New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-01-31
TIuUINI'S INIRITIGiN OTTLIr


\ hill has been Introduced in Albany to re-
lucc III" salaries ~ The clerks Of The civil dis
trict courts II is certain that these salaries
are cNrravarnnt. and ought 10 be- cut down.
But these civil court clerks are not 10y any
means The only Tammany adhcrrnts who ar"
grotcsducly "ycrpaid. Lool, nj the police jus
tees with their ten years term and their
SStsD 4 year salary. Most of them hay" not
intelligence, and ability enough 10 earn thou
sand dollars year in any occupation not con
nrcird with politics Their clerks also are com
p.n>atcd ~ Il prodisal rate. The police courts
are crammcd full II TammaGy hrrrrS. whose
salaries In the Special Sessions and cl>cWhcr"
are In some eases not much below those IF tn"
Justices Themselves Every one Of these police
court clerks would b" oyrrpaid if lac drew one
third Of his present compensation from The city
treasury In The police courts and the civil dis
ircl courts the taxpayers ar" plunlcr'd ana
robbed In characteristic Tammany fashion
Reduction and rctrrnchmcnt ON an EXTENSIVE"
sca. could he, carried out I'm these courts with
great advantage 10 the public interest. Some OF
these courts are foul with corruption cNtorton
aud hlackmai II is injustice which Is admin
iStcrcd constantly in The police courts and the
civil district courts of New York. and the hands
Of many Of the clerks and Of SOME Of the Justices
also are sollrd ami stained. Several of these
men ought 10 be- behind prison bars themselves
instead of passing Judgment on prisoners
The assertions Of Tammany apOogists that
the Tannany city government * not extrava-
giant are ridiculous faschOOdS The Sheriff
now enjoys Il clear income above all expenses
of more than 100000 year. and probably
SlOUOO. The City Chamberlain receives Il sal
nry of $2JOOO. His work is not arluouS. and
a salary Of $1,000, clear of expenses. would he
ample for all that he really does for the city.
The Sheriff ought not 10 get Il salary above
$4,000 or Sl2,OOO. Why should the Sheriff re-
ceiyc higher pay than the Mayor. the head of
the city government! The city payrolls are
full Of ridiculous Inconsistencies. We pay the
Mayor $4,000 Il year: we pay the Corporation
Counsel $1,000 Why should the Corporation
Counsel get NOR" than the Mayor? And why
should the Sheriff and the city Chamberlain
receive more than either: Why should the
Dstrict-Attorncy be- paid at Il higher rate than
the Superintendent of Police? The duties of
the Superintendent are fully rs important To
the welfare of the community rs those of the
District Attorney. Since the Inheritance law
was passed the Controllers office Is place Of
great revenue, and must De looked upon rs a
prize 10 the posscsSor little If al all inferior in
value 10 the office Of Sheriff. The Corporation
Counscl's office. the District Attorneys office
and many other departments in the city govern
mcnt are conducted in Il rrcklcssly eXtravagant
manner with long lists Of ovcrpaid assistants
deputies. subordinatcs. hcclcrs and hangers on.
who do not earn onchalf of the salaries which
are paid them. Great economies could be- prac-
tised In nearly all the municipal departments |
10 the conspicuous advantage Of the taxpayers, !
and with an Increase Of the efficiency Of those
departments rather than IN Impairment
What good reason is there for paying 10 any |
officer Of the city government Il higher salary |
than is paid 10 the Governor of New York State. |
of the Supreme Court 1T Washington, or 10 |
member of the Presidents Cabinet? 'Tammany
miSrulc is proiiigate in expenditure in I'LL parts
of the municipal administration. 50 far rs the
salaries OF favored Tammany oicc-holdcrs are
But Tammany il nggary and
pcnurious In the extreme in dealing with the
hospitals. asylums and similar public nsliu-
lions. Stint and siarvc the inmates Of the pub
lie institutions on Manhattan Island and on
Blackwcls Island. while YOU heap up riches
Oh Tammany leaders and hcclcrs In public
Is the Tammany rule and the Tam
many policy. The appropriations for pro-
visions for supplies for medicines. for nearly
all articles of necessity in the public institutions
are almost invariably OF n misery and made
Quats sort While patients and paupers suffer