The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-01-16
PRESENTED TO THE NEW YORK 4 S.
SEMBLY EAST NIGHT.
Grave Evils Found i'm the Conduct and
Control of CITY Omces-One Clear and
Distinct Fact Brought Out Is the Ex-
Centralized Party Government Yet
Known


| Evan, and the latter by Assemblymen
| Hoffman and Boland. The majority re-
| port opens by stating that great part
| of the testimony was directed to the
conduct and control of the various Of
fees and departments in New York
city and in this connection says:
in many of these grave evils were
disclosed. For such as We're admins
trative in their nature, the remedy
must be sought at the ballot box and
not at the hands of the legislature. The
one clear and distinct fact brought out
in this great city the most perfect in
stance of centralized party government
yet known
1t declares that 1--WE see the central
power, not the man who sits in the
mayors chair, but the man who stands
behind it. We see the same arbitrary
dictation of appointments, directing Of
flcials, controlling boards, lecturing
members of the legislature and the mu-
nicipal assembly. We see an enormous
and ever increasing crowd Of office
holders with ever increasing salaries.
We see the powers of government pros
tituted to protect criminals, to demor-
alize the police to debauch the public
conscience, and to turn governmental
functions into channels for private gain.
The proof is conclusive, not that the
public treasury has been directly rob
bed, but that great opportunities have
been given by manipulation of public
offices to enable favored individuals to
work for their own personal benefit.
The people alone can remedy these
evils There is no legislative panacea
for such administrative ills.
THE present mayor has not conceived
his duties to be as contemplated by the
charter commission. He has asserted
that his view of the distribution of
governmental power was that, after
having appointed commissioners they
We're responsible for their several de-
partments and that he would neither
confer nor advise in advance. bat would
confine himself to acting upon their
contemplated projects. So far as ap-
pointments were concerned, it is a fair
inference from all the evidence that he
has practically abdicated his powers
and exercises merely a registering
function of the determination of the
leaders of the party which elected him.
I'VE are strongly of the opinion that
the mayors term Is too long and ad-
wise that 1t should be shortened to two
4u1r ~ L..
oumbent
I'VE urge the immediate passage of
an amendment to the charter by strik-
ing the section which restricts the bor-
ough boards voting capacity to matters
exclusively relating to their own bor-
oughs.
THE conduct of the present police
department of the city of New York is
unqualifledly bad. Not only are the
laws against pool rooms, gaming houses,
policy shops, excise violations, dance
halls and wicked resorts of all kinds not
enforced. or enforced in such a way as
to be ridiculously ineffective. but the
general discipline is lax; grave often
sives Of personal dereliction in the way
of drunkenniess, absence from post, in
or are visited with such small fines as
almost to be an encouragement and not
a deterrent for wrong doing.
''Robberies, bunco games, decets,
frauds, thefts, have increased in an
alarming degree, and the detection of
these crimes and the recovery of prop
erty has steadily decreased during the
last two years.
I'VE believe that the great mass of
the rank and file of the departments
under proper leadership would execute
all laws with courage and vigilance,
but it is not in the nature of things
that subordinates dependent upon their
superiors for continuance and promo
ton in rank should conduct themselves
in direct opposition to the clearly |
known views of those superiors. When,
at the direct instance of the gambling
and pool selling fraternity officers have
been pounded captains transferred |
and chief retired it is hopeless to ex-
oect any other administration of such |
avs than which the overwhelming ev- |
dence proves to exist
The proposed contract with the Ram
apo Water company is discussed at !
great IeHSlI. AliGlllOn is called TO the |
of the building depart !
nent and the report says: Here again !
we find the dominant theory of the
present government, corrupt, pull and |
avoritism for private gain, in evil
lencc.
Some discretion must be lodged in a |
department. having control of the build
ng interests in so diversified a territory
is the city of New York. If that dis
,retion be abused, or if officials are in
Efficient, incompetent or even corrupt.
he remedy is not to be found at AL
,any, but in the city of New York,
ither at the hands of the criminal au-
horities or at the hands of the people
It the polls,
THE tax department. increased the
ssessed valuation of the real estate
f the boroughs of Manhattan and the
Bronx for the year 1899 over that of
S9S to the enormous amount of 1927
100000. The examination of very many
f the officials Of the department indi- !.