The New York herald., 1871-10-07
THE PARK PERPLEXITES,
What the Action Of the Deputy Comp
troller Has Brought About.
Stoppage Of the Repairs on tho Harlem Bridges
Their Dangerous condition-The Police At
tendans and Gardeners Must be Imme-
diately Discharged-No Appropri-
alton for the Museum-No Sim
ecurists on the Payroll
Of the Parks

The Department OF Parks has been 80 well con-
Quoted, and the people thoroughly satisfied with
the splendid results OF the action OF the Commits
sion, that the notice from this depart ment which
appeared In the HERALD yesterday caused consider
able regret throughout the city, With view to OBJ
tain further information on this much talked-0f
topic HERALD reporter called upon Judge Hilton
at his office yesterday afternoon, and found him In
the possession OF that native geniaty and sefpos-
session which adverse clrcumsta tanccs seem able
| to separate him from. After pleasant greeting
and short talk on the political situation generally
the Judge and the reporter proceeded to business
! folows:-
"What Is the meaning. Judge, OF the notice ap.
pearlng In the papers this morning from your de-
! partment respecting the bridges on the Harlem
River ~
"It means just what 1t says. Unless some provi-
! sion is made for placing the department in funds
for the purpose we must abandon the care or those
bridges, withdraw all persons In charge OF them,
and also stop making the repairs already entered
upon and required TO render two of them safe for the
passage Of persons and vehicles during the coming
wlnter.r
| HAS your department charge Of these brdgesp"
"Yes; by law OF last winter they were put
under our charge. with directions to maintain and
repair them when needed and charge the expense to
the counties OF New York and Westchester In pro-
! portion to their jurisdiction. New York extends to
high-water marx on the Westminster side. You
will perceive that the expense Of this maintenance
and repairs falls almost wholly upon us'
"Wnat is their present condition."
"Third avenue bridge broke down last summer,
and was Immediately put In order, 80 as not to
Interrupt the public travel, and in few weeks was
put IN complete repair. Macombs Dam bridge
last concealed tn hp q
very dangerous condition. lmperilling life In cross.
Ing 1t. The timbers had all decayed where resting
on the ground OF where joined, 1t was extremely
doubtful whether itcouid be maintained long enough
to remove and replace these tmbers. Our engineers
however, took ii in hand and with great care regu.
lated the travel over 1t, and proceeded with the
rebuilding of the bridge. It is now almost new
nearly all the decayed timb,rs being removed, and
we were about entering upon the repair OF the
draw. This should be proceeded with at once II
regard is had for the public safety. But unless we
have money we must stop work on itu
'What is the condition Of the Fordham bridgeSv
compliant was made that it was dangerous for
travel. Our engineers SO regarded it, A few weeks
since We entered upon repairing 1t to make 1t SAFE
Our m en- are still al work upon It."
"Where has The money been procured to pay the
expense OF these repalrsr'
1--WE nave taken 1t from the moneys In our hands
hereafter to replace it when the city will be In funds
70 repay. All we have except that raised for assess
ment purposes, Is the money OF the CITY, and 1t really
makes 0 difference out OF which account 1t Is now
arion."
What provision nave you made respecting these
"M Macomb's Dam ana Third avauue, where the
travel Is almost like upon Broadway, We have park
Keepers ana attendants night and day. draw
tender must likewise be on hand at all times to per-
init vessels to pass through. Indeed few people in
y aays aa n Of @ o under
stant watch and care over them. But as we have
no no money for the purpose. and as the Comptroller
mas given nOtice that no money must be expended
unless u Son previously appropriated and as there
nue Is a sa uness se
willing willing to assume the responsibility or dong
after this notice. 1 see no alternative but %
ana let the bridges the draws care OF them
selves. would ike to do otherwise. But this is
not the only difcuiy the notice of the Comptroller
What IS the other dlnncultys"
''Well, IL must lead, II enforced to the immediate
discharge OF all the police attendants and workinen
having charge OF the care and maintenance OF the
able 10 buy food for the horses, or fer the animals
IN the menagerie, as all those are supplied from
AS stated In my letter to the Comptroller,
the cost ,S 90. OF maintaining TIE Central Park
about three hundred and forty thousand dollars per
annum. The city parks had usually appropriated
to them for like purposes about seventy thousand
dollars per annum. AS these amounts were allowed
when days work was ten hours they SHOULD be
law lessened to eight hours; that is, the Central
Park should have $40S 900 per annum and the city
Of park Keepers on these parks. Under the Two
Per Cent act the Board OF Appcrtonment had re-
which taey could appropriate for these these % purposes
only $l860Oo, and Tor which suppose the law ex.
tofore required equal to s4g2, 900. Besides this
the law establishing the museum and observa.
included the collection Of BIRDS and animals ais. living
as well as dead, has heretofore allowed the depart
ment $50, o0o per annum for their maintenance. For
this we have rad no appropriation this year. and
the money necessary for feeding and caring for the
animals. birds, &c, has been taken from other
accounts In our hands, In like mannerIas the bridge
repairs. But If we can only expend what is actI.
ally appropriated for the specific purpose allowed by
charge OF the parks, turn the horses out to grass,
send away or sell the birds and ANIMALS and leave
TO assume responsibility in these matters,
the repayment Tor such things Consists In beins
abused by some OF The newspapers and denounced
n other quarters oy men VINO ought to know better
public Office under the present city government
This condition OF things is somewhat anomalous,
"well, can't say that 1t is; and yet it probably
may seem 80 to the public. Why, every year, for
tax levy ike that in the Two Per Cent bill, limiting
expenditures to actual appropriations and yet |
believe IL has always been the custom In all the de-
partments where one fund allowed ior a pur-
pose OF absolute public necessity gave out
moneys would be Withdrawn from some other
account or borrowed In some way, aud used.
Ihe next tax levy would then supply thus amount
as denciency SO you Will lind In almost every
tax levy Tor many years past an item OF deficiency
LOT maintaining Central Park under the former
Commission. The laws governing the PARK only !
allowed $ao0,000 per annum for THIS purpose, but |
.ne commissioners always exceeded it by drawing
.ne @ money rom some other account IN their hands,
Just the same as we have done, and which was re.
pad rs we expect to repay deficiency Last year.
noswns,andng n,,r u The great drought anu the Eight
Hour law ana our giving music and fireworks our
maintenance expense VI Central Park only amounted
70 apout tnree nundred and trty-two thousand dol.
lars But we plnched and econonized in every way,
ana uon,t ,hink we roula do II again. We have
not been aOle 10 do II this year. owing TO the neces
sary increase OF police and gardeners. Our def
cheney OF S3aooo sun remains TO be provided for"
nerr N - Wa"