New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-04-06
rioss vahsst skipg ksve at bosdqusrters Ihey
will, We are sure, run no sort Of risk in 90 dong.
A settlement, By arbitration is supposed 10 be

A settlement BY arbitration is supposed 70 be
something Ike justice, and IN questions in which
individuals only are interested it generally Is So
but where tie public goose s to be plucked, II sp-
peers 10 be done even more sbamelessy BY srbitra-
tors than by the direct grab Of the thsvisg Office
holder. The City Of New-Yofk has recently in
dused in the luxury Of settling certain contracts BY
arbitration, with what result will be seen by the
following brief statement. In 1853 Bartlett Smith
contracted to regulate and grade the Sixth avenue,
from Fifty. seventh to Eighty-sixth street. Abou,
tie sare time the land included was set apart for
the Central Park ard the Common Council ordered
the suspension Of Mr. Smiths contract. In fact,
Mr. Smith had not begun the work at all; not
space bad he put in the ground; yet he proved by
the estimates Of q surveyor that the city ought TO
give him as damages about $4,000. This de nand
was so outrageous that the city procured survey
of the Job finally concluding that, although he he'd
done nothing at ALL Mr.. Smith ought to have about
S2l, OOO. The Gaze va, settled BY arbitration, and
the CITY psid in all $50 AL to get clear Of the affair
In two other cases for regulating streets within
the limits Ct the Park, the city was made TO pay
Cor on the part Of the people being Mr. B.n Far
child, the political pet Of Mayor Wood, and the
man for whose especial benefit that huge s@indle Of
q stage route in Lexington avenue was got mp, aud
but for the manly frnness of Alderman Wilson,
would have been forced upon the people. la the
case of John McGrane, contractor for regulating
the Seventh averue, the city paid S2o, OIL as DANA
ges for stopping the work. in the ciae of james
Flanagan for regulating three blocks, the award
was $40 135. Ttese three jobs submitted TO the
udement Of arbitrators selected Oh the part of the
city by the Mayor have cOst the city nearly seventy
Thousands dollars smar; money.
But the moot intolersble case is that Of jacob
Sharp, the well.kLown contractor aud Broadway
Railroad engineer. Sharp, in 1884, took the con-
tract TO tulid tulkhead at Manbattanylle. The
entire work was TO be done for $4,000 1t was
umepced, and enough accomplished to get the
frat payment of SIS, CO0 but Immediately after
getting this money, all the structure pu. up By
Sharp Slid Of into the river where it nov Lies,
dangerous obstruction instead Of bu kbead. In.
stead Of requiring bin 20 ftish bis work according
to CONTRACT, the Common Council passed resoiu-
ton not only releasing him from his bargain, but
enabling him, through the Mayors dear frient,
Forcbid, to ge. on award Of SOS, 900 as damages
SOS, 600 for not doing piece of work which was to
brig only SAG coo in all, and of which Sl5 900 had
teen paid Adding the costs aud expenses, the
city has more than paid for this bulkhead, and has
got moth pg but heap Of rubbish st the bottom Of
the river.
The aggregate robbery on these four jobs is over
one hunored Thousand dollars. 1t would be in
strIc i've 10 knew who shares this pldnder. OF
cturse no one Can s1spect the Mayor of knowing
where the morey gees; but what old it cost to get
tie Arbitration resolution through the Common
Council OF 1887 1t is snug business, all within
tire hands Ct fur or five persons; done privately,
without the stupid formsliiies Of Law Courts, with
that awkward ''You do solemnly swear, Sc; bat
we trust the Mayor and his friend will pardon us
Er expressing as mere matter of opinion that such
arbitration ia rather bold, even for New-Yofk
Any clver sccuDdrel who had the appointment
of The arbitrator on the part OF the City nigh. have
made at least twenty thousand dollars 10 the four
cases which We have mentioned.