New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-04-16
NEwyoRK DAILY TRIBUNE, THURSDAY oTwELvE

be assisted by such clerical aides as the heads Ut the
departments may assent to.
The Committee. therefore, recommends the pass
age Of a Dill TO that eject. The Board Of Commls-
sioncrs OF Taxes and Assessments is TO constitute
Board of Revision and Correction OF all assessment
list. The report continues
STRENGTHENING DEPARTMENT.
a most thorough investigation of the Department
Of Street Cleaning shows that the service Of the de-
partment Is very unsatisfactory and inadequate. The
head of the department admitted in terms. that the
law was not compiled with
Tho law Is mandatory. 1t imposes no limitations
upon expenditure. 1t simply requires the work to DO
done and tho duty Is imposed in the clearest and most
distinct terms possible But the work Is not done:
the department be not sufficiently provided with funds
The duty Is on the Board Of Estimate and Apporron.
ment to maze sufficient appropriation 10 enable tie
work 20 be done II that duty Is not performed tho
Board OF Estimate and App0rtionmeDt Is 10 blame
a sufficient appropriation being made, it Is the duty
Of the Mayor 70 sec that the department. is so admins
tered and the appropriation expended to secure
admission Of responsibility and pledge Of performance
This duty has not been performed and the pledge has
The responsibility for the failure OF the adminstra-
ton In the performance Of this simply ply taSs .,
Estimate and APpoltionment Il It has not made
sufficient iS second upon the >, styss
Cleaning, for not compelling the latter TO adopt n
system which would spend the money actually appro'
missioner Of Street Cleaning himself for his failure to
establish a system which will secure the best work
competent men from employment In the department,
well for his failure 70 establish an
system according TO which the work might be done
in the most systematic and methodlCal way.
We have not regarded 1t as our duty finding 5e law
and certain to attempt to take part IN the municipal
administration by suggesting any method OF internal
% we nave gone s1eG lar and 70 Mans ans
OF work according to which the task OF street
ipal authorities themselves to say whether or mol
some such system shall be adopted. The City Ord.
nances, the Sanitary Code, the police regulations and
the Consolidation Act will have to be brought into
more complete harmony and their several provisions
thoroughly coornated in order TO make the law easily
enforceable. This can be done by the commission to
revise the ordinances
The committee recommend the repeal of Chapter
$50 Of the Laws of 1888, which permits the ran,
road companies, without license, to Sprinkle sand
the streets TO any extent to which they may
see fit. The report continues:
THE CIVIL SERVICE.
The investigation Of the departments into which
the committee has gone demonstrates that while in
certain respects the Civil Service laws have worked
well, g. g., In the Fire Department, the service
Is still by no means what it should be, and the
Civil Service laws require many changes to be made
thoroughly efficient.
CONCLUSION.
Your committee has secured very large amount OF
most valuable material relative to the government OF
cities generally in this State and elsewhere, which II
does not report at this tme because to complete and
perfect it still requires the expenditure of much care and
attention Our present suggestions TO the Legislature
are confined points which seem TO US to be OF press
ing necessity The cities of this State are business as
we'll as political corporations They are business cor
poratiOns of the first magnitude. They are business
corporations whose wise ior hnwise manageine FEM
touches more closely the welfare Of the people than
that of any other corporation whatsoever 1t IS not
for the committee or for the Legislature to speculate
upon the question to whether or not their admins
tTatiOn be kept divorced from politics. ~ IS Ou
duty however to make the law such that whoever may
be the parties the individuals responsible FOR the
government of the city, they shall find absolutely ne
excuse for bad management in the condition OF TIT
| laws.