New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-07-02
gent Protectionist, to cheap-money Democrat
whose Incapacity to frame an antiProtecuVe
tariff has been abundantly demonstrated.
NEEDLESS SUPERVISORS.

One Of the unfortunate effects of the carrying
through of the scheme Of consolidation Will be
the restoration Of Bonrds Of Supervisors In New
York and Brooklyn. This is a question with
which the Commission engaged In preparing
a charter for the enlarged city has nothing TO
do The new city will embrace the whole or
three counties Ncw-YOrk, Kings and Richmond
and part Of the county Of Queens. The pro-
vision of the Constitution on this point is spe
ciic II says, in Article III. Section 26-h Sec
ton that was carried over without change from
the existing Constitution when the instrument
WAS revised in 1SJf-that there shall be in the
several counties, except in cities whose boun
diaries are the same as those Of q county, a
"Board of Supervisors to be composed OF such
"membcrs. and elected in such manner and for
such period as is or may be provided by law.
'In any such city the duties and powers OF
Board of Supervisors may be devolved upon
THE Common Council or Board OF Aldermen"
In view of this provision there can be no ques-
ton that the Board Of Supervisors in Richmond
County must be retained and that similar
boards must be established in the counties of
New York and Kings.
1t is possible, of course, for an amendment
to the Constitution to be adopted that will rem
part of the Greater Ncw-Yori- assumng, as
we do for the time being. that the consolidation
plan will be carried into cffcct-but obviously
there will not be time TO pass such an amend
mcnt before consolidation goes into operation
according to the bin recently enacted. But is
it not obvious that. if consolidation had been
MANNED by men with foresight and a keen re-
gard for the welfare Of the great city to be
established, they would have perceived that an
amendment to the Constitution making super
visors unnecessary was one Of the first steps
in the large task they assumed? For nothing
can be clearer than that the Boards Of Super
visors will not only be superfiuous in Greater
Newly York but will be positive menace TO
good government. The younger generation in
this city can remember little Of the evils that
the Board of Supervisors wrought here while
il was i'm existence, but our older citizens can
not have forgotten that it through the
Supervisors that many of the iniquities Of the
Tweed regime were perpetrated; and ii was in
the wave of reform that swept over the com
munity and wiped ont the Tweed ring that the
short and simple law was passed at the ses-
sion OF the Legislature in 1913 deyolving the
duties Of that unsavory body on the Mayor, Re-
corder and Common Council In Brooklyn the
Board Of Supervisors existed until the 3lst Of
last December and there was a feeling of pro-
found relief when it passed out Of existence
and its opportunities for mischief were ended.
For years Il duIfgovernment existed in Brook
Ign because there were n few towns in the
county not included in the city. and the record
of the Supervisors as Il whole was far from
good 1t was this body that was responsible
for the enormous waste of the peoples money
in the extravaganccs of 81. Johnland, to cite
only single instance of its crooked and wicked
work.
No one who knows what the Supervisors In
New-Yorh and Kings have done In the way OF
evil can tolerate the thought Of the re-estab
liShment of such boards. which must take place
if the consolidation plan is perfected. though
we doubt not that Tammany Hall is rejoicing
in the prospect Of having few more offices to
distribute among the faithful. To every we'll
wsher of these communities the prospect can
only be full of Encouragement. As we have
said in any logical and well-thOught-o out scheme
of consolidation one Of the first steps would
have been to render Supervisors needless in
all parts Of Greater Ncw-York. But the scheme
of consolidation that we have before us is moth
ing if not crude and illogical.