New-York tribune., 1903-01-01
ONE YEAR OF REFORM.
M4YOR LOWeS FINE WORk
al Cay Departments Haze Hade
Mann improvements.

when the Low administration began It's 'ash'
:.oerhaps never have officials worked haroe' VI
more conscientiously TO produce results nc
would win approval from rich ana pooi am
than have Mayor Low and his associates "e
began work one year ago, unoer an
charter with the Police Department ieN
with scandal and blackmail, ana anho
other city department down d. Tue -
A wear is a short time III WHICH "
i,,,,a,o.a machine that carries payroi VI
AZ Ooe employees and costs, all told, slVoeN"'oo"
a wear TO run But the magnificent results az
complished by the Low admiilis'i avn 49,,
short period amply justify the hope
c;+;zens who placed the Iower IN the hai'0
tho snti-Tammany officials, and al the Same ~
ts+ifx- the nrediction that at the END OF aho'her
twelve months every fair-minded man VIII 'aNe
an honest pride in the two years "ofh'
A police department where the heavy hand OF
+he low has made the trafficker in shame wonder
how long he viii have to wait for the return OF
induleences paid for: finance department
that has compelled corporations to pay for iran
chises what they worth; law department.
that mas compelled the dishonest tax oodser ~
toe the mark; borough governments which nave
worked together to break UP aspnaltihs rings
enabling the city to get twice as mucfi pa eiie"
for the money possible tweiNe iiioi''i"
ago; street cleaning department that oespl'e
the excavating going on all over town. Keeps ''e
city clean and daily scrubs with hose anu VI u'"
the district below Canal-st.; char1tes oepdit
ment in which the dependents get the care for
which the city pays without any rahe-oiS'
a health department that shows a decreased
daatb rate: and park and fire departments that
arc rim without scandal-these are some OF the
things that the people voted for little over
wear ago, and the first years record shows thaI
Mavor Lows commissioners have qualified under
their difficult contracts. To use Bower!
classic they have made good
Colonel John \. Partridge leaves the Police
Department no richer than when he went in.
That is sermon in itself. To it can be truth
fully added this that in quiet and unostenta-
tious way he has retired more than half OF the
"old guard" The "old guard in the Police
Department used to mean the who were
so fearless of vice that like the darky not afraid
of work, they could lie down next to 1t ana go
to sleep. In year two captains and sixty
five patrolmen have been dismissed from the
force against an average Of thirty-one for the
previous four years; two inspectors, seven cap
tains and two sergeants have been retired, some
after long years of honest service and some Tor
the 'beEeht of their health Seven of these are
awaiting trial on charges Creatures who have
been hurt by police administration in the last
year are vehement and voluble in decrying the
they are the people who did not want any
change.
Mayor Low regards among the most I'M
portant achievements Of the year the right gwen
to the city to condemn land under water by pay
ing the amount originally paid to the State, plus
the value of improvements The Mayor pre-
vailed upon the State Land Commission to make
this permanent arrangement. The rapid in
crease in the value of the city's waterfront
I7o hot Gr-Ch in
should vest in the city The State Land Com
mission has authority TO dispose of shore rights
as before but only the understanding that
the city by reimbursing holders who have i'm
proved their grants, may recover the shore
rights for itself.
To the Low administration is due the credit
for pushing forward the development of pas
senger transportation facilities as they never
were pushed before. President Cassatt did
not announce his tunnel plans for the Pennsyi-
vania Railroad unit, after the fusion victory
The bill authorizing the city to grant the iran
chise passed the legislature in March and was
signed by Governor Odell in April. the iran
chise was approved by the Board of Aldermen
in less than three months after it was whipped
into shape thus breaking all speed records for
a project OF such magnitude There was no
"boodling.' TIE city receives S2o.oeo year
for the franchise, and will receive half million
dollars g. year in increased taxes as soon as the
tunnel is built.
The contract for the Brooklyn extension of the
subway has been let advantageous terms
TO the city, and the contractors VIII hnlSh the
work in three years
A favorable contract for the construction or
the New-York and Jersey Railroads tunnel
under +he North River, with terminal at
Chris. er and Greenwich sts., has just been
grante and the tunnel will soon be completed
The corporations asking for right of way
for tracks over the Central Bridge have fallen
into line and are willing to work under twenty
five year franchise.
AS a New Years present, the Board of Esti-
mate has convinced the New York Central Rail
road that the use of extra sub-surface space
is worth money. and it will pay $25,Ooo year
for a franchise that would have yielded little
nothing a year ago. But beyond all other con-
siderations is the prime fact that the Central
will soon begin improvements that will mean the
end of steam as motive power in the tunnel.
These are few of the good things done by the
Mayor the Controller and other members of
the Board of Estimate and Apportionment in
the last twelve months.
Corporation Counsel Rives shouldered a big
Job when he took hold OF the Law Department.
Equipped it was with first rate talent under
Mr. whalen it nevertheless had contracted the
drifting habit Mr.. Rives stopped this and
gave an object lesson to taxpayers. Thirty
thousand cases against delinquent personal tax
payers had been pigeonholed because ii
feared that TO prosecute them would cost Tam
many Hall votes. Martin SAKE, young Repub-
lican lawyer. was dropped into this dead horse
department and the dry bones began to rattle.
He secured settlements in 2,200 cases, mostly
involving corporations and collected nearly
100000. against $4,000 for the entire four
years of the Van Wyck administration.
Commissioner Lederle in the Health Denart-