New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-01-10
MAYOR GILROY'S MESS ICE.

III Il
Mayor Gilroy in his annual message surveys
the condition of the municipal departments Win
complacency which public-sprited cltlzehs
cannot approve. The Mayors opinions as 10
the administration of the various branches OF
the municipal government are much more op-
timistic and enthusiastic than those of unpreju-
diced and careful students of the true condition
of affairs. The blight Of Tammany is over
every part of the metropolis. Its injurious III
fluence extends through almost every office and
almost every division Of the local government
DR.. Parkhurst has recently proved that the Po-
lice Department contains officers who are dis-
honest and corrupt, and that the powers OF
these officers have been msrsed in many cases
for the protection Of the vicious and disordcrly
classes The influence of Tammany Hall in the
District-Attorney's office and the Grand Jury
room has been so potent that no penalty mas
vet been meted out to certain police officers who
undoubtedly deserve severe punishment. EX-
tortion and blackmail upon corporations, upon
shopkeepers, upon the holders or licenses anu
privileges have been practise1 to a grievous
extent by the agents of Tammany ana by lheh
whose names are on the city payrolls
The Park Department has some excellent men
in it. but its management is by no means
and the Department of Docks are both under
suspicon of improper tenderness toward certain
favored Tammany contractors. If al unsparing
investigation Is ever made of the operations OF
Tammany Hall in the northern part OF the city
and beyond the city line in connection with
the water supply and other matters, grave
abuses and frauds are certain TO be disclosed.
The Department of Charities and Correction
is oyerrun with ward heeers OF the lowest
tyne; and the holders of subordinate places and
the attendants in our public hospitals and other
public institutions are as n rule ignorant, ineiii-
Gent and incompetent The Controllers office
was well managed under Mr.. Myers, but 1t Is
not at all certain that it will be well conducted
under his Tammany successor The street
paving has been badly done In many places,
and the inspectors Of the Public Works Depart
ment have often failed in requiring contractors
who tear I'D the streets to replace the paving
in suitable condition. The Mayor finds much
to praise in the Department of Street Cleaning;
but the city has paid n grotesquely extravasant
n,ice for the horses which are used in that
department and for much of the material which
has been purchased for it. The Street Cleaning
Commissioner has taken up public attention In
an unpleasant way on several occasions recent
". Complaints are rife that the Department
of Buildings is not decenty managed, while
II is easy to see that the other Tammany depart
ments and bureaus, including the District-At-
tornev's office are carried on wastefully, with
an excessive number of assistants and with an
extremely high scale Of salaries Altogether
there is little to crafty n conscientious citizen
when he studies the methods practsed by the
Tammany ofiice-holders Of this town.
1t is true that the city credit Is high, and the
Mayors recommendation that the city bonds
shall be refunded ut q rate of interest not above
8 per cent, when it Is possible to refund them,
IS TO be commended But New-York Is fright
fully expensive city to live in. Rents for homes
are exOrbitantly high, and 1t Is altogether too
much city of the very rich and OF the very
Door. Men Of moderate incomes are driven to
New-Jersey, Long Island, and to other places
outside Of the metropolis, because they cannot
afford to have their homes here. The Mayor
IS exultant because the tax rate is low, but the
total valuation Of real and personal property
in this city as compared with other cities Is
wofully high The valuation for 1893 was
S193351S52S Compare that with Chicago,
whose total valuation Is less than S244,OOO,OoO!
What n prodigiOus contrast there Is between
those figures! Until a satisfactory system OF
rapid transit is secured and It is made pos
sible for men Of small salaries to live In COM
fort ON Manhattan Island NewYork must be
looked upon as far behind the other great cities
of the world In caring for Its people. Even IL
the tax rate Is low, with the valuations I'm
posed here the amount Of taxation on real
estate Is oppressively heavy. and the result, in
the absence Of proper system Of rapid tran
sit, is that the burden Of living on Manhattan
Island Ia wholly unreasonable.
Mayor Gilroy can hardly claim any credit
for Tammany Hall in Its relations to the rapid
transit problem. He does not dwell on this
subject at length. 1t evidently Is anything but
agreeable to him. The fact that Tnmmany has
failed so completely to afford the people OF
New-York any relief in this most Important
matter Is serious arraignment Of Its admins
tration Of city affairs With the many incon-
veniences and discomforts, the exactions and
extortions. the burdens and expressions for
which the msrule of Tammany Hall is chiefly
responsible. New.York has little reason for
boastins IT. people must send Tammany pack