The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-06-26
THE REvIvING REFoRMERs.

Demands for More Liberal Salaries
to Clerks and Less High Pay TO
Hesds OF Dspartncnts-Rapid Tran
SIT and the Industrial Exhibition.
About forty members OF the Reform Association
OF New York city met in parlor +, Fifth Avenue
Hotel, last evening, Mr.. John Foley In the chair,
to discuss the pending questions OF municipal econ
omy and to take measures to secure further re-
forms at the hands OF the city government.
Among those present were ex-Assembyman d. s.
Paige. Judge WEIGH Alderman Martin, Thomas
McLeland, John ID. Williamson, Myer Stern and a
number OF others. The meeting was called to
order by Mr.. Foley, who said the purpose OF the
meeting was to receive the report OF the Com
mittee OF Twenty-one. To the request that the 700
discharged labOrers on the parks be restored Mr.
Stebbins had replied that nothing could be done
because no money was on hand to pay them, owing
to dsagreements among the city officials. On
consultation with number of members OF the
association Mr.. Foley had been convinced that the
following resolutions would serve the purpose.
THE RESOLUTIONS
letter % Ills honor Mayor Hayemeyer. requesting that
shall forthwith convene meeting OF said body to
authorize the issue Of the necessary bonds without delay
credit Of PARKS that the men may
to completion; also urging upon the Mayor that justice
and fair treatment alike dem nd that ten days vacation
OF the city goyernmeat including police, hremen labor
devised interfere with the public service;
also protesting against the injustice Of reducing the small
departments OF the city government
THE CLERKS SALARIES
Mr.. JOHN ID. WILLIAMSON said hat some OF the
clerks who had their salaries cut down from 1900
TO 900 did not earn $1,000. Many Of them were
never to be found at their desks He Thought re-
form would be inadequate unless 1T touched these
men. As to Mr.. Boyle, OF whom he spoke at a pre-
vious meeting, he has now got claim against the
rAuh
which any engineer in the city would consider
$4,000 good pay for. He saw one man on the pubic
works YESTERDAY make one brick IN fifteen min
utes by the watch. There has been
TREMENDOUS LOT OF sINECUREs.
Now, as to Mr.. Greene ne Is u great econOmzer,
and he Is supposed to be down on sinecures. But
know OF one man in his office who held sinecure
AZ 81, 800 q year-a mere slnecure-and Mr.. greene
discharged him and put another man IN his place
Mr. FOLEY said the snecurists are generally
pretty well weeaed out, and we can afford to pay
very liberal salaries to clerks and employees.
In the Department Of Charities and Correction.
and in the Police Department, clerks and telegraph
operators salaries had been cut down rom 81, 800
to 900. And in the Tax commissioners office
the deputy tax assessors who have most RESPONSE
bic positions, have had their salaries cut down
from 1900 to 81 900 year.
REFORMING HEADS OF DEPARTMENTS
Mr. ID. $. PAIGE said he had been to several o! the
public departments to-day and found none OF the
heads OF them in. The clerks were loungng
company in the city would allow their clerks to
waste their time in such manner. Reform was in
complete unless we have the Eight men mt the head
OF departments. Let them attend TO their duties,
and the clerks viii attend to theirs.
TROUBLE AMONG THE TAX ASSESSORS
Mr. JENNEY said he had been watching the Tax
Commissioners Office tor the last thirty years, and
he thought II the gentlemen knew OF the corrup-
ton In that office they would request the Commits
sioners to resign. lie was Plad the salaries had
been cut down. There was excellent reason for
cutting them down. The Tax Commissioners, In
the days when the Ring was dying, called their
deputy assessors together, told them they must
open new books. that they needed more money,
and that the assessments must be Increased to
remedy that need. The salaries Of the~s deputies
were then increased, and when, at the end OF their
three months WORK the assessments came IN, IL was
seen that the assessments were greatly increased,
the whole assessment OF New York city being
sl,lo0 900, ooO-an exces over previous assessments
OF 900 0O0 One poor clerk who had dared to be
honest and refused to increase illegally the assess
ment had been discharged, and is now hardly
earning his bread by gaslight work in the Croton
Board. hope the deputy assessors Will have their
salaries reduced TO $1,000. They deserve no more.
PERQuIsITEs AND sINECUREs
are yet spread all over the city, and you have to
pay 1t. The city is two hundred millions in debt
with prospect In the current year OF twelve mil
highninded man, but he gets 81, 200 Tor half
hours inspection. The Industrial Exhibition bill,
for sort OF crystal palace in the swamps near
Harlem. and makes II mandatory on the city TO
distribute its bonds, Credit Mobilier fashion for the
benefit of this concern. 1t would be better to build
such an exhibition building IN the lower part Of
Central Park. The Chief Magistrate of this state,
who Is charged with holding 100000 OF stock in
that exhibition, deserves rebuke Tor signing
that bill and it becomes you, as reiormers, to ad
minister 1t.
Judge WEIGH defended the proposed Industrial
Exhibition and said that IL would rebound greatly
to the benefit of the city.
The question then came upon the original reso-
lutions, and they were adopted unanimously.
THE GOOD WORK OF THE REFoRMERS.
Mr.. WILLIAMSON then said that the Reform Asso-
citation was doing considerable good, for the block
pavement for which the city paid SO SO yard
and about which the Reform Association made .
stir, has been laid in Brooklyn for 50 so yard.
AN ARGUMENT AGAINST THE INDUSTRIAL EXHIBITION
Mr.. FOLEY objected to the proposed industrial
exhibition adding new expenditures to the city
when the debt was accumulated 80 heavily. There
were four millions OF debt due to the gas COM
panies alone, which the Comptroller refuses to pay
though they are good bills and will have to be paid.
He thought the city, If bonded at ALL should be
bonded advance this great work OF rapid transit.
They would need rapid transit to get people up to
the exhibition, but while our docks, the Brooklyn
Bridge and other great public works OF the city
were lying idle, waiting for work and money, he
would oppose the lending OF the credit OF the city
for two million and half to private corporation
to erect Crystal Palace
without further action the meeting adjourned.
Rooms have been secured tor future meetings at
the corner OF Fourth avenue and Seventeenth
street.
OBITUARY.