New-York tribune., 1909-06-07
GENERAL BNGHAIrS FAUX PAS"


y-ore II nor for the Mayors record, surely no
ono ,-ouId give a moments consideration TO the
ra,orf that he IS disposed TO remove PoIlce
commissioner Bingham because or a JdHF puS-
But removals for faHr pas are one ol 'ie
Navor's habits Corporation CouhSel Ellison
WIS removed for the fdHr pas OF annouhCiIi9
that his chief was inclined TO be recohclIeu u
Nurphv. and only the other day the CoilliiS-
[iorar of Accounts. Mr. Galaher, was removed
for the fqur pas of looking for piece q
csrpentrv belonging TO the city In the nome OIL
Alderman LITTLE Tim Sullivan General Blng-
hams bIunder was almost as gorgeous as lhls'
for ba advised the people Of New York, II tne!
..yanted clean town., TO get man Iol
Nayor": but the public will be inclined 10 MINK
he was right. in a sense which he ola not III
tend If the Mayor continues to use the power
of removal to express his feelings OF personal
irritation.
The mower of removal was never given 10
tbe NTavor of this city to be employed III a per-
sonal manner II was abused in the cases OF
,,ornoration Counsel Ellison and Commissioner
CaIiaber. All that the Mayor alleged in the
former Instance was that his personal relations
70 his subordinate had ceased to be pleasant
Nothing was charged against Mr. Eiiisons ON
5aI character or conduct Indeed, he had been
a more than usually efficient Corporation Coun-
sell But not having appreciated the Mayors
besitancy to be wholly one thing or the other
he publicly intimated readiness on the Mayors
part 10 be reconciled to Tammany Hall That
DESTROYED the personal confidence existing be-
tween him and the Mayor and, useful public
servant though he was, retired him TO private
life Mr. Gallaher on the other hand, had be-
come inconvenent TO the Mayor through his in
difference to political considerations in the per-
formance Of duty.
The use of the power of removal to indulge
personal feeling does more than deprive the
public of the services of competent officials. 1t
increases that want of permanency in the higher
public offices in this city which is one of the
causes of inefficient government. The aim of
the city should be not to have as many heads
of denartments as possible in the course of four
wears but to retain competent and efficient
heads of departments as long as possible. Ine
frequent changing of commissioners in New
York Is in striking contrast TO the permanency
of tenure in European cities. The power Of re-
moval exists in Europe but it Is not exercised
except in cases Of inefhciency. Men serve the
grea ter part Of their lives as heads OF bureaus
or departments there Municipal government is
to them a profession. Politics does not affect
them and they are secure against personal
pioue for public opinion abroad would not
tolerate the removal Of efficient municipal en-
ployes And observers are agreed that Euro
pean city government owes a large part OF IT'S
superiority over municipal government in Amer
ica to corps Of experienced, intelligent and per-
nanent department heads. We should aim at
the same thing here. The power Of removal
should exist, but ii should be safe from abuse.
With regard to General Bingham, the Mayor
should swallow his annoyance because one of his
appointees has advised the people of New York
to get man" for Mayor. General Bingham
does talk too much. and with astonishing in
discretion; but one OF the most creditabe
things in the Mayors administration has been
the way he has hitherto stood behind his Com
missioner Of Police. IN spite Of his fauD pas
and of the way in which he must have en-
barrassed the Mayors relations with certain
politicians. The Mayor. moreover, has been re-
warded for his patience. since the Commissioner
has done a useful work with the police, and
one that cannot fail 20 suffer from a change in
the head OF the department at this time.