New-York tribune., 1902-05-25
NEGLECTED. ORDINANCES.

New Workers are laWless people. Complaint
is made that the police fail strictly to enforce
the Sunday laws but those laws are probably
more strictly enforced than most Of the other
regulations which touch personal conduct Sun
day liquor selling is commonly considered more
Objectionable lawbreaking than violation of the
Sanitary Code; hence it is more talked about by
reformers But probably half the reformerS who
are ready to make an issue against the liquor
dealers are themselves habitual lawbreakers,
who are doing their part to make this an I'M
healthy, unkempt, disOrderly city. Few people
know what the statutes require of them, and
fewer care. With american independence"
they calmly ignore police and sanitary regula-
tions which do not appeal TO their taste, and e1-
pect to have those same regulations enforced to
protect them from inconvenience and disease.
1t is time New-York had some thorough edu-
cation in obedience to law. A good deal was
done in this respect under the Strong admins
tration, particularly by Colonel Waring. Com
missioner Woodbury. has been doing some good
work this year in compelling builders who have
run riot in the streets to obey the code and re-
gard the rights of the public Much good was
accomplished under Colonel Waring in teaching
children to keep the streets clean, and brigades
Of children were organized pledged not to litter
the streets, but to help keep them clean. Under
Tammany such efforts received no encourage
ment and the city fell back into it's old slovenly
habits. 1t is now time to take up this work
again. These brigades should be organized
anew, and the thousands OF children who are
growing up barbarians in our streets should be
trained in lawabiding and civilized habits. We
believe it is possible to nstl in them a sense Of
civic pride. To most of them the idea that it is
wrong to litter the streets is unknown. They
o,,1+ +hais 1,ai,.
duty. 1t is not merely the poor foreign popula-
ton who make trouble. Well to do and well
educated people in every part Of the city are
offenders.
The ordinances Of New York are n sealed book
TO the great majority of its people Even for
lawyers and judges revision and cOdifcation are
required. For the public a simple statement of
the comparatively few regulations which touch
the activities of their everyday lives is needed.
Above ALL the children should be brought up
with higher sense OF their responsibilities and
with a correct habit of regard for the simple
rules Of civic good breeding. Self-restraint in
the matter of splitting on car floors, for instance
should be as much q fundamental trait in chill
dren as the most universal marks of decency
and politeness which even the most ignorant are
expected to acquire. Probably much good might
be done here by the adoption of a method put
III lOFct III Lut dcllN-
ity of Miss Mary Marshall Butler. There a
placard containing in large letters plain state
ment In epigrammatic form Of some of the most
common habits forbidden by ordinance cir
culated In the schools. Thus boys and girls
were made TO realize how they were expected
TO behave 1t might be we'll not only to clrcu-
late such cards but to post them in school vesti-
buIes and other public places, where not only
children but adults would be made familiar
with them. Such course would make neces-
sary activity to enforce the ordinances thus
brought to notice. Otherwise contempt for law
would be incucated and our last condition would
be worse than the first
Who pays any attention now to the rules
against obstructing sidewalks crosswalks?
| Who is made to obey the anti-spitting ordi-
nances? Who is brought up not 10 throw stones
! in the street? What cartman is compelled to
cover earth which he carries through the street?
There are hundred ordinances OF this kind
| rigid observance Of which is required for public
comfort and public health. But hardly one of
them is as frequently obeyed as it is disobeyed.
IL is not a question of occasional violation of
law, but of total Indifference TO law on the part
! of practically the whole population. Perhaps
the trouble is primarily due to ignorance. Ger