The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-02-14


as soon as their superiOrs were out OF sight The
sweepers were therefore left without oficers, and
the work they did was oil course propOrtionate to
the supervision exercised over them.
What Is known as "the manure season" begins
the period covered by the report ana IL makes the
extraordinary announcement that the manure col.
lected during that time sold Tor $780, This may at
first sight, strike the reader as Joke inserted in
the report for some faceti0us purpose; bat the
Police Commissioners and their Street Cleaning
superintendent intended it for nothing of the kind,
as they really wanted to make the innocent people
believe that the manure accumulated in this city
between June and December ! was worth only
$780, Brown, however, had taught them better by
posted IN the streets, and then readily selling it
OF these facts. then, one Of two con
illusions is unavoidable Either the Com
that amount Of manure to remain in the streets, in
which case the city was needessly befoued; or
else they collected and sold II for s434o less than
1t was really worth, in which case the city suffered
considerable pecuniary loss. While allowing the
Commissioners to hang upon whichever horn OF
this dilemma they please, it is perhaps, but just to
remark that, according to the silent yet od0rous
testimony OF the streets during the six months re-
on account OF the gross negligence Of those to
whom Its cleanliness had been committed. An &C
count OF the organization ana operation OF force
much-ridicued bell-ringing BRIGADE" will further
illustrate the manner IN which the Police Commits
81 with their made reform
W. Thorn, fulfilled the specious promises
made when with kind Of O Jericho blowing of
lighted city that It's streets were, at last to be
thoroughly and economically cleaned That SER
want grs should be Obliged to lug large and heavy
has been considered great hardship; and, to do
away with it, these phiianthropic Commissioners
asked for and obtained $40 per week each for $50
men to bring ash vessels from houses and place
them on the sidewalks In advance of the ash carts
emptied, While the carts were going TO the
dump" Having obtained this appropriation the
H the
them had strength enough to do it nnd
or the sers men who wers to
succeed Browns cripples). Second, they were not
announce to the occupants OF houses that the ash
carts were coming, and that the ash vessels must
he ready for emptying Thus the extreme philan-
thrOpy OF these Commissioners left the servant
girls TO bring out the ash vessels; and their
economy in this instance cost the city $3.50 per
lot of blcar-eyed, whiskey- soaked cid sbummers,U
appointed Mt the solicitations of ward politicians,
ana ne aaa was as 50 that the
city Of s2l 900. The fact that the Commissioners r
as IS 70 s va sa &
their violation OF the law in using money for pur-
poses Pot specified IN the appropriation and not
The number OF carts employed by this reform
Street Cleaning Bureau In removing the ashes is
Thoroughly perform that work every day. Take.
for example, the Nineteenth ward, bounded by
Fortieth street, Eighty sixth street. sixth avenue
Brown was to the dirt in the street, he always
daily removed the ashes from the houses; and TO
aSd suSn m In tHe Ss a wa ne
ton is the greatest, but twenty carts. supern-
tendent Thorn, however, requires thirtyfve carts,
or fifteen more than are necessary to accomplish
this work; and then he does not much more than
hall DO It, THESE carts are paid at the rate OF "a
set sy 1%r s ays the
SO per day. or $500 per week is saaandered ash
carts 1t may, for the edincation Of taxpayers, be
truthfnily stated that proporiionate waste
of money on ash carts exists IN the
remaining twenty-one wards, because there are
at least one hundred more OF these carts in daily
use than there is really any necessity iOr. These
eXp0nents OF the Police Commissioners economy
IN street cleaning cost the people $500 per day.
Here, then, Is an absolute loss OF 400 per week.
The political economy OF these Commissioners is
more commendable than their street cleaning econ
vide for so many more OF their political adherents
1t may well be doubted, however, that they would.
remove much more ashes n they had twice the
person connected with the work who can lay out
into ash routes a single ward In the city (much less
the entire island, nom the Battery to Harlem
RIVER so as to give each ashman specified terri.
tory which will keep him reasonably busy every
day, and so as to enable the carInan to regularly
cali at certain houses, ana by 80 0oir o accustom
the occupants to have their ashes ready when he
does come. There is, therefore, complete lock of
system in conducting this very important branch
OF the business. In fact, the most disorganzed
mob imaginable would do it about as we'll. But
randi Is by no means its worst feature. II any one
thinks that 1t Is, let him go through the tenement
mouse t n vs. R e es ana the east side Of the
teen.h wards, and he will discover that, on account
OF this nosystem OF removing ashes the deniZens
OF these localities have been obliged to throw them
into the streets, which, OF course now contain at
least so 900 loads OF ashes mixed UP with refuse of
every kind and description. Who can calculate
terrible n m dra1a
OF thousands of our citizens who are compelled to
breathe the poisonous eflluvia arising from this
enormous quantity OF putrid filth And what pun
ishment is adequate to the crime of those officials
who allow IT to remain where it is, and at the same
time squander the money appropriated for its re-
mOvalY
If further evidence is necessary TO establish the
utter and disgraceful incompetency and total
worthlessness not only OF the head of the Street
Cleaning Bureau, but OF the whole concern its
operations during and after the severe snow storm
OF December 20 will furnish it. Neither while the
snow was falling, nor for eight days after It HAD
fallen, did this emascuated institution make the
slightest elort to remove It from the street cross
water chance to run off into the sewers instead /
OF remaining on the streets and sidewalks and
least ankle. deep in slash, when going to and
returning from their business. Then, again,
es and e gen
by tins prompt, active and efficient Superinten-
dent of the Street Cleaning Bureau was that he
couldn't get his ash carts throughthe streets.
Now, contrast this style OF doing things with that
OF the conessedy inefficient contract system which
this reform bureau superseded. Under that sys-
TEN, bad as it was, the snow never allowed to
remain on the crossings or to choke the culverts
for more than twelve hours after II had fallen. IL
never rained too much, blew too strong or showed
too fast to prevent the several contractors from
sending out their carts to remove the ashes. The
Winter OF 1867 Is remembered as one In which
great difficulties were met and conquered In that
Winter the city was afflicted with four severe snow
storms in quick succession, and the snow was, on
an average four feet deep; but Whiting, who then
held the street cleaning contract, never failed to
send out his ash carts at the regular hours and for
several days each cartman was furnished with an |
assistant to help him lift the ash vessels over the
snow banks when they were too large along the |
curb stones to admit the carts being brought up TO
them. Whiting and Brown were grossly inenlcie,..;
but the Police Commissioners, with their reform |
OF the Street Cleaning Bureau, are |
so near utter worthlessness that the difference |
between them is scarcely distinguishable. Those |
who transact business on Broadway and Fifth |
avenue are sorely puzzled to know why the snow
which fell on December 20 was not sooner removed |
they saw, upon numerous occasions, a sufficient |