New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-03-25

| AMENDING THE STREET CLEANING BILL.
The Senate on Wednesday, before passing the
excellent measure providing for a new and i'm
proved system Of street cleaning, adopted several
amendments. All of these amendments, we re-
gIet to say, were without warrant; all weaken
the bill, since they arc palpably in the interest
of extravaganza They have behind them no
public sentiment The city officials have not
recommended them; nor, 20 FAR as we are aware
have any private citizens pctitoned the Legs
laturc for their passage. Hence Senators Brown
and Roesch in Offering and pushing them must
be assumed to stand simply for themselves and
the men who will be benefted-at the expense
Of the taxpayers, if the bill as amended becomes
a law-rather than fer the metropolis.
These amendments sensibly increase the eX-
nenditure for street cleaning. The original bill
as prepared by the Citizens Committee gives the
Supe rintendent of the STRENGTHENING Depart
melt an annual salary of Sc, and provides
him with a deputy at $4,000 year. We take
il that ninetv-nine of our citizens out OF every
hundred will agree with lis that these are liberal
fcures. But they do not satisfy Senator Brown.
In his easy going generosity with other peoples
money he successfully championed amendments
giving the Superintendent $1,000 instead Of
So. 600. and his deputy $4,000 instead OF
81. 600.
Nor 70 he outdone in this sort of munificcncc
Senator Roesch secured the adoption of a motion
giving the sweepers and The drivers $50 month.
The original bill gave them $50 month. Isn't
$50 a month frst-rate pay for such services as
drivers and swecpers render? No one who
knows what he is talking about will deny that
il is. Under our present wrctched system OF
street cleaning not few houScholders realizing
that if they are to enjoy the blessing OF clean
streets in front of their own premises they must
not rely upon the treet-Clcaning Department,
engage men at their own expense to sweep up
the dirt and cart il away. These h0uSehoIdeis
find no difficulty in securing all the efhcena
sweepers and drivers they want AT $40 month
Where. then, is the justification for Senator
Roesch's amendment? 1t and the others are the
outcome Of demagogy of the most vicious sort. an
effort to acquire personal political capital at the
general expense.
The bill is now before the Assembly for it's
action 1t is to be hoped that the representatives,
of the metropolis will insist upon passing it as it
reached Albany striking out the amendments
in question Independent Of this measure, bills
calling in the aggregate for Sc, 100000 of the
money of this city are now on the files OF tho
Legislature. Is it not high time to pat on the
brakes On another page We print rcmon-
STRANGE against the amendments, signed by lead
ing members Of he Citizens Committee. II is
brief remonstrance, but weighty one "TheSc
amendments" it says, "by increasing salaries
and wages will increase the expense Of street
cleaning under this act nearly 100000 per
annum without in any way benefiting the tax
payers. Liberal salaries and wages had already
been provided in the original bill" 1t is i'm
possible to believe that any lawmaker who de-
sizes to deal fairly by this city will stand by
this naked grab. Let the amendments be voted
down.