The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-06
VAN WICK IS A WORKER.
VIEW MAJOR HAS No THE FOR
TEA, TALK, OR TOBACCO.

LL
srthe Carriersners orthe Ga Administration
Mayor Van WICK got to his Office at $3.50,
o'clock yesterday morning, which was fifteen
minutes earlier than his usual time for starting
tho days work. He Immediately tackled his
mall. which increases in volume as the days go
by, and in a very short time he had cleared his
desk and turned to talk to his first caller. The
speed and case with which tho now Mayor
transacts. tho business Of his office is the:wondcr
OF all who watch him, and the contrast between
his methods and the hating, uncertain ways
Of Col. Strong il striking. Those who expected
that confusion would reign for many days In
the City Hail have been disappointed. Mr..
Van Wyck fell into the ways OF tho Office with
cut loss Of time, and although he never sought
any instruction from his predecessor or spent
an hour in the Mayors oflce before he was In
nueurated. no took hold Of tho city's business
without hesitation or even Q remote sign of
awkwardness.
YESTERDAY was only the fourth working day
sf his term. but there was less confusion in the
Mayors ofico than thore was at any time dur
sng tho last year Of Col. Strong's administra-
sion. It should not be Judged from this that
Mayor Van. Wyck 10 q hasty man or that he lacks
e~aution. Apparently he does nothing unless
he n sure OF his ground. Assistant Corpora.
tfon Counsel Ladd Is almost constantly at bis
CNbOW, ana NU0n tno hhyOx mas huy uOubt rs W
the proper manner of procedure he does not
hesitate to consult him. Mr.. Var wyck's
manner Is somewhat brusoue and at times he
apeaks sharpfy to those with whom he has bust
ness. An example of this was the manner in
which he addressed President Hubbell Of the
Board Of Education and School Commissioner
Taft on Tuesday. His friends excuse this by
saying that he acquired q habit Of speaking
sharply to lawyers while on tho old CitysCourt
bench and that he hasn't had time to get over
% yet. They say that time and experience in
che Mayors office will soften his manner.
One OF the deepest sources Of complaint
omong tho newspaper men stationed in the City
Hall during Col. strong's reign was the uncer-
oeintJ Of the Mayors word. Everybody knows
that Col. Strong was fond Of talking, and that
his method of doing business gave rise to con-
siderable conversation. He was nearly al
ways ready to be interviewed. but there came
o time whom reporters were afraid to quote him
lest he should deny tho story when he saw 1t in
cold type. It got to be the regular thing for
him to deny in the afternoon while talking to
tho morning newspaper men what he had said
in the morning while talking to the afternoon
newspaper. men. He had q habit of constantly
changing his mind. All fears on this score
s,ss Sy NE. t Van n %ycs sa yesfesday. In M the i ssa;
place he announced that he was not going, to
Tive out interviews on any subject during his
soy for publication he win say it, he said. in
proper. form Though his secretary: n tho
very little to cay in any event. rs the duties Of
his Office would require all his time while in the
naiIsts who q SEEK special pc interviews for Tex.
elusive" stories s;Ic or y for reporterST ~ who fS,s are sr Look,
of public nuisance Col. Strong was ever n good
viewed ON any subject, whether it pertained to
tho annexation Of Hawaii Nearly every morn,
Ing What Mayor Strong says about'this, that,
frame, in one Of The Yellow journals. The neo-
ple Of new New York can reasonably expect to
BIO delivered from that annoyance for the next
Mayor. Van wyck has only made two changes
among the innnimate objects which adorn his
desk so that 1t faces the entrance. The other
was to. have: removed the .%cuspidor SO neess.
The only friction noticeable thus far in the
the old Sinking Fund Commission neglected to
provide quarters for the new departments
the new city. Col. strons's government was
noticeably lax concerning many things during
the last year ar. Of its r oiiisia ALI life; but Il none more %Ee
tho City Hall was not provided for until it was
Board of Estimate kept putting it of and put
ting it off until there was not sufficient time
fisinSs for BIDS. and Gen. Coils was Obliged to
get permission from the Aldermen to give out
s %1Ss without MaS fe Pu the s sG%Roti'i Fund 4 Hdmm the
C~ity:Court,. which had TO move out Of the City
Hall TO make room for the new quarters OF the
located In the Old BrownStone building Which
long delay in finding new ofiices for the sheriff,
tho Ciyn Court Of the First Judicial District
had to vacate the brownstone building to make
room for tho City Court; No effort of any
Hnd w " nS Maa asp 20 RrSTatee as a1 tse PSea fGf saS ~
the Borough of ManhattA an. the Commissions
q Bridges. the CommIssioner q Highways. the
and Supply. the Commissioner of Water Sup
ply[the Commissioner of Sewers and the Board
q Sha rsshS aid tdnP pot eeaairs r. Rr0oTf Se r ess1a'f sd 5Re
ever, has been that some of the most important
SisRPSsGt%se a ho Sa the and dsT shs siity oi ESEisiffh% esSs ARE are
seriously hampered In the performance Of their
President A. W. Peters of the borough of |
Manhattan has been wandering disc9nsolntSly
aSout the City Hall over since since Saturday; The
borough board, but MT. Peters cannot legally
confirmed by the Council. which does not meet
again until next Tuesday. President Peters,
the. Council and move into the rooms at once
II II were not for the fact that they are not
f noSfs. bur but G the roo%s are en sSso Il teSiypdss sr OF 'G of
John J.. Shea continues to transact the busi-
ness of the Commissioner of Bridges In O little
den of a room in the Stewart building, which
he 10 permitted to occupy by the courtesy of
Comptroller Coler. Mr.. Shea lives in the hope
that the Municipal Assembly will provide suit
picked out four rooms In the Stewart building
which, he says, are exactly suited to the needs
of his department. |
Probably the one man in the new adminlstra-
ton who suffers more than all others on ac-
count Of q lack of proper office room is William
Dalton. the Commissioner of Water Supply. |
llV ht{ nm ~ n IL m ~ ~ n an IL. |
the Office OF George W. Birdsall, Chief En- |
gineer oft.the Croton Aauednct, in. the Tract
Dalton has no office at all. Mr.. Birdssll's quar-
tors are so small that there Is not even room for
Mr.. Dalton's desk, so the Commissioner OF
Water, Supply, transacts most of his busineI IS in
the public hallway.
The only man in any of the department., rep
resented In the Board of Public improvements
who seems to be comfortably settled Is James
j.. Heating, the Commissioners of Highways, |
Antieipating difficulty, he arose carly on Mon
formerly. occupied by Gen. Coils, on the six
tecnth floor Of the Tract Society building.
a nlls N,nf hfn, ahnnn old t.,--nI a. ~ - l