New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-01-14

tractors and cranlls are kept off," McKane has
just been indicted by the Grand Jury OF Kings
County. IL Is not surprising that he is not salts
fed with tho grand jurcs All reputable people
will hope that McKane will soon be equally dis
satisfied with trial juries and with the system Of
free board and lodging provided for in certain
State institutions
Australia is not backward about coming for
ward. Its exhibit is the first to enter the
Agricultural Building on tho Worlds Fair grounds,
eight carloads having been unloaded there last
week. That far-distant country was bound not
to be left out, and forwarded this consignment
moro than two months ago. 1t is not only keep
ing up with the procession, but leading it,
A Cabinet reorganization in France involves a
rcshuGling Of the Ministerial cards until the
knayes drop out.
Some Of the directors Of the Manhattan Ele-
waited Railway are still determined to get hold Of
moro space in the Battery Park. They admit that
the company could increase its downtown facili-
tics immensely by expanding small sum as
$500, 900 in buying land for its in that part
OF tho city. But these directors seem TO think
that il is the duty OF the people of New-Yorl to
give them more space in the public parks. and to
save the company the 100000 which it might
use in buying land This is a curious conception
Of the duty of the community toward the elevated
roads The Manhattan Elevated Railroad Com
pany is by no means a charitable or benevolent
institution. IL has taken from the pockets of
New-Yorkers ample compensation for all the trans
portaton which it has given them. 1t has not
endeavored TO make the largest and best use Of
its opportunities, nor TO give the town the most
convenient and comfortable service that it was in
its power 20 give The people of New-iork should
insist that for every additional privilege which
tho Manhattan Company obtains the fullest COM
pensation should be paid TO the city. Newiorkers
who are disappointed with the failure eff the
work of the Rapid-Tran Commission ought no,
TO forget that the chief legal adviser of the
mission Is ono Of the foremost leaders of Tam
many Hall John NJ. Bowers whose influence in
Mr. Croler's organization is of the greatest weight
and Importance, is the counsel for the Com
mi,sioners The legal advisers of commissions ard
committees generally outline the work of such
ORGANIZATIONS and are largely responsible for the
success or failure of such bodies. Tammary Hall
cannot escape the responsibility for disappointing
the people of New-York in their hopes for a
satisfactory solution of the rapid-transit problem.
What Brooklyn needs in the Mayors Office is
civic virtue Of sterling ring that special legis
laton will not be required in order to have it pass
current.
The statistical reports Of the various State Rail-
road Commissions and the Interstate Commerce
Commission show that large proportion of the
fatal accidents on tho railroads of this country
are duo to our vicious embarrassing system. In
the five years ended June 80, 1872. $50 persons
met their death in railroad accidents in this
State. and of these 23S were killed at grade
crossings To force the railroads to abolish grade
crossings at once would be 10 bankrupt every
road in the State, but the necessity for a gradual
change is imperative The New-York State Board
Of Railroad Commissioners makes the practical
and sensible suggestion that the expense of the
needed Improvement be divided cquitably between
the roads and the community. and that a certain
number of crossings be abolished each year, be-
ginning with the most dangerous In the case
of construction, of course, no grade crossings
should be allowed hereafter. Tie subject is of
the utmost interest to every one and public senti
mcnt is rapidly demanding the reform. Proper
legislation cannot he too quickly enacted
What the Legislature is asked to do is TO dis
credit in advance the prosecutions ordered by the
Grand Jury in Brooklyn. Why not make the
principle one Of general application Instead OF a
special act passed for the relief Of the indicted
officials let us have a general statute cxempting
municipal officials. of high or low degree, from the
inhibitory operation OF the Eighth Commandment
II is not only in the United States that treat
ing constitutes an important feature of elections
According TO the statistics which have just been
published at Rome concerning the cost of the re-
cent general election in Italy, ii appears that
over So, 100000 spent under this head In
some districts the peasants had meat and wine
without stint at the candidates expense for an
entire week before the election. and one candidate
is said to have spent no less than $4,000 for
electoral expenses Of this particular character. In
view Of the extraordinary cheapness Of Italian
wine, the SO, 100000 mentioned in the statistics
represents a quantity Of alcoholic liquid almost
sufficient to submerse tho entire city OF Rome
Assemblyman Quigley. OF Brooklyn. was con-
sidered not impressively forciblc" enough to fill
the Office of Speaker but his lack in that respect
appears TO have been no bar TO his appointment
as chairman Of the Committee on Ways and
Means. That Quigley can rise to the occasion
when necessary was made clear at the caucus on
Tuesday night, when he said that Murphy's popu-
larity in the rest of the State had been shown
to be so great that the Kings County members
were constrained to vote - tim, despite their