The lists had been changed, however. That on food consisted
of Green, a wholesale grocer, and a member of the Health Board. Peter's
name had been dropped. That on tenements, of five members, was made up
of Peter; a very large property-owner in New York, who was a member as
well of the Assembly; a professional labor agitator; a well-known
politician of the better type, and a public contractor. Peter, who had
been studying some reports of a British Royal Commission on the same
subject, looked grave, thinking that what the trained men in England had
failed in doing, he could hardly hope to accomplish with such
ill-assorted instruments. The papers were rather down on the lists. "The
appointments have destroyed any chance of possible benefit," was their
general conclusion, and Peter feared they were right.
Costell laughed when Peter spoke of the commissions. "If you want Catlin
to do anything well, you've got to stand over him till it's done. I
wanted you on both commissions, so that you could see how useless they
all are, and not blame us politicians for failing in our duty.
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