The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-12-25

aucttOneer'a business OF the Sheftu
office TO four members OF the German.
American Reform Union, so that they may
share among themselves the profits Of the
business. The new auctioneer firm is that
of KLEINAU, LUTz, DETTMAN, and a German
Unknown. One of the four is q picture.
frame dealer, one Is a real estate collector,
one is n reporter Of the Stddts-Z Cttung, and
the fourth is said to I've a haberdasher. None
Of the combine is an auctioneer; none
knows very much about the business
Of selling at public auction. 1t is
~ II II new hospital was TO be
established and a quartet Of ac-
uuaintances of the superintendent, let us
say, n tinker, a bellows mender, IA tailor,
and a weaver, should e:rly for diplomas as
physicians. II Is as IL the Commissioner of
Public Works should employ a sailor, a
stenographer, nn artist in porcelain, and an
elevator attendant to act as civil engineers;
or as IL the Corporation Counsel should fill
four vacancies ON his staff of legal assist
ants with a hackman, n glazier, n boatman,
and a journeyman plumber. The plan Of
Mr.. TAMsEN defeats the purpose Of the law,
which Is to have Sheriff's sales by auction
efficiently and capably conducted, by quail
fled persons, who will secure the most salts
factory results.
Why does Mr.. Jansen reverse the usage
Of his predecessors in the Sheriff's Office, and
seek to establish u new orders
To sustain the German-American Reform
Union, the leaders, ~so-called, of that bizarre
organization must be provided with offices.
They cannot ontinue to be reformers unless
they get office. The Sheriff's office has been
loo ,,., L., tI,,,x, q, 81. 1aaNo., - .zItAl..
Its ~emoluments and %perquisites are to be SO
divided that every German-American
reformer will have n job, or a share in n con-
tract, or an interest in u combine, =" in order
that RIDDER and OTTENDoRFER may be
relieved of their present heavy burden of
maintaining the German-American Reform
Union at their personal cost. This is the
explanation Of the establishment of the auc-
tioneers' combine. 1t Is a sort of Going,
going, gone" arrangement to provide for
four German reform district leaders.
What injuries, hardships, and losses will be
caused by the transfer of the Sherif's bust
ness to these inexperienced individuals,
cannot be foretold at this time. When
the law, by the hand OF the Sheriff,
seizes the property of a debtor to apply the
proceeds, or so much of them as may be
needed, to the payment of that debtors obi
cations, it tacitly agrees to obtain for the
property, through the services of q compe-
tent auctioneer, the largest possible amount
of money. In that way the creditor may be
paid and n residu remain. Will kLEINAU, |
LUTz, DETrMAN, and RIDDER's Unknown get
as good prices rs a licensed auctioneer would
obtains Would navigation in the lower bay
be equally safe, speedy, and satisfactory
II the qualified pilots were sent about their
business, and knife grinders, beer brewers,
book agents, and truckmen substituted in
their places? The attempt to ignore and
disregard expert knowledge, essential as a
protection against vandalism, has brought
ridicule upon one important municipal de-
partment. Is such sinister folly to be imi-
tated in another department?
Mr.. EDWARD J. II. TAMsEN was one Of the
candidates at the recent election favored by
the Committee of 40. Its members were
supposed to be committed to the idea that
there should he no partisanship in munich
pal Government hereafter. Everything was
to be managed with reference to the public
interest, and that only. fractional consider
atoms were not to be regarded. Yet, before
the beginning of his term OF office as Sheriff,
here we have Brother TAMsEN repudiatingall
the pledges and promises OF the 40 made In
his behalf, and farming out to four favored
individuals the rich fees Of the auction de-
partment, in order to sustain the German
American Reform Union, or at least as much
Of it as is represented by KLEINAU, LUTz,
DETTMAN, and RIDDER's Unknown.
Where does Capt. kRUMM come in under
this arrangements What does he get 1t
cannot I've possible that only Twenty-Five of
the thirty leaders of the German-American
Reform Union are to be provided with
places in or about the Sherif's office, to the
exclusion of an associate who sells more
beer than any Of them, and was not afraid
Of putting the strength of the German or
ganization to the test of the ballot in the
district last month, receiving 1875
votes for Alderman, against three such re-
opponents as Silver Dollar SMITH,
GoETz, and WILLIAM SMELL, the
state Democracy stakeholder of Capt. CREE
$4,000.