Year: 1874

The Mayor ON Removals and Resig-


nations.


The Governor has refused to indorse thu
removal of the Commissioners of Armories
and hence the attempt of the Mayor to get rid
OF those officials to crafty personal spite il
defeated. The Governor reminds the Mayor
that the Board of Commissioners was created
by the Legislature for the express purpose Of
correcting the abuses that had so long existed
IN relation to the renting of armories. Under
the old system the rents paid in year
amounted to the interest on four mil
non dollars, while in some instances
the buildings selected for armories
were unsafe, and in one case the Gov
ernor refused to allow the arms and equip
Inents OF regiment to be kept in a room in
the fourth story of building in which were
located stable, a hayloft and depot for the
storage OF turpentine, oil and varnish. The
Governor hopes that as the leases fastened
upon the city for armories fall in great re-
form may be secured through the action of
the Commission, and as there is no charge of
malfeasance or neglect of duty against tho
present Commissioners, and as thew are GEN.
tlemen of character and capacity, he sees NO
reason for their removal. ~ think you will
agree with me" writes the Governor, ssthat
the power of removal is a high prerogative.
and ought not to be exercised but for grave
causes" Such, for instance, We may add. az
bold defiance of law by public official
under the thin pretence of ''legal opinion"
or wiliul covering up Of malfeasances on tho
part of subordinates.


The recent vagaries Of the Mayor have
proved the wisdom of that provision of the
charter which requires the removal of
heads of departments to be approved by tho
Governor before taking effect. Mr.. Have
meyer now adopts the plan-not a very. effect
i've one thus far-of requesting the resigna-
tion of such officials as may happen
to incur his dspleasure When two of
the Police Commissioners refused to restore
Gardner and Charlick to their old positions
on the Police Board the Mayor requested the
''obstructives" to resign. But Commissioner
Disbecker told the venerable Mayor to visit
place to which we trust, despite his many
backslidings, he may never be consigned.
and Commissioner Duryee replied that he
considered his retention of Office necessary
to the protection Of the interests of the oit-
izens. Now the Mayor has called for the
resignation of Mr.. John Wheeler, the Pres
ident Of the Board Of Taxes and Assess
ments, but Mr.. Wheeler is too earnest in his
endeavor to protect the taxpayers and to ex-
pose the incompetency and trickery of our
financial management to comply with the
polite request The best thing we can advise
Mr.. Havemeyer to do under the circum-
stances is to take o dose of his own medicine,
and to crafty the people of New York by him.
self resigning. The request would be made
by million of citizens if they could only
believe that it would be granted.


Now CONES the development of the fact that
under the old Police Commission, which the
Mayor so earnestly endeavored to perpetuats
in defiance Of the law, the street cleaning
business was mainly managed under the direc-
ton of one Commissioner, who formed quo
rum of Board composed of three members.
To-day it was a meeting Of the Board with
Gardner only present. and tomorrow a meet
ing composed Of Charlick alone. The Board
of one proposed the removal of one dump in
spector and the appointment of another, and
the motion was put by the mover and carried
by the mover with remarkable unanimity.
This, no doubt, materially assisted the filling
up of lots at Hunters Point and in those
eccentric operations in manure which excited
the wonder of the Legislative Investigating
Committee. There is nothing like unanimity
in such Board.