Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-06-06
ROUND ABOUT NEW ronk.
RippIes on the Current of Life In the
Metropolis.

optimistic people who cherished the be-
lief that New York was free from the
faint Of corporate graft may as well bow
their heads and look elsewhere for a shin
ing model. The big town follows in the
paths trodden by Philadelphia and Chicago.
The chief difference Is that New Yorks
known graft IL water.
In some sections OF the greater city pri-
vate water companies supply those in need
Of the article. Here and there the pipes
Of the private companies and the pipes
Of the municipal plant parallel and inter-
sect. In some mysterious way these pipes
got mixed up and some OF the pipes OF the
private companies plugged holes in the
pipes OF the city and drew sustenance
therefrom. At one point four-inch private
main tapped an eight-inch city main and
distributed the stolen fluid where IL would
do the most good with equal generosity
the city purchased the water from the COM
pany at the rate OF S65 for each 100000
gallons. Thus the city supplied the water
and bought 1t back again, thereby enabling
the private company to do business at both
ends and the middle Just how long ago
the tap was made could not be ascertained,
as there is no record in the water supply
department of any permit to lay the outlaw
main, but judging by the condition OF the
pipe and the fact that no one could be
found In the neighborhood who remembered
when It was put down, It is believed to
have been taking water from the city at the
rate of 10000 gallons a day at least for
great many years.
New York appellate court has affirmed
the ruling of a lower court to the effect
that a traction company cannot compel
its passengers to ask for transfers upon
paying fares. This case has been fought
by the corporation in the hope of securing
a judicial affirmation of the rule which
is in vogue in many cities, including Wash
ington on one of the traction systems, and
II is expected that further appeals will be
taken The upper court declared
"a railway company may, under the
statutes and the terms Of its charter, pro-
vide reasonable regulations for the pub
lie convenience, but It would require vivid
Imagination to suppose that the rule OF the
companies as to the granting of trans
fers carries out any such lawful purpose.
This is not such a regulation as would
promote the convenience of the public, and
the company might as we'll adopt a rule
requiring that a passenger should ask for
transfer after he had ridden five blocks.
as adopt rule of this character"
According TO Mayor Mcclellan II took
81 ,146 persons to run the city government
last year. The salaries paid to these en-
ployes was S64 264, 547.62. The pay roll is as
great as the cost Of the United States army.
In spite of the fact that the great ma
jority of city employees earn their money
far more easily than they could in private
life the Tammany heads of departments
are constantly increasing salaries. In the
month of last December they raised the
wages of men under them $4,000 Last
week the Board of Aldermen, who had
been getting 1900 a year, decided this
was not enough for their hard work and
increased the ante TO 5000 per annum.
The police now cost the city S1S,00O,OOO
year, and, according to Commissioner
Bingham, more than 1000 of them at the
time he took Office were practically of no
use, being sidetracked to easy berths,
where they would not have to beat the
pave" The street cleaning department,
which is now being probed by the Board of
Aldermen on charges of graft and ex-
travagance, costs New Workers nearly
Sc, 900, 900 year. This is at the rate Of
$3.50 for each man, woman and child in
all New York.