New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-04-05
CHATTER REFORn.

The Charter Amendment Bill nov before the
Leesaure proposes the abolition of that provision
Of the existing Charter which requires all con-
tracts to be confirmed by the Common Council
We believe the change here proposed ia not only
right but important. Confirmation By the Council,
as at present managed, is simply black-mail con.
tIivaDce. To illustrate:
A. B. contracts for job Of Corporation work
Reservoir building, Street cleaning, Road-mak-
ing or any thing ese. Under this contract, he sets
to work vigorously and perhaps completes i; before
the Boards see fit to confirm il. But, whether com
pleted or not his ntract il rarely never confirm
ed until he has seen" certain strikers who main
tain mysterious connection with certain Alder
mep, aud agreed to come down" handsomely. Ii
lie refuses to be thus bled he gets no confirmation,
and of course no psy. Obviously, if he is public
robber, be can afford to pay the Forty or their fam
iliars and get bis contract duly confirmed, though
it blaze all over with rapacity aud fraud. But If
be be an honest man, who, not having robbed the
City cannot afford to be blackmailed, he refuses to
bleed, go the Councils refGse to confirm, and be may
be kept out of bis pay for months, and even years
No good end is subserved by require nent of Al
dermsnic confirmation, and we trust the Lsgisa-
ture will not hesitate to sweep it out Of existence.
But, while We approve all that the Charter
Amendment bill proposes on this head, We regret
that does not 90 further and provide some protec
ton for the sborefs against the oppression and greed
of contractors The Amended Charter should
stpulate for the payment of the laborers' wages
weekly in cash in all cases where the work is done
under contract for the City. IL is shame that
the poor are left to the mercy of contractors as at
present.
Take the great job of constructing new Res
ervoir for Croton Water as sample. We neither
know the contractors nor their men, but We have
heard for weeks Of most abomnsble oppression
practced by the former on the latter. la the first
place. the laborers on the Reservoir are paid less
than those who work directly for the City on the
Central Park in which that Reservoir is situated,
while compelled to work ono hour per day longer.
Then, while the City's laborers on the Park are
paid monthly in cash, the contractors men on the
Reservoir are paid mainly in store orders, redeem
able in goods at exorbitant prices. The contractors
receive their pay all in cssh-seveDsy per cent. OF
it az the work progresses-bu. the lab0rers do not
receive ten per cent. in cash. and the little they do
get is withheld ss long as possible, and then sub
jected 10 deduction Of five per cent. In short, if
there was ever such thing as grindiog the faces
of the Poor, We believe that operation is now in
progress on the new Reservoir.
OF course, the contractors will say that they
pay a. they agreed to, and that it is none of our
business whether they pay in cash or orders Per-
hsps il is not. We do not write With the expect.-
ton Of shampg them into humanty-much less,
generosity. We address the Legislature and en-
treat the members Of that body, in amending our
City Charter, to take care that
]. Every contractor on jobs for the City hence
forth be required to give ample security that he
will pay his laborers their full wages weekly in
cash.
9. That he shall require them to work no more
hours per pay than are usually required Of men
doing similar work elsewhere in our Ciy.
5. That if he manages to fob them of with
"ordeIs" or " store-p he .hall still owe them
the stipulated price for their labor, aad be liable
to be sued for and made to pay il in cash.
Men in Albany You are trying to do some
thing for our Tax payers, and this is well; but do
not forget the Lsborers. We entreaty you to protest
them from oppression and gros. abuse.