New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1867-06-16
WORKING MEAS MEETING.

WORKING MEAS MEETING.
large and enthusiastic meeting of the
! working men Of the city was held at the
Fenian Hall, corner of Girod and Magazine
streets, the president Of the meeting, Mr..
r. Burke, in The chair. Mr. J. M. G.
Parker addressed the meeting as follows
ow.citizels-Working men of New
| Orleans II was as unexpected as agreeable
to me to be called on by the committee who
| summoned you together on Thursday even.
ing. On that evening | felt, and am
hourly encouraged to believe that an express
sion of the sentiment of the labOring men of
this city, through an organization like this,
would tend to the overthrow of system OF
| legislation and sale of contracts which
fear is unjust to you, and not only to you
but to every taxpayer within this parish.
In the language of the Commercial
money expended by the city for
| street cleaning by superinten dent
or inspector of streets is expended among
the laborers, and returns in some shape to
the taxpayers | admit that their money
goes to their own advantage but let me
ask you, is this the case in any city where
the contract system prevails? You all say
no, and many of you can bear me out in
saying that in no city is The system worked
more perniciously than here. You all know
| llUl mere Tue 5S5ltil u CDulIdtto MOlhS
more like the following, which the same
paper gives as characteristic OF the con
tract system in some other cities
The contract system, during the war be-
came SO infamous that prominent Boston
merchants were of opinion that no man OF
character could accept government con-
tract without imputation of dishOnor. We
have somewhere seen a story of a shoddy
army shoe contractor who, having been up
braided because the soles of an infantry
company came off on the first days march,
excused himself by saying that :" telc eases
of cIUdlry shoes had got mixed with those
of the infantry"
The wrong and evil we may deprecate,
but the contract system has proven so com
plete failure that We are prepared Tor
almost any change.
| have examined into this subject some
what since was called on to act with you,
| and while have nothing to say against the
legislators who passed the law, nor the
board OF common council who authorized
, the sale of contracts under the law, nor the
7 controller who sold these contracts, can
see that, honestly done, and at fair prices
, there could be no great injustice in the
system But all systems are apt to become
rotten when they become old, and there can
: be no doubt think, that the contracts
now sold are sold not only at ruinous prices,
but | fear, to persons, in some instances,
who could not fulfill them, except by cheat
ing the city in doing the work, or by grind
inc down wages to so low igure that you
, would starve while doing it.
, But there is another subject to which |
want to call your attention-that you will
meet with very strong opposition to your
movement from many sources, particularly
5 from the contractors themselves, who hay-
ing these contracts, will spend a portion OF
the vast amount ofmoney they have already
made, and some they expect to make, To
i bring some influence TO bear to mislead YOU
! from your good work. They will promise
YOUR leaders office, will hire newspapers
whose editors and proprietor5 are ready for
a contract, to denounce your cause, ana try
: to lead you out of the idea that you have
t any sense. Not content with this, some OF
t these papers will call you names, and urge
you to beware of Massachusetts and Maine
men, as in the Times of this morning. Let
me say to you, be not deferred by how!ings
of this kind. Barking dogs never bite.
!. Stand shoulder to shoulder Ask respect
= fully, pcrsistently, and courageously to be
5 | allowed to do this work by the day, Tor
t "a fair days pay. / assure you that nave
= | so much confidence in the moral worth ana
determination of the gentlemen composing
| the board of aldermen o. this city that oe-
| lieve that in so far as they have not ap-
e proved these contracts they will heed your
| prayer and not approve them and so much
4 | confidence in the will of the honorable may
or of this city to deal justly with all classes,
e that can almost say to you he VIII veto the
I | CO attracts if presented to him Tor approval.
Gentlemen, having another engagement
. this evening am compelled to leave you.
Go on as you have begun. Act wisely your
part God will take care Of the worthlly
/ | destitute.
3 Addresses were also made by Hon, Patrick
Harnan, Alderman Moore, Recorder Letten,
g VIM. r. Miller, and others.
= The following resolutions were presented
e by Hon. P. Harnan of the committee, and
l. wsre unanimously adopted.
r, WHEREAS, The common council of the
city of New Orleans, with total disregard
> | for the necessity of economy in the eXpen
ditures for public works, did authorize the
| city controller 20 sell the contracts fol
cleaning and repairing the streets oi this
|, city for term of three years; and
WHEREAS, The controller has recently
If sold these contracts at eXorbitantly high
e rates; and
9 WHEREAS, The letting of this work to con
n tractors willhavc the elect of forcing dowr
= the price of days work in consequence
: Of placing the control of the subject in the
l. hands of a few men; therefore be it
ResOlred That the working men of the
Of city of New Orleans earnestly protes
e against the, whole system OF selling
a contracts, deemng the. the statutes aaie anG 4
II Injustice TO our rights and interests
II ResOlped That we believe that the state
'e ments of the street commissioner, recentl,
'e sent to the board of aldermen, that thi
T. work can be done better and cheaper b,
IL the city tyauthorities than by the Intervention
/, of third parties who expect to make larg'
fortunes out of the same to be founded il
of common sense aud good policy.
~ Resolced That in our judgment there i
y no necessity at this time for contracting 70
d public work of this nature for so long
y period as three years, but, on the contrary
Of owing to the high price Of material conse
auent upon the great depreciation OF tn
Ia city currency, such measure Is highl
detrimental to the public interests.
OF Resolced, That the common council b
N urged to reject all contracts now pendin
for confirmation, and that the mayor be r,
auested TO veto all that may be presente
as to him for his approval.
Res0lued, That in the present condition {
the public credit this is no time to incu
liabilities for extravagant expenditures {
m the public funds, and that no engagement
"A should be entered into except those of th
most pressing character.
te Resolred, That the working men OF Ne
NJ Orleans will sustain the mayor in his opp,
a. sition to the sale of these city contracts.
a. Resolued, That copy Of these resolution
!" be sent TO each board of the common coul
Is ell and 10 his honor Nayor Heath and thi