New-York tribune., 1899-02-11
TIE RTJLDINGS DEPARTMENT.

The new state superintendent OF upllC pu'i"
lngs has made a report of his Investigations 10
the trustees describing the condition III WHICH
he found the Department and the pecunlary IT,
ouirements which the Legislature VIII nave u
suDplv. In short there was little less 'lan
50 600 on hand when he came into o!nce "hle
the outstanding bills amounted to about >i''Voo'
10 nav these and maintain the Department uh-
I'll October next he estimates that S-lZ'oo' %
,ill no nceded 1t is q dismal situation. bur the
outlook is somewhat less so, for Superintendent
Bender IS convinced that n substantlal saVihs III
the cost of running the Office can be elec'eu anu
,bot Of tho same time the standard OF efficiency
can be raised. This is not a perfuhc'or! ar
rouncement Of the sort which new oIncialS olten
make without meaning anything III parucuar'
for Mr. Bender says that his Investigations ""i
rant a confident prediction of economy anu III
provement and he specifies the payroll "nlc"
he intends 10 cut down to the extent Oh Fo'oVo "
month. or about 20 per cent. "Ot COURSE Ii''
means" he adds that every incompetent III"
"incfticient man and woman will he dlsmisseu'
"ond that all positions not actually necessar! ~
"the interests Of the State will be apoiisheu'
."rhe employees who serve in the Department.
"durinC nv incumbency will be treated WIFI
"foirness and impartaty. but they VIII De eA'
"nected and required to do a days WORK TOT "
"day's paw" Now. that IS an exceedingly sehSr
ble and becoming declaration, and an eXceiieht
description of the way In which the people ought
md desire TO be served in every branch OF the
nuhlic busjncss If Mr.. Bender sets to work
nromntlv and resolutely TO redeem his promise
his course will attract a great deal OF favorable
attention to his Office and give him an enVlapie
renutatjon. He has much to gain and nothing
N lose nv being as good as his word. III may
evon happen that the disclosures with which MS
administration began will hereafter be remem-
hored with more gratitude than regret, as the
nrelude 10 q work of genuine reform when
miobt otherwise have been indefinitely post
poned.
Mr. Render talks well about his own plans,
ond his words seem to contain an unusually
stronp puarantee Of vigorous action but we
cannot accept subsequent statement without
some qualifications. He particularly desires II
to no understood that he has mo intention OF re-
doct,nr in any manner upon his predecessors
"integrity of act or purpose and he regards
tho nresent situation az the result Of system
(which # IS obviously easier for new than an
old incumbent 10 correct" In saying this we
think Mr. Render goes rather too far We nave
M thought of impugning ex-Superintendent
Easton's personal honesty. but it Will hardly DO
n say that there Is no particular fault 10 ne
found with him. If. as Mr.. Bender proclalms'
the expenditures of the Department can De
largely reduced and the standard raised al me
same time If the work can be much better
done for much less money, If the number or en-
rlovos is 90 per cent in excess OF the number re-
ouired if there are incompetent and lnefhclehI
mon and women to be discharged. II a day s
work has not been performed for days pay,
then the Superintendent under whom such con-
ditons have prevailed has clearly done less than
his duty. Integrity is q word OF broad mean
INC and we cannot concede that 1t exactly nts
publc servants who permit public business 10
be transacted in a manner which would banK-
r,,nt any private business. Undoubtedly that is
rho way In which great part Of the States
husiness has been managed, and those in charge
Of il have too commonly persuaded themselves
to believe that il IS not dishonest and disreputa-
HE TO serve the people after that fashion. Ii
was time that a radically different standard or
official obligations was set up. and TO pretty
general recognition of that fact the nomination
and election Of Colonel Roosevelt were chiefly
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