New-York tribune., 1901-08-10
4 COMMISSIONER AT HIS BEST.

In his first annual report Of the Street Clean
ing Department. issued yesterday Commissioner
Nagle has supplied the city government and the
general public with a considerable amount Of
interesting reading Moreover. until an official
statement 10 the contrary appears we shall be-
lieve that Mr. Nagle wrote il himself, for no.
body employed 70 perform tie task would have
been at all likely 10 give just such a document
10 the world Tne language. though a trife
queer in spots Yields its full meaning az n
glance. and on the whole II is fair 10 say that
the form is not much inferior % the substance.
We never thought the commissioner was a good
street cleaner bur he possesses a vocabulary
which IS sufficiently cogent and copious for all
practical purposes. and he knows how il should
be used 10 produce an impression
The most striking, and perhaps the most
pleasing thing about This unexpected report is
that il rakes almost the entire municipal ad-
ministration fore and aft The Assembly.
which should have granted Mr.. Nagle's request
for bond account 10 renew and enlarge his
plant postponed. deferred, put of action" for
nearly a wear. and thus brought unjust censure
and contempt upon the head Of the department,
who was in nowise responsible for the run
down and dilapidated" condition Of parts Of its
eQuipment The commissioner wants II dis
tinctly understood that he does not intend 10
submit tamely 70 such treatment hereafter. bur
will put the responsibility Just exactly whore
Il belongs" In that particular matter the
Board of Estimate behaved well enough. but IL
has some serious sins 70 answer for. IN would
not let him have new dumps. which are an i'm
perstive necessity. unless vile stuff is 70 he left
the sidewalks 10 breed a pestilence. and
when be had diverted little money from Man
haitian and Brooklyn for the benefit of long
suffering Queens. the board cut down his sppro-
pristion 10 the same amount He does not d.
rectly comment on that performance, hut the
implication is thsr il was exceedingly ridiculous
As for the Finance Department. IL has been =
trial 70 him. and he advises Mr.. Coler "a pay
more respect 70 Section 54l Of the charter which
enshles the Commissioner NJ Street Cleaning 10
DO many convenient things. provided the Con
troller does not interfere.
Coming 10 the Police Department and his
friend the commissioner, Mr. Nagle enters Wig
orous complaint because police officers are no
longer detailed 20 enforce the law concerning
tho separation ~ various kinds Of refuse When
the law first went into effect there was little
trouble on that score. the police compelling peo-
ple 10 be careful. but for more than three years
the separation Of garbage from other material
has been steadily going backward" and the
first thing we know the Board Of Health win
prohibit all land dumping greatly 10 the an
noyance and expense OF the Street Cleaning De
rartment The commissioner continues, not
with excessive indignation. in our opinion
protest that the requirement of the observ-
ance Of the law IN respect 10 the proper separa-
zion of these materials is just as much a police
drty as is any other violation or infraction OF