GREATER NEW YORK.
然而其他部门可能影响recent election for mayor in this city, it is not thought that there will be any great, or many changes in that of the fire department of Manhattan borough. The principle of letting very well alone will probably beaded up to by the incoming fire commissioner, whoever he may be, so far, at least, as the uniformed force is concerned. In Brooklyn, also, the same policy will most likely be pursued, and the leveling up principle adopted, by means of which the firemen of the two greatest boroughs of the consolidated city will be placed on a footing of perfect equality, so far as regards pay and being in the line of promotion. With respect to Long Island City, the same policy may possibly be followed out; but the conditions in its respect are not quite identical with those of New York and Brooklyn. ‘The immense amount of outlying territory added to the jurisdiction of the fire commissioner of Greater New York -much of it ruralwith only volunteer departments and second or third-rate apparatus to operate to say nothing of districts, in which the houses and population are scattered, the roads vile, and the water supply scantywill largely increase the responsibility of the new fire commissioner,and ought to cause him to be very careful in the selection of his subordinate officers, so as to guard against extravagance and jobbery,on the one hand, and to provide for efficiency,on the other. In every case, Mayor-elect Van Wyck will have to consult the best interests of the citizens of the second city in the world, and will, therefore, need to display the utmost caution in his appointment to the position of fire commissioner. In the same way, since Greater New York takes over the entire supervision of the many water works and sewerage systems within its enlarged limits, similar scrupulous care must be exercised in the selection of the commissioner under whose purview, among other departments, shall fall the whole of the responsibility—for the proper oversightof the water,sewerage,and building bureaus. It w’ould seem the wiser, healthier, and sounder policy for the incoming commissioner to advocate the retention in every case of those subordinate officers whose experience, skill, and thorough knowledge of the working of their respective bureaus has been already shown and tested. Of such officers there are many in each city, fire and water works engineers and other water w’orks men, who have made the question of the water supply their life-study and have successfully wrestled with, and mastered the intricacies of the problem in some cases where the difficulties connected with the water supply have been manifold, and to less skilful engineers and purveyors would have proved insuperable. Their efficient,and at the same time economical methods, as well as their continuous and faithful efforts to serve their respective cities are surely worthy of recognition; and the best recognition that can be afforded such employes, in whatever department, is surely to keep them in office, irrespective of their political affiliations. In municipal departments merit and faithful service should form the bases of all such appointments. We trust it may prove so in the present instance.
