New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-04-07
THE SUPERVISORS JOB.

There ought to have been enough nnder-
standing and sense Of pr0prlety among 'nc
members of the Senate judiciary Committee u
rreyent their reporting favoIably MIR. PlunKi'tS
n,onoStcrous bill TO bestOw 81 600 apiece upon
tbo Aldermen of this city. That measure Is
doubtless ardently supported by the Aldermen
but If is not known to be favored by anybody
else executing the Senator who proposed 1t, ana
his colleagues who have now recommeiucu "
for massage 1t provides that for their services
as Supervisors of this county the Aldermen
shall receive sum equal to one-hail 'he'r
salaries as Aldermen. There are thirty Oh
those functionares, and $4,000 Is therefore
the amount of money which the taxpayers ma!
have 70 surrender to their greed 1t is simple
nr,h rotb,up more nor less When Punkitt
introduced TIE bill it was greeted with almost
universal derision Scarcely anybody outside
the select circle of which he is the centre
imagined that the job could be put through
Nayor Gilroy asserted that he had no PRIOR
knowledge of it, and gave the public to under
stand that il would not have his support at
any stage The Mayor commonly speaks win
the voice of Tammany, and IL was Sehe'a!
assumed. therefore, that orders would go 10
Albany for the extinction IN committee OF me
PlunLitt bill. That assumption was apparently
lash. for here j, the job favorably launched III
the Senate. in expectation OF prosperous pas
sage.
The bll has been described IN terms which
did not eXaggeiate its intrinsic abSurdl'!'
Though they may possibly have seemed to 40
so to some persons living in other parts OF the
State. In other counties the duties ol super
visor are important and somewhat laboriouS'
Here they occupy the attention OF a mlnon'!
of the Board during parts of four days annu-
ally. They generally begin on the eighth day
after the November election and are completed
ON the eleventh day after the election. IL IS
the duty of the Aldermen sitting as super
yisors. 10 canvass the votes. Only three OF
them are required to be in attendance at one
time. As supervisors they have absolutely not
enc other thing to do in the entire year For
this brief task, which Is performed by thcSe
members of the Board who do not happen TO
be utterly illitcrate, Senator Plunktt and the
Judiciary Committee want to have the city pay
them 81 900 apiece in addition to the 5000
apiece which they receive As Aldermen. There
may be something funny about this but II so
the humor is in the facts. not in the deScrip-
ton. The statement OF the facts Is accurate
and complete.
We shall refuse to believe that this grotcsque
bill can get through both branches OF the Lcsis-
lature and receive the Governors approval
until we are compelled t.. But nevertheless
it is Just the sort of compact little steal which
the Democratic bosses and their creatures like
to accomplish if they can induce the people
10 loyk the ether way while they are doing If.
If in this case any Republican is cajolcd into
helping them we promise to put his name where
it will be seen. On the other hand, if Mr.
Croker sees fit to put u quiotus on the job we
shall record the fact in terms Apr )piatc to
the manner in which he does il.