New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-04-17
THE STREE rs.
STATEMENT OF WORK DONE BY THE COM
MISSIONER OF STREETS AND LAMPS.
OFFICE ConMIssiOsER STREETS AsD LAMPS,
Corner Of Grand and Essex streets

OFFIcE COMMISSIONER STREETS AsD LAMPS,
Corner Of Grand and Essex streets.
NEw-YORK, April If, lS56. }
To the HoAOraH, the Board Of de'~ea Of he City Of Ser
Gys1rEygs: herewith transmit to your honora-
bile body detailed statement of the amount Of work
reformed by this Department, from the lst day of
January A. d., 1885, to March %, 1856, by which you
will be able to perceive that the department have not
been idle nor have they neglected the public ioteres
as has been alleged by the Press and some OF our OH
c,al depitaies The following statistics will show the
Lumber Of days-wOiks performed number OF loads OF
ashes gar bage rubbish, ice, snow, &c, removed from
the streets The cost thereof the of the Street
Inspectors under whose supervision the labor was per-
formed the actual cost of cleaning and removing the
vast amount Of snow and ice from Broadway from the
Battery to FOurtt enth street, and amount OF e1pend
lures for reighing ashes garbage, &c pay of street
and manure Inspectors, ticket-men, Corporation yard
keepers aborers and helpers on heaps, attaches of
Office, &c.
In connection with this statement deem il my duty
10 inform you honorable body Of some of the plrtic
uas Of the famous aud illegal contract Tor clean
ing Broadway, which has been made the vehicle TO
launch on my head an avalanche OF the most b tier
and malicious per Ona and official abuse that has ever
been known in the history Of this any other city.
In February last the Depart ment commenced to
clean Broadway Of the snow and zee, winch ID many
places was found three 10 four feet thick. Afer care
fully estimating the cost Of removing the whole OF this
vast body from the Battery to Fourteenth street TO the
several dumping grounds, did not feel justified IN 80
dong, as the appropriation asXed Ior lhe yeal hau
been reduced some $50, 900; but took what con-
sidered the next best to relieve the street aud
render it passabe for vehicles. instructed the Street
Inspectors Of every ward IN the city 10 place their
gangs # men and carts TO work on Broadway Gtnghti
and to have the ice cut eight feet from the curb
each side of the street, from the end OF the Park to
Union square, and pile it up in the center. This was
accomplished with great labor and expense. Inc
lower part Of the street, from Fulton street to White
ball. cut from curb to curb and carted 1t entirely
away. While my me were at work on this part sew
era of the residents Of the street. above the Park
-. 4l.,s - bap antu quad
entirely, and proposed to pay for cartng 1t away
This was done in either four or FIVE blocks, the resi-
dents paying for the cartng, and the Department
furnishing the men and tools for breaking it up and
loading.
The Department confidently expected that the ice
piled in the center would be removed by mild weather,
or coIoIs rains with which heretofore at that seasOn
Of the year have been yisited, but were dislp-
pointed.
After cleaning the lower part Of the street COM
menced removing the ice that had been piled in tho
center, above the Park, and while my men were ac-
lively engaged in such removal, and IN the midst OF
trial for alleged mafessance in office, brought against
me BY the miserable tools of another head of Depart
ment was waited upon by the Mayors Clerk with n
copy Of an advertisement for contracting TO remove
the ice &C., from Broadway. This refused TO have
ANYTHING TO do WITH and also gave notice through the
pres that the proceedings Of the Mayor in such mat
ten wholly unauthorized by me, and that the Work
that might be attempted to be done under sa-h con-
tract would not be under the supervision OF the super
in,endeLt Of Streets
Notwithstanding this, however, the Mayor advertised
for four days and then assumed the doubtful powers,
which he TO revel ill., matter whose rights are
aided whose reputation suffers provided that hs
ambitious ends are answered, and awarded what he
calls gal contract TO CERTAIN parties TO perform work
which be knew froI. personal observation was then
nearly complete ~ The Department 10 rhich the prose-
cut,0n Of he u0rk properly belonged attempting in
this iega manner to saddle upon the community OF
tax-uayeIs the SUN Of s2,35j; when the work
actually executed by this Department after the
awarding of the so called contract at cost 10 the
city Of 81 726 81 And the only work attempted 10 be
done in broadway by Mr.. Bard was the removal OF
not hfy leads of ice &C.. and this was performed
by him after having received the following notice
from
oFucE OF CoNMIsHoyIR OF srRIEIs AND LANFs,}
EEw-YoEX, SATURDAY, Mach 9, 1874
To WV. BAIED-S0: I have been Informed that pre-
tended contract for removing snow dt 4e from broad
between the Asor House and Cuious mas this DAY
been awarded to YOU by Fernando wod Mayor. You viii
theref please tste notice that do not recognize sail
tract .Ie her notify you that SAID contract - Wholly es
din ice g. from sro.d~.y aud have asde arrangements. u
have The balance removed forhstt You Will further take
notice ihsi this DeTafment will supeintend any
rtcosze Illegal and that portion Of the
for cleaning streets ke shall BE applied toward
lou for Ay work labor under sad Illegal
eoutrac further hereby protest AID forbid your
assigns from returning any part or portioa % ie
Ice snow, &e. a. from any part or poriE Of BIoadsy
Commissiousr u Streets sld Lamp.
Your action upon this subject has called forth the re-
markabe Veto Message Of the Mayor 10 the Board OF
COuncimen April 7. In that document, assertions are
made in regard to the department over which have
the honor 10 preside that either wfuy perverted
show amentabe state Of ignorance on the par OF
the scribe who drew up of the transactions OF pubic
business
In addition 10 the action Of the Common Council in
this matter an injunction served on the Controller
and the MAYOR in order 10 prevent the payment Of
any Of tie money appropriated TO my department, for