New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-12-27

The glorious uncertainty of the law, in this city
Of least does not appear to rebound exclusively or
even mainly to the benefit Of the legal profession.
It would seem from the report of the Committee OF
the Board of Aldermen appointed to Investigate
the expenditures in the Department of Repairs and
Supplies, that nobody Knows exactly what the law
is regulating the expenditure Of the city's money
for these purposes-at least in the cases Of small
iobs-and that advantage n taken Of this uncer-
tsnty to render those jobs much more profitable to
those who perform them than they are beneficial
to the city.
We have, or seem to have, On ordinance OF the
Common Council vMy judiciousy requiring that in
all cases of repairs previous estimate shau DO
made of the necessary expense, and In case that
estimate should exceed the amount of two hundred
dollars, it .hall be laid before the Common Council
Our present Commissioner, however, totally dis
per ses with this provision, upon the strength OF
clause in the latest City Charter, which requires
that in all cases of jobs Of greater amount than
two hundred and fifty dollars the work shall be
done by contract; whence, by process of reason
ing, the steps Of which are not very apparent to
ordinary minds be concludes himself at liberty, in
ease Of al jobs not amounting to two hundred and
fifty dollars, to dispense not only with sprevous
contract, but with any previous estimate, 30 that
the amount to be paid for such jobs seems to
rest entirely between the conscience Of the ope'
rstor and the Commissioners own discretion
"a kind Of two-legged stool, which seems very
generally to bring the City to the ground. Even
the requiston of previous contracts for jobs exceed
ing $3.50, il, it seems, often dispensed with BY in
PRODUCING into these repairs q division Of labor
which the City Charter can hardly be supposed to
have contemplated. Thus, tor instance, when
roof is to be repaired, by considering the carpcn-
teriDg, plumbing painting, timing, &C., as sepa-
rate Jobs any necessary amount of subdivision may
be easily introduced.
The evidence taken before the Committee goes to
show that the result of this method of proceeding
is precisely what might be expected. The only
check upon those who do the work il that they
.ba not 20 beyond two hundred and fifty dollars;
and a. no other estimate has previously been made
of what the job is to cost there seems to be hardly
any other restriction or testexcept, indeed, the be-
fore mentioned conscience Of the operator-for de-
term'npg the amount to be charged. The opera
tor to 20 on and do the work and charge what he
pleases for it, only keeping within the aforesaid
limits Of two hundred and fifty dollars and his own
conscience. In the case Of work done for private
individual, this would be considered rather made
quate security sgainst sverchargss; yet everybody
knows that the public stands much less chance in
all such cares than private individual, and is o.
ways overchsrged, not to Say cheated, with much
iess scrupk.
1t is obvious that system Of this sort is utterly
koee, and that il cannot help leading TO great
abuses. Let Us give the present incumbents Of the
Department Of Repairs and Supplies the benefit Of
all bat is claimed fer them in the minority report.
Let us admit that neither Of those gentlemen have
participated personally, either directly or indirectly,
for the past or for the future, in the exOrbitant
profits thus made out Of the city. Let US suppose
tina. no favoriim 10 exhibited in the selection Of the
persons chosen TO DO this work. Admit all that, and
still there remain two serious objections to the
present system In the first place, it is not likely
that we shall always have such virtuous and disin
terested officers as those by whom those position
ore now filled; aud in the second place, there doe