Daily Kennebec journal., 1900-01-16
MAZET COMMITTEE REPORTS.
Majority Criticises New York City Method
and Recommends Several Reforms.

Albany, n. ", Jan. 1.-THE reports
of the majority and minority mem
bers OF the Mazet investigation com
nittee We're presented, tonight. 70 the
Assembly Both are lengthy docu-
ments. The former is signed by As
semblymen Mazet. Fallows. Wilson
Costello and McEwan, and the latter
by Assemblymen Hoffman and Boland
The majority report opens by stating
that 4 great part Of the testimony was
directed t. the conduct and control Of
various offices and departments in New
York City ana in this connection says:
In many of these. grave evils We're
disclosed For such as We're admins
trutivo in their nature. the remedy
must ~ sought Mt the ballot box and
not at the hands Of the Legislature
The one clear ana distinct fact brought
out by this investigation is that We
have in this great city the most per
feet instance Of centralized party gov
ernment yet known"
1t declares that I'VE see the central
power. not the man who sits in the
MAYORS chair, but The man who stands
behind it.
The conduct Of the present police
department Of The city of New York j.
unuualincdly bad.
I'VE believe that the gr, at mass of
The rank ana file If the departments
under proper leadership would eXecut"
all the laws with courage and vigilance.
but ii il not in the nature of things
that suborinates dependent on their
superiors for continuance and promo
tion in rank should conduct themselves
III direct opposition t. the clearly
known views If those superiors'
The proposed contract with the
Rlmapo Water 90. ~ discussed at
length Attention is called To the ad-
ministration of the building depart
ment ana the report says: Here again
We find the dominant theory Of tho
present government currupt pull and
favoritism for private gain in evil
dence."
The conduct of the dock department
is criticised. Action tn prevent the
lcvyinE Of political assessments on the
Judiciary is recommended.
The report urges that the meetings
Of all city boards be public beeaus"
lin a free government publicity is alb
solutely essential"
The majority Of the committee pre-
scented eight bills for the consideration
Of the Legislature. One provides that
for the appointment Of a commission
by the governor to review the New
York charter. The other bills provide
that the borough presidents shall have
power 10 vote on all matters in the
cost Of public improvements: requiring
that all water contracts must have ap-
proval Of boards OF public improve
ments and estimate and apportionment
and three-f1urth Of the members Of the
municipal assembly; repeating the law
preventing New York City from get
ting water in Suffolk county: provid-
ing for the printing in January and
July list of all city employees; repeal
ing the act compelling publication Of
the election registry in pamphlet form:
requiring the dock department to pur-
chase supplies from the lowest bidders Z:
ana giving proposed charter revision
commission power to invoke the aid Of
court of railroad in aid of its process
ana authority.
The minority report in part says:
As to the report of the majority i'll
general. we feel justified in claiming
that it is grossly unfair. conspicuouSly
partisan. coarse in language. vitupera
tive in temper and absolutely unjusti-