New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-01-26
4 r. WHITES GOOD RECORD
TWO YEARS IL THE DEPARTMENT OF
CITY WORKS.

,rcoNpr1SIIINc THE WORK HE EXPECTED TO
DO WHEN lie TOOK OFFICE not Az EASY
TASK SOME OF TIE THINGS ZONE
THE CIVIL SERVICE EXTENDED.
The change OF administration in Bro'hiyn mex.
Saturday means the r"'ir"men. 10 private "'" -.
q number OF offi rals who contributed III u" S''''
deor.. n the .cess OF MAYOR Sch-rcns hdIhinl--
trailon. BY the Brooklyn charter. which Is gen
orally. REGARDED as a model pr the control ~
,uuu,.inal.iy. all heads o. departments are named
Ly IN, Mlvor on us s0ie authority. ana ." h"s
q full nontl afr he takrs Office in "h'A - MAKE
his selections : new Mayor comes ln on lAh''i>
/ but rot until Fcbruar, DO the heads 81 de-
na,tmeuie chosen ly him. who cole lively c'n'N-
tu.e what has generally come - b. known a. '"'
.Mavor's Cabinet" enter their duile-.
Mayor Wurs;er has shown excellent Judgment ~
deciding - retain such capaD'" admin. ti'''.s 80
Rnlliing Commissioner Bush. Polo" comm 'i.h'f
Wenrs Health Commissioner Emery AM lax OIL
le.t,r Appleion Ta~rc seems ~ De no doubt mat
he would have reapp1ln'od Two others o. the
schier.n cabinet had they no. refused to 'oniinuc
in o,,ic. longer These are CITY Works ccmms-
sioner White ana Park Comm ssioncr SIunr
II WIS told in The Tribune several weeks ago
that Mr. Squier had n "c!nch' on his Once i J."
wished 20 hold TO i. inasmuch as ne "i- ~ an
act Of the Legislature made county f'rA 'o'"m'N
s,,nor and his appointment had been confirmed
hv m. action Of tie Board o., Supervisors Hal
Mr. Crcut been elected Mag instead o! Mr..
Wurs,er Mr. squler has said mat b" would have
made an effort 10 retain his Office and the validity
Of the law making him County Commissioner OF
Parks would doubtless have been tested in ih"
courts Republican administration Of the ar
fairs % the city having been isur"l ''T The next
two wears Mr. Squ.or felt that ne could safely
retire. especially a. the demands OF MS private
businces are large. The way was thus leit clear
for The appointment Of successor 20 him.
COUNTY PARK COMMISSION.
II Is probable though. that the ci;y VIII not
lose the benefit OF his trained Judgment ana eX-
percnce in parl; affairs. for plan Is under con
sheraton for the establishment OF a County Park
Commission. probably OF three members who will
serve without salary. to care FOR The establishment
Of the new parks which have recently been acquired
hv the issue Of county bonds Commissioner
Souier has had charge of this work during the
negotiations that have been going on for year ana
n half and Is peculiarly fitted to serve as chair
man o. the proposed commission. Apparently.
therefore, he will he entitled To call himself, and
70 be called Commissioner for some time 10 come
The roiiremen; Of no man now In public he I'm
Brocklyn will give rise TO more regret than that
Of Alfred r white. While. unde. the Commis-
sioncrs named by Mayor Schieren, there was
thoroughgOing reorganization OF the Health De
parimeni the Fire Department the Building De
partment the Park Department, and TO some ex
tsnt OF the Police Department, nowhere was there
such A fundamental change as in the Department
Of city Works II wa an exceedingly difhcult
task on which Commissioner White entered two
years ago with considerable reluctance. II did not
tale long. however. to convince those WHO wished
20 use the department to further political ends
that the new Commissioner was determined - adj
minister II strictly on business basis.
At first here was a great demand for places. and
the pressure laid upon the Commissioner on the
mart OF politicians Intense After the first six
months however it came 10 be realized that the
new Commissioner meant what he said when he
asserted that he was not going to allow politics to
enter into the administration Of the Department,
ard since that time he has not 70 use his own
language been "bothcred" to any extent. lie found
# necessary to make many changes FOR the good Of
the service and has materially extended the opera
lions OF the Civil Sci vice rules related 10 the De
partment A notice which Grcets the eye as one
enters the main Office of the Department in the
Municipal Building announces that applications
for employment In any capacity must be made TO
the Civil Service Commission
GLAD HE TOOK OFFICE
In the course of a long conversation with Com
missioner White q few days ago. the writer asked
what was his personal feeling now that the time for
his retirement from Office was near at hand
Well" was Mr.. Whites reply. II can honestly
say that | have never regretted having taken the
Office did not want 1t. of course. but felt that
there was work Of importance 20 be done here. and
I feel that 1 have accomplished what | came here to
do | could rot have done II without the help
have had from the Deputy Commissioner, Mr..
LYMAN II | could do my work here in four five
hours a day OF hard work | should be willing to
STAY in the Department for another term. AS a
matter OF fact however, the time | have given to
INV official duties has averaged more than twice
that much day. Ny health has not suffered. and
my private business Is satisfactorily cared for by
my brother: but | am tired. and shall be very glad
Of The relief that wlcomc at the end OF the month.
n IN T.
ticu.arly hard one. do not mean for this Depart
mcnt alone. but for the Administration whole.
The situation which confronted Mayor Schiercn
when he came into Office was appalling. There
the Wallabout purchase to be met The sewers in
the Twenty-sxth Ward had TO he completed. Then