The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-01-04

New York is starting off well
a. 1t is q big affair, larger than
most persons realize. 1t concerns
more people than inhabited the United
States at the time of the first admins
tration of President Washington. ii
involves expenditures larger than
those of many of the kingdoms OF
Europe, and under Tammany it sup
piled employment to nearly twice as
many office holders as the nation had
soldiers in it's regular army four years
ago. This list of office holders is be-
lieved to be unnecessarily large and
Mr.. Low expects to prune it vigorous
ly. 1t is said in some of the papers
that he expects to have the city pay
roll cut at least $6,000,000 a year. That
seems hardly possible, but undoubted-
ly it can be much reduced
The New York correspondent of the
Philadelphia Ledger, describing the
first days workings, writes: mo
crowd Of office seekers in the mayor S
office, strict attention to business in all
the departments, a conference between
Mayor Low, Comptroller Grout and
Borough President Cantor in regard to
the best way of reducing municipal
presented in this City today. Actually,
Mayor Low was enabled to give his
entire attention to public business, be-
ing undisturbed by the crowd of office
seekers who usually throng the city
hall on the first days of II new admin
istration. Evidently the politicians
have taken the mayor at his word.
Having named his heads of depart
ments, he leaves to them the task of
appointing the subordinate officials.
In every branch of the city govern
ment there seemed to exist a feeling
business, that is to say, business for
the city, and not private gain for
themselves. Even the humble street
cleaner used his broom with augment
ed vigor."
In similar vein, Holland" writes
from New York to the Philadelphia
Press He especially commends the
new mayors determination that there
should under his administration be no
unnecessary secrecy in the conduct of
city affairs. THE day before he was
inaugurated,' writes Holland" 'Mr.
Low announced that it was his wish
that the representatives of the news
paper press who are assigned to the
duty of reporting the matters of public
interest arising in every department Of
the city government should have the
fullest opportunity for obtaining all in
formation which the public had Il right
to know, and Mr.. Low added that so
far as he knew there was no act of an
administrative or executive character
and none that was legislative in its
nature which should be kept from the
public He cormted publicity daily and
complete for every department of his
administration, including his own"
In fact, HOLLAND" says that Mr., Low
has counseled all his heads of depart
ments, some of whom, from profess
sonal habit. formed in private life, are
inclined to get as far away from news
paper publicity as possible, to seek the
cooperation Of the press. And along
this line "Holland" cites an interesting
circumstances "rhe retiring district
attorney, Mr. Philbin, went to the dis
trlct attorneys Office unfamiliar with
public life for the single office he had
held was as comparatively obscure as it
was an unsalalied one. He had never
been brought in contact with the news
paper world, and he shared at the be-
ginning that timidity or shyness re-
OF so many men who are
absorbed in pursuits that are peculiar
ly private. But he said on Tuesday
that, after he had been in the district
attorneys office a while. he realized
how vast an influence for good was
the work done by the newspapers and
by their representatives. He discoy-
cred after Il little while that these men
not only assisted him in many ways
but enlightened the community in the
most important manner. He paid a
tribute to their sense of honor saying
found Il confidence betrayed and that,
there had been several times
important pieces of news in possession
of these men whose premature publica-
ton would have interfered with the
plans of the district attorneys office,
yet in not one instance had there been
any indication of the use Of this infor-
nation until the time was ripe for IT,
He added, too, that the publicity
given 10 the work of his department
had been of incalculable service in
strengthening his hands and enabling
him to carry out his plans"
II success is possible on a temporary
Fusion basis in city like New York
we mean success covering more than
one election Mayor Low seems 10
have chosen the best way 10 secure it.
rhe wish that he may be sustained in
along the government of our