New-York tribune., 1868-12-28
THE GVALLER RISCALS md RASCALL
TIES or THE CITY RING"

While contemporary is engaged, through its
commissioner in the very commendable work
OF showing mp tho impositions practiccd upon
fine peonle of this City in giving short weight
and in selling adutcmted catablcs, would it
not he well for it to employ likewise Com
missioner to investigate the dOlngs OF the
Common Council Ring at the City Halt lie
would there ascertain that, instead OF sWlndllng
the pnblic in almost iniinitesimal doses, such
"as the one-sixteenth part OF an ounce In
weight, or the Collaboration Of ground mace
"by pulverzcd crackers" they carry oil their
plunder in weights something less than tun.
and adulterate the Tax-Leyy TO the extent OF
about one-half of the whole sum annually
wrung from the people OF this metropolis,
where rats aud mice, and such small deer,
Have robbed ana reveied many year
This Commissioner when appointed, 10 re-
quested to ascertain why it is necessary, just at
this inclcment season Of the year, TO retulld
the public piers along the east shore of the
city "iriihom contracting therefor" while cx-
press provision is made in the charter that such
work shall bo done by contract
IIo would doubtless get some light with ref
crence to the repairing OF raany OF our streets
with wood browns, Smiths or Joncs's pa
tont) or of stone 10y contractors who have a
peculiar style of pavement ; and while the res
olu,ions provide that the price shall mot ex-
ceedn s. per square yard, it will he very dim
cult for him to find that in any similar case
such work was ever dono for 81 % or any Such
economical price.
1t would be well also TO inquire into the
means by (which tl,rec-fOurths' vote IS
procured for all these projects, when there Is
a minority sufficient to prevent it who were
elected by the taxpayers OF the city; how 1t
ID that they manage, by tbe same rofe, to share
among themselves and their subordinates such
n liberal distribution of extra pay. They abso-
lutoly "spend other peoples money IA II 1t
were their own Let Us cite Il few in
stances:
Tho Presidents Of the Boards of Aldermen
and Councilmcn each receive plum IN the
shape of 81 900 for services! as er-o0icio mem
her of the Committees of the Board. OF course,
these services can be readily asccrtained by
reference to the minutes of the Committees:
how many meetings they attended Or any;
and how many reports they signed or any.
But the Clerk OF the Common Council has
capacious nav. He gobblcs up $1,000 for ser
vices er-oDicio while President of the Board IN
1867. Why not go back further and pay all
the Presidents for the past twenty years for
the same service which in this case It has taken
a whole year to ascertain
Next. our efficient Clerk receives the small
sum OF 5000 for compiling the Manual. when
II is notorious that the labor attending the pro-
duction Of this useful OF useless (Which y
book is performed by Lis assistants. Happy
Joe also comes in for $500 extra for procuring
copies OF bills passed by the Legislature AZ
fecting the City. This amount would be suiii-
cient to pay the freight of several carloads
from Albany, or would pay the expenses OF
about fdy messengers to aud from that city.
But this Is not all yet. lie aud all the Clerks
and Messengers, TO the number of thiFty-one,
receive $3.50 each rs a " Christmas present" Tor
extra services to Committees. We would ask,
in our ignorance for what other services they
are employed and paid liberal salaryf But
softly it is whispered that the early education
of our City Fathers has been neglected, ana 1t
therefore becomes necessary TO have an amap-
uensis to sign their reports.
The Chairman of tho City ranyasscrs IAN
Alderman with a saleU oif $4,000 year re-
cciyes $50 for service in that capacity.
Only $50 por day for sitting in the big easy
chair about two hours each day, smoking and
chatting while the clerks gre taking down the
figures, and the other Cahvasscrs eating the
fine dinner provided by the gentemanly George
ROome. Here, again, these poorly-paid clerks
come I'm for extra pay; for We observe that the
Controller is directed to draw his warrant in
favor of the persons and the amounts
respectively "a passed by the City Canvassers
dee. Il, 1869, for services TO said Board also,
that he pay tho bill for refreshments furnished
them.
10 il currently reported that the City Hall
has been turned into hotel. where impecunious
Aldermen, COuncilmcn, and heads OF depart
ments, feast daily at the public expense. So
tho keeper of the hall and proprietor OF the
hotel at a FREQ rental has his salary increased
TO $3.50 per annum, beside n slight appropri-
alton OF $1,000 by way Of New Years gift.
Thus VIC might proceed TO enumerate cords
of resolutions donating tho peoples money
right and left without stint. Truly, " the
Ring" at this time have full swing.
One would suppose that there was some OF
these legislators who would boldly denOunco
the plundcrcrs and show up their robberies to
an indignant public; and surely there are two
or three to whom the people have right to
appeal TO take this course; but it is fact that,
by cajoery, or fattery, or shall we say some
other appliances, their names often appear III
the affirmative, and seldom in the negative
are they recorded on these barefaced schemes
of plunder We much fear that when an in
dignant people through Vigilance Committee
shalI orouaa in thcir might and hing these vii
lains at tho portal of the City Hall as warn
a L. 4. ..l..L Li1A..l Of