New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-03-15
ALDERMEN AND FRANCHISES.

The patriotic aldermen foresee ruin II Senator
Elsbergs bill TO vest the granting OF franchises
In the Board Of Estimate and Apportonment
becomes law With only trifing inaccuracy,
Alderman DosIil says that he sees the finish or
greater New-York' If the bill goes through, and
mat 1.-The aldermen work for the whole city.
1t Is the finish of the aldermen that he sees.
though perhaps we cannot wonder that no
thinks them to be the biggest part of greater
New-York. The aldermen have long acted as
if they thought there was nothing to be coDsid-
cred in greater New-York but their own inter
ests. Tie also made slip in not saying the
aldermen work the whole city" They do. With
these trlhing corrections Mr. Doulrs state
ment would exactly fit the facts. 1t would be
sad day for many statesman whose prospects
depended on his power over franchise grants to
lose the opportunity to serve his city. 1t would
be an occasion for weeping like unto that Of ex-
Senator Plunkitt. who laments the discouragfng
effect of the merit system on the young men
naturally boiling over with enthusiasm TO serve
their country, who, under the blighting infu
enee Of a Civil Service examination, become in
different to the call of duty. Think of Little
Tin'' deprived of the Incentive to stay in pub
lie life and serve the city by not having the
chance to hold up franchises Think how loud
win be the cry "Give us back our aIdermen"'
when there are no Doulls and DowlingS and
Richters TO stand between the people and ruin!
Sad as the Eisberg bill would make the alder
men, the community in general would be I'M
grateful enough to rejoice at its passage. The
attention called recently to the latest hoIdup by
the aldermen empha sizes their unhtness but this
is only one Of many instances which show that
mistake made in vesting in such body
control over franchises. Ever since the Board
of Aldermen has existed in its present form it
has been a scandal and a block to progress.
1t held up the Pennsylvania tunnel for months
on frivolous pretexts which excited universal
suspicion. and finally yielded only under the
pressure OF an aroused public opinion. II left
10 these protectors of the whole city, New
York to-day would face the prospect of having
indefinitely to cross the Hudson River by ferry.
Their course with reference TO the development
of transit lines TO Westchester County excited
widespread Indignation and now they are not
rejecting as improper, for they have no decent
argument TO urge against II, but sitting expect
| antly upon the greet enterprise OF connecting
| Long Island and New.England, which means
so much in the way Of manufactures and growln
10 outlying Brooklyn. 1t is long story of con-
| sistent misconduct
The experience of the last few years of trying
TO make the Board of Aldermen respectable leg
islatlye body only confirms the lesson OF earlier
times. In the old city the aldermen were gradu-
! ally deprived OF one function after another be-
| cause they proved their unfitness TO perform il
/ till they were little more than an ornamental
body. The makers Of the new charter thought
| that they could bring into being high class
municipal legislature by adopting a bicameral
/ system. We had it for four years, and found
that the prevalent aldermanic type could do
just as much harm in two houses as in one. So
we returned TO the old system leaving with the
one body OF aldermen OF the same class that
| Jake Sharp dealt with the power 10 do the
! same sort OF business. No wonder the result is
disappointing. The hope that larger movers
would bring better men into the board was a
delusion. The larger powers simply made keener
/ the appetites of those who manage ward poli
tics II is possible that large powers OF con
| structiye legislation In which there was no
chance for graft" might omen the door for bet
ger men and deprive the ONCE of attractions for
the selfseekers. But certainly large powers over
| enterprises IN which millions are staked cannot