The New York herald., 1873-12-14
THE LABOR CRISIS.
Good News for the Workngmen at Last-Im-
portant Official ACKNOWLEDGMENT
Employment To Be Given to
Honest Laborers at Once.

BY three O'Clock tomorrow afternoon an i'm
mense batch or ordinances will have passed both
branches OF the Common council which will involve
the employment OF thousands OF men, who are at
present out OF work and who are TO be seen daily
slouching in an amless way about the corridors OF
the City Hall and the County Court House, on I'M
provements on streets and avenues under the De-
partment OF Public Works. Since the prevailing
distress commenced the honest workingmen have
been unable to obtain permanent employment
enough to keep the wolf from the door during the
coming winter months until the present time, and
the Common Council deserve good deal OF credit
LOT the manner in which they have brought this
about all the assertions OF the loud.mouthed
gasometers who exploded at the Cooper Institute
on Thursday night to the contrary. II there be
any VINO doubt that the utterancea OF the blatant
communistic place hunters have fallen nat, and
that the period OF distress for the honest laborer
almost at an end-and would have been partially
before now but for Comptroller Green, who has
thrown every obstacle In the way OF the carrying
out OF improvements already ordered by the Com
mon Council-they must be disabused OF their false
impression by the following interesting facts coli
lated by a HERALD reporter yesterday
A PERTINENT QUESTION.
At the meeting OF the Board OF Aldermen held
on Thursday last a resolution offered by Alderman
Monhemer was adopted, "that the Commissioners
OF Public Works be requested to inform the Board
why IL was that he had not yet commenced the
public improvements on streets ana avenues for
which ordinances had been passed By the Common
Council, which were duly signed by the Mayor and
placed in his hands some time since, and by which
a large force or laborers could now oe employed"
A HERALD reporter called at the Department OF
Public Works yesterday, and, IN the absence OF
Commissioner Van Mort Deputy Commissioner
Barker informed him that his chief had prepared
an answer to this question OF the Board OF Alder
men, which would be submitted at the next meet
ing, during the coming week.
"May ask what is the purport OF the commune
cation ~ asked the reporter.
The Deputy Commissioner, in reply, gave the fol-
lowing lucid explanation =
COMPTROLLER GREEN CONVICTED.
"You see certain work, which to be let OUT
in contracts, has been ordered by the corporation
The law said that the bios for these contracts
should be opened by the Commissioner OF Public
Works and the Comptroller. The latter official did
not come to So the bids opened, though repeat
edy requested to do so. Finally the Com
missioner was obliged to open the bids
himself They were accepted and the sureties OF
the contracting parties sent TO the Comptroller's
office to be approved Of Then came this pressure
OF the unemployed workingmen. and the Comp
trollcr began to sign some Of them by degrees. To
that he was examining and signing them Now he
has sent to this department the contracts for
''curved gutter, paving and fagging.n These con-
tracts are only for comparatively Insignificant
amounts, and range only from 81 500 to So 500, and
would OF course Involve only the employment Of
few men. On the other hand the contracts for
grading and rock excavations which cover from
So 600 to $4,000, and which would necessitate the
employment OF hundreds OF lab0rers. have not
fQucnpH COmDtrDller
we have hot received them.
OFFICIAL INGENUITY TO STOP WORK.
"Now, mark you, the Comptroller has mt some
OF the contracts to the Commissioner OF Public
Works, signed. but only Tor those improvements
which the law distinctly and positively says shall
not be commenced alter the 18th OF November, nor
| before the 18th OF April such as paving, curved
sloner Is poweress to order those contracts which
| passed both branches OF the Common Council and
weeks ago. This is the answer Of the Comms-
sioner OF Public Works to the Board OF Aldermen
ton was introduced with the object OF letting the
public know how the matter really stood at the
next meeting OF the Board. The Commissioner
wishes simply to make plain statement in answer
to an oiiclal request and let the Comptroller ex-
..Now. Mr.. Barker wish to ask you il the Board
OF Assistant Aldermen should pass an immense
batch OF ordinances on Monday, and order the let
ting out OF the work BY the day to abOrers, will
the Commissioner OF Public Works act on them at
onces'
"Most assuredy, If they be signed by the Mayor
the men will be set to work at once. You see the
Board OF Aldermen have already passed these ordi-
nances, and If they are passed by the other Board
on Monday and signed by the Mayor you can safely
say that the Commissioner of Public Works will
take on the laborers and Comptroller Green dare
not refuse to pay them their wages. BY the way,
Mayor Havemeyer has now in his possession some
ordinances Tor public improvements which nave
passed both branches OF the Common Council
which he has not yet signed II these were handed
over to the Commissioners OF Public Works a large
number OF laborers could be set to work at once.',
Il understand there Is an impression prevailing
among the members Of the Board OF Assistant Al
damn hat thauh have M nrIav lat
ting out OF work by the day beyond 81 0OO ana that
that may unfortunately occasion some delay in
passing the large ordinances on Monday"
THAT Is erroneous The Common Council have
the power to order the letting out OF public works
the Commissioner OF Public Works shall not make
purchases to the amount OF more than $1,000
without the authorization OF the Common Council.
Let them pass the ordinances and the Commits
soner OF Public Works will employ the men,"
GOOD NEWS TOMORROW.
The reporter then called at the Office OF the Clerk
TO the Board OF Assistant Aldermen and learned
that there are SO genera orders TO be passed upon
by the Board at the meeting Oh Monday, and that
most OF these ordinances are for the regulating,
paving and grading OF streets, which Will involve
the employment OF an immense number OF men,
who Will be put TO work at once, according to the
statement OF the Commissioner OF Public works.
vacant lots putting down OF street crossing
pavements and laying or gas mains. One
OF the largest ordinances, winch Will necessitate the
employment OF hundreds OF laborers Is Tor regulat-
ing paving and grading all the streets and ave.
nues in the neighoorhood OF Morning Side Park,
from 1l0th street to and including 122d street.
Another heavy ordinance IS that which provides
the regulating, paving and grading OF the new
avenue intermediate to Eighth and Ninth avenues
from I00th to 10th street, and all the crossing
streets within that distance from Eighth to ninth
avenue.
WISE PRECAUTION.
Assistant Alderman Healy subsequently informed
the reporter that 1T was the intention OF the Board
pass all these ordinances tomorrow, and
another that no one be employed on puDlic work
who has not been bona tide resident OF the city OF
New York for the last six months, and that the
Comptroller be authorized to refuse payment TO
any one who cannot offer ndubitable proof OF this.
"MuM Is THE woRD.n
The reporter finally called ON Comptroller Green,
10 find out what he was going to do about the
ordinances II they were passed. and whether ne
would pay the laboring men employed Dy Commls-
sioner Van Mort After stating the object oI his
visit, the Comptroller said -
II have not seen the ordinances"
I'M roll