New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-09-06
NEW Work DAILY TRIBUNE THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER g. 1850

to clean the streets. 1t was only jugge, make
believe. from first 10 last, and will end tomorrow
night 10 the rejection of the contract.
Of course there is an understanding In this mat
ter between the Aldermen and the City Inspector,
the precise nature of which we cannot state, but
its general character may be inferred from certain
wel.known facts. In the first place, here are re-
sponsble people offering to clean our dirty city for
S229, 900 a year. Mr.. Deeyan has already ex-
pended. ostebsiby for this purpose, from Jan. to
Aug. 81, 1860 $243, 159 10, or $3O, 1874 50 month.
For the next four months when with the cold
weather we have an increased consumption OF
coal and consequent increase in the quantity OF
ashes to be removed, he will expend quite as much
per month, or $10l, $40 So more, making total
of 1884, 73S 62, against S3l99l 20 for last year,
and being an excess of nearly sos, 900 over the
annual appropriation, and $4,000 more than
responsible contractors have offered and bound
themselves to do the work for.
But contractor who would do honestly by the
sity and not rob himself, would not employ the
miserable, indolent political hacks who now feed
from the City Inspectors crib, but would consult
his interests by employing able-bOdied men, ire
spectiye of political consd sratons. Thus large
body of Alderman ic hangers-on would be cast upon
their own resources. Now, while Mr. Delavsn, as
he himself has confessed will allow the Aldermen
to saddle these drones upon the City Treasury,
through the medium of his Dep ,rtment, in order
t. retain his own position, it is not to be believed
that the Aldermen will do anything to prejudice
the interests of their friends.
And yet the figures We have given do not
show all the cost of cleaning our streets, nor
are all the friends of the Aldermen who
are interested in perpetuatiDg the pres
ent illegal, inefficient and costly practice, quar-
tered upon the street cleaning pay roll. On the
contrary, we find % Ward Inspectors, and %
Health Wardens, are paid thousand year each,
out of tie General Appropriation for the City In
spector's Department, and, some time ago, ~
Deputy Health Wsrdens (O!e of whom was the
notorious Enright), were appointed, at the same
salary; but thus far the Controller has refused TO
pay the latter officials, holding that there is no
law authorizing their appointment. Now every
one Of these &C men, drawing In the ag-
gregate $4,000 a year out of the City
Treasury was appointed by the Board OF
Aldermen or the Mayor directly, Deleyan
to save his bread compaisanty yielding the patron
age to them without murmur, the understanding
being that no attempt should be made to disturb
his snug little streetcleaning arrangement. And
still the duties of these men are well aud thorough
ly performed by the Police, and every one of them
might readily be dismissed and their salaries saved
to our over burdened taxpayers. But with the
Japanese swiDde before US, and the whole history
of corrupt municipal legislation fresh in our mem
DRY, we cannot hope for any effort at official econ.
omy or honesty on the part of the degraded ma
jority who now rule in the City Hall. When we
see, therefore, more than two hundred thousand
golden reasons impellius them to that course, we
cannot but conclude that the Aldermen will reject
every contract for cleaning the streets.