The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-12-13
Affairs or the Central Park.

WHAT COMMISSIONER GREEN AND THE suPERINTEr-
DENT SAT-.
The Committee on Lands and Places of tie Board
Of Aldermen met on Saturday-Aiderman Wilson in
the chair-to further investigate the affairs of the
Central Park.
Mr.. HoGG declined answering any questions rela-
tive TO the resolution referred to this committee on
the llth inst. He said he asked parties inside
Of the Park to vote any particular way, used any
influence with the workingmen In regard TO their
political predictions.
ANDREW GREEN, one Of the Central Park Com
missioners, said the first appropriation $4,000;
that they had never had but $4,000; 600 had
been paid TO laborers and gardeners and Of IL
to saared officers; 81 900 has been paid for tools
We supply the tools. They are purchased by the
Executive Committee-Dillon, Buterworth and Gray
Miller delivers the tools. He IL the property clerk.
He Is responsible for what becomes OF them. All
bills must be certified and properly pased the Audit
ing Board and the Commissioners, and then pay it.
Twenty-Five thousand dollars have been appro-
prased for trees and plants. Messrs. Hogg, Elliot
and Graham are the Committee on Trees and Plants.
Buildings have been taken from the Park and sold,
the proceeds Of the sale being deposited TO the credit
bank Is signed by the Commissioners and the Comp
troler; their signature IL actually necessary. The
vouchers for payment n properly endorsed and fled
with the Comptroller The laborcrs are employed
tne superintendent, ana III tEey are 0cfleCt IN
duty he discharges them. The foreman makes
affidavit as TO the amount of time the labsrers
engaged Messrs. Mcintosh and Millerpay the men.
The Executive Committee are generally in the Park
more than any other committee Individual mem
bers Of committees are on the ground more than
committees as bodies There are from eleven TO
twelve hundred men employed on the Park now.
The smallest number Of men employed at time
was twenty; they were gardeners. Under the first
appropriation about 700 men were employed; in get
ting that appropriation $500 lost II Is the In
tcntion OF the Commissioners to keep as many men
to work rs possible. No single member OF the com
mission receives any compensation but each man
Is allowed 5000 for carriage hire, and not
one of them has drawn q cent OF il. There ia q
fortnghts pay due the men, which will exhaust the
$4,000, and then we cannot employ any more men
until another appropriation The cash on hand will
be exhausted this payments 1t might have been
week ago. He (Mr. Greene) never asked man as
to his vote.
Mr. OLssTEAp, superintendent of the park. said
there are 100 men employed the laborers receive
81 day, the foremen 50 per week, the stone break.
ers cents per cubic foot. The way they ascertain
ed the amount of work done by stone breakers was
by measurement He desired that they too should
have VI per day. The man who made the lowest
wages. 10 cents day, has returned and begged TO
be set 10 work again, 40 he is now at work There
are many men making 81 O day breaking stone; the
majority Of the men breaking stone make 81 day.
When the Commission decided TO give nine cents per
cubic foot they calculated the men could make
dollar a day. Nine cents foot for breaking stone
stone il broken smaller. Men are paid by the day
when building wall; building wall will last all win
ter. No political influence with men came under
my observation.
The committee then adjourned, subject TO the call
Of the chair.