances TO which we have made alluson
and which proved so dismal failure when
| first tried