New-York daily tribune., 1866-04-07

GontraCtorh-P<epOrt from
schuItze-The Rights OF she Contract
ors-wnshingt9n MARKET Proceedings
AnnulIed-Ths Drainage Of Tesawt.
Houses-The Nsw-Ysrk OIL Works-
BrssLIyn Sewers and Harlem streets--
An Appeal from she Grave-The New.
| York Hospital gnfected - Ympertsnt
| Proceedings.
The Metropolitan Board Of Health met
yesterday afternoon at No. ooi Mot-st., in regular
enweeky session. at o'clocs-President Schultzs 10
the Chair and al she members present
The minutes OF the last meeting were read and
approved.
TUR STRENGTHENING CONTRACTORS.
The following is the report Of President Schultze
upon his action in the Board OF Street Commissioners
made Yesterday afternoon TO the Bcnrd Of Health:
On Wednesday morning i net his Honor the
Mayor. Judge Hackett and Controller Bfsnnan-Corpo
ration Counsel O'Gorman being absent
The question Of paying The Street contractors
came up under such circumstances. and with the result
hereinafter set forth. 49,
port from the varions Police Precincts showing that
very large number Of streets had not bsen cleaned
during the week previous required by The contracts
also the report om the source ior the preceding
week showing Ike deluqnincy.
In addition, presented large nuraber OF streets In
the only section Of the city which Lad personally IN
,pccted which had not been cleaned fer months.
Tie reports OF some Of the Police Precincts were crit
lcised. snd counter reports presened tson the Strse'
sul, from TIC fact that the Police repoT by Precincts,
while the Contractors report by Werds
II is couadcytly believed shat plan OF report and
verfcaron has now been suggested that Wni prevent
In N fnre all msapprehcDsion. IL u a. follows The
foreman of the sWeelcrs OF each Nad Is 10 report
daily al the station uses Sergeant, or oei proper
r.r.on viii be- detailed 20 irepsct at once slch work as
nav have been done during ic preceding twenty iour
hours and make returns 9" alquur',fr. icsg Nou0
or, viii be carefully preserved and properly credited 20
N A, t the ead VI the week any street, or part Oh
street .ha have escaped the notice oi Tho sweeper'
this general account VIII remind them OF ts omission.
Prom the evidence laid before tue Commission 1t was
mnd, perfectly clear that the contract hnd been COM
Piled With: bat the majority Of the Commission cane
10 the conclusion audit and pay tire b7 "i the to
,r,eors no =, the first OF this month Notwithstanding
their dcfcieneios and In justice TO these gentlemen
fe.l bouud to .,ate briefly Of the reasons that
TIsy cou.ldsrcd that the Winter and Spring Just
ro,rd hare been unfayornb for pfope. cleaning Oh
m. ,reeis That the contractors have worked diligently
Since the first aud have lett our streets 10 clean
and remove the sccumullic>s from the same ana on
whole that the city wac IN more thun usuai! te.h
csudnion. That faIlag % vote tue payment the toH
tractor nigh, pc emDarrasHsd and con pehed 20 stop
.ogether which would neoossate the breaking oi tne
contract and reo'ting me same ther power % u"
which mirlt be ia some doIbt; and 10 save hueal"h
and give the contractors another opportunity 10 con
ply more literally with their oDlbat'ha taS n"Jo'l3
,oed 10 give tho ssary certificate. To ths action
! could not We ny assen! snd conse elnchty voted III
/ the negative. -, ,... ..s.s ,h.,
/ The contract for cleaning lht Allfots EH"
they all be swept and cleaned st least once IN eaen
week willie ccrian other streets are to be swept daily.
and st OILERS two or three times per week. unless the
! contractors are prevented by frosI or snow. .
Now as / think II quite apparent tnAt he,.hel uhNe
mpeded their work for the past week or"o consider
IL mere snbteruge for them to say III erect thal on
one ay there frost and therefore that the dece 70
clean the ctv or are excused from doing 80 Tor whole
week for II Is within my own obserNati"h that WDne
certain street. may have beeG IN aeonu''or
able for cleaning by Of the most ior single u
In certain other streets the mud and dirt was III very
favorable condition for removal. ana III my Judgment
there has been no day for te past two weeks when the
frost was severe that oil the cars hhu loIce NJ
present in the employ Of tho contractors eoud not nave
been employed advantage IN removing the accumuH'
Tbns thinking I find no difficulty in declaring that
these contractors have excuse for not having cleaned
at least once The sueets OF the entire city during the
past month. This they have not done ana hence nave
no claim for compensat0n under their contract
Besides there other respects IN wlch they DO not
fulfill their contract They not iaSe up ana carry away
tho rubbish snch tn.pars, old stoVe-lipe eastof
hoopskir old boots aud shoes. Their attention mas
been called TO this subject and. while they promise well
thew pertor poorly They do not carry oil the ashes
as the spirit and letter of their contract requires not
10 sneak now Of their omission altogether IN certain
streets or their very frequent omission 10 cal auch'
ton 10 their presence by ringing bell as required Dy
their contract The law requires the ashes and house
garbage TO be placed ia barrels boxes, pals, &c ana
placed on the walk. aud when the same ~ thrown In
The street the Police required To interfere But
these contractors frequently dump the contents OF par
rels and boxes first In the street and then shoVei
the same into their carts greatly TO the damage OF
pedestrans after leaving scattered such portions as
ihey cannot readily gather up with shoyels. Ihis
could DO avoided by furnishing sufficient hcp 10 rse
and dump into the cart the whole contents oi the vessel
The bad example thus set by those VINO should comply
with tho regulations is certainly most pernciOus
II any pretence TO literal compliance should De SET
M there all the streets below Chambersst., except
around the markets and where the markei. wagons
stand which to be swept ut night only pu at tnis
as In many other minor particulars. should DC quite
willing TO have them omit the non'essentai Tor that
. | raarltI Iecln contract
! object viz; 10 secure clean streets IN this CITY
. THE OTHER SIDE OF The QUESTION.
Mr. Trull counsel for Messrs. Brown, Devoe ana
Knapp appeared before the board and under the RUE
was granted hearing. He stated that the street
cleaning contractors claimed that they had the Hgnt
nnder their eonrac TO collect the street sweepngs ana
manure at the usual places OF deposit whereas uuer
tho order OF the Board they were restrained from so
doing and thus compelled 20 violate their contract Win
the cty lie claimed the right to keep tho manure IN
these places reasonable length of time, or suen 4
length Of time has been heretofore occupied IN wv
same way by the city authorities ho aa sns
nendsd until the question should be legally considered
! | and the right determined by the proper court
In reply TO question as 70 what 'neH o nj
stances used for fertizing purposes. lie wishea "
have the right TO deposit streesweepings IN the places
now used tested and said that II they were no. PDl
mited 10 exercise this right they would be compelel
10 leave IL in the streets The contractors pay eZo
for this manure and they cannot sell II until they hnu
purchasers therefore 1t must remain ~ soe p', 10,
and these dumping grounds have been desisnated ioi
Dr. swinburne stated that some OF this manure
remained p the places OF deposit ior Two yoaIs anu
that he knew persons VINO oougn' " oo0""'' " w
Iinon motion of Commissioner Bosworth, the fooyl
1 ing resolution was adopted
R,red That the resolution passed by TINS boai9 on th
ooh ~ March last whereby II ordered tht 20 shed
stable OF o,hsI paAnuIs 10 davpea W ~' x%.d sfs.