The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1867-12-25
Cleaning tho ssr....-rce a.d snow.

Cleaning the Stro0ss-lce ana SNOW
An Alderman offered on Monday . resolution
that the Mayor be directed to notify the street
contractor that he does not keep the cross
walks clean, and that he cannot draw any
money from the city treasury until he does his
duty in this respect. The present condition of
the streets, the imminent danger to life Of
crossing through the snow, ice and slush, and
lodging between the inextricable jam of
vehicles that Broadway presents through
nearly the whole day, have already sufficiently
called public notice to the fact that the "cross-
walks are not clean !" but who is TO blame
Is it the contractor? Contracts for cleaning
streets are like contracts for many other pur-
poses-there is fair proportion of sharp
practice in their making. When labor Is to be
given on estimates to the lowest bidder 1t
seems sometimes that there are men in the world
who can live on air and are superior to the
mundane need of money-they work SO cheaply.
But when the work is to be paid for the
in such bill Of extras" that it dwindles to be
the most Insignificant part Of the account and
the man who pays may wonder what the
original price was for, or why there was any
original price, since every particular part Of
the work done figures in the larger list Of
"extras." This Is the dodge by which the
initiated beat the less shrewd bidders for all
public employment, whether building ships for
the general government, hospitals for the
State or court houses for the city. Simple
minded men, competent in their trades, put In
honest bids, and regular contractors underbid
them sometimes fifty per cent The honest
builder has no thoughts Of extras the other
thinks Of nothing else, and knows that by his
relations with those in authority he can
always get his bill Of extras through. BY this
system all public work costs Eve or six times
its price, and yet the plan of doing work by
contract was adopted to save the public purse.
Analogous to this great dodge Of "extras- Is
the other one perceptions. A contract, for in
stance, Is made for cleaning the Streets but
when the time comes for its enforcement 1t Is
found that nearly everything that Is real
nuisance in the streets Is included In on excep-
ton, and that thus the contractor is sbsolved
from his obligation to do half his duty. "Ice
huu euoN are, We UeutNc, III tnls CtttSOry III
the present contract for street cleaning. BY
this the public may understand that the Alder
manic resolution will rest lightly on the con-
tractor. So soon as the snow covers our streets
1t covers all his responsibility, and he may fold
his hands till the spring time comes to thaw
out his labor. II 10 fitting occasion TO call
attention to the necessity Of having the con-
tracts for cleaning the streets Of this city made
in different form. Why except ice and snowf
Is 1t because these give greater trouble in our
streets than anything else we ever have there
Broadway has been within few days past
almost an impracticable street on account Of
the huge blocks Of Ice and deep ruts, and yet
no provision is made for getting rid Of such
obstruction. We must sit and wait for the sun
shine to help us. Is II not nearly time that we
had done here what Ia already done In many
other cities in respect TO snowf Others can
have II carted away as soon "a II falls why
cannot WEI