New-York tribune., 1890-01-01
( NEW YEAR AND 4 NEW Broom.

A NEW YEAR AND NEW Broom.
MavOr Grants certiiiCatiOn TO tir Board OF
Health that Commissioner Coleman ought in
his Judgment. to be removed wa promptly
followed by the Commissioners resignation.
In his letter TO the Mayor Mr. Colemm declares
that he is quite ready to give up hi Job, and
we are forced to believe that he is perfectly
sincere in this statement, since otherwise he
would scar,cly have ventured to make the
eXtraord'l Try declaration on Saturday last that
the streets Of New York arc clean i he had
wanted to keep his place at all lizards he
would have said that no amount OF m'noy and
skill combined could do the work VIII ch an
unreasonable community is so silly ~ o de-
mand of his department. That would a least
have been n dcbatahlc proposition, but when
he said that his performance left nothing 10
be desired. and that the thoroughflrcS d this
mctropolis are immaculate, he must have
known what would happen within forty eight
hours The hypothesis, might be advanced, 10
be sure. that Mr.. Coleman has been altully
conccaling dreadful inlirmity all these vars.
and that. having disclosed ON saturday
moment of inadvcrcncc the narrowing fact
that he is stone blind, he perceived that 10Th
ing was left him hut 20 resign. But we )oS-
seSS incOntroyertibc proof that his eyes ar all
right and therefore it must be assumed hat
he really wanted a good excuse for retling
from the service Of the city.
il now remains 10 be seen whether lcw
Commissioner will be appointed for the purpSe
of proving or di,proying the prevalent as-
>crtion that II is an impo>sihility 20 clan
and keep clean the streets Of New-l Gk.
This department of the city government
graveyard Of hopes and promises. oar STREETS
always have been disgracefully filthy, md
thousands of discouraged citizens have c'mc
10 believe that they always will bc. is 'cr-
tain that they will not compare fayoni ly "iih
the streets of many great cities ln LuoD" so
long aS the law permits them to hc tom mp
Al the discretion of every body who dcI'cS 10
experiment below the surface and rcpLccd in
accordance with the haphazard standards Of
lax or corrupt inspectors. But there is no
doubt that they could be brought TO a tate Of
cleanliness which would be absolutely sartling
to those who know them aS they now ar and
always have been. We say that they could
be brought 10 that state; there is smIl en-
couragcmcnt 10 hope that they will be, iG the
simple reason that scarcely single hranh OF
local administration j. or ever has been con
Quoted with degree OF efficiency which would
be considered even tolcrlblc by successful
firm in its.priyate business.
And vet there must be citizens Of New-NOrli
who, if they could be found and induce to
undertake this work, would speedily acom-
plSh such results that no municipal ring wMld
.In ipf ~. Luu
would cause a dreadful shock and general on
Stcrnajion and despair among the bosses Who
have long been accustomed to keep themselves
in power 10y robbinS the city 10 sec gcat
system Of public work conducted with skill md
Thrift and energy for a little leavcn lcavcrth
the whole lump and they would have gnyc
reason TO fear that the cOntagiOn might spIoad
and involve the entire community in a ON
Spiracy TO exact tn" worth Of il, money. Who
is the man 10 bring this millennium viStly
nearer? "Thc Evening Posi-" published on
Monday an exceedingly interesting and in
Stuctiyc interview with a contractor who is
now employed by private citizens 10 keep parts
Of Broadway and TWcnty-thirdSt clean, md
who finds 40 difficulty in doing 50. We nocr
heard Of him before, but we like what he tllS
Us of his system, and we like the results which
il accomplishcs. II might be worth he
Mayors while to let the claims of Tan
many politicians 10 the vacant Commissioner
ship lie over until he has had an opppr-
tunity TO investigate the methods employed
and the work done by this private contractor
for merchants who have found that they can
get no satisfaction from the public department
which they are taxed to support His chdce
of a successor to Mr.. Coleman will show
Mhelhcr he is hnni on q rlld or Il relnrm