The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-01-16
LABOR'S TRIBULATTONS.
What the Common Council Has Done and
Left UndOne for the Unemployed.
An Ordinance to Give Work to Thousands
Lying on the Table of the Board OF Alder
men-startling Official Statements.


binary amount OF distress which prevails among
the laborng classes there Is q general desire
throughout the community to know accurately
what chances the bona rae w0rkmen who are at
present unemployed, and whose families are starv-
ihg' nave OF obtaining work on public improve
mehts through the agency of the Common Council,
This general desire is equaled by an anxiety to
know who are really responsible for the present.
condition OF affairs.
WHAT HAS BEEN DoNE
1t may be stated for the benefit of those who are
unacqualnted with the workings or the CommoU
Council that three great corporation ordinances
have recently been introduced TO provide the mn
employed aborers with work. The first of these
was Tor the roadway or surface construction Of
Riverside avenue, lying along the bank OF tho
North River; the second, for the surface con-
struction of the streets and avenues adjoining
Morningside Park, and the third Tor the road waN
construction OF Eighth avenue, from the south
side OF Fiity-ninth street to the south side Of
10th street. The two former ordinances which
passed both branches OF the Common Council and
which would have involved the employment Of
thousands OF laborers by the days work, were
vetoed by Mayor Havemeyer, ostensbly by the
advice OF Corporation Counsel Delaned Smith.
The third has been laid in the Board Of Alder
men, though, 1t IS said, 1t would involve the
penditure OF 81, 100000 in labor by the time tbe
work which Is necessary and which must be done
at some season OF perhaps less general distress is
brought to completion.
HOW NOT TO DO 1T.
Some weeks since this ordinance for the inns
provement OF Eighth avenue within the above
limits was introduced into the Board OF Assistant
Aldermen by Assistant Alderman Smonson-it was
said at the time by the advice OF Commissioner
Van Nort-in the following terms:-
lved tho dxuov ~
from Inc
s %o 9Rsss By H days Is
for the city and
A. may be prescribed or determined by the Board of
y Of the i e r"s tx as
companying ordinance therefor be adopted.
This resolution was carried with only two dis.
scnting votes, Assistant Aldermen Murphy and
Thornen voting "No." When 1t went to the Board
Of Aldermen 1t was amended so as to read "by
days work only" the clause I'm such manner as
the Commissioner OF Public Works may direct"
being stricken out. The Board OF Assistant Alder
when the resolution went back to the Board OF
Aldermen they tabled 1t, where 1t now lies, while
81 s aIs Common IN s city, cs
mat ts ee y Uiner ons u and Is delay
starving abOrers To set the matter ut rest finally
HERALD reporter called on Commissioner VAN
Mort last evening In reference to this matter. After
X
what form the ordinance should be passed so as to-
be of real beuet TO the laborng classes in VI
work that gentleman said
COMMISSIONERS VAN Norris STATEMENT.
1T could only be OF any real service In the original
form in when lett the Board OF Assistant AderS
such work as this construction of the road
way OF Eighth avenue by the day without
svns TOOLS as buy nas dfaasce
amended by the Board of Aldermen, ! could not
tends over two miles. Stone must be procured
from quarries TO make the roadway, and labOrerd
BY the day musa be s aS wa
original form. and as soon as the Mayor approves
OF It, then am prepared to set large number or
labOrers 10 work without any delay"
'Then the Board OF Aldermen are responsible
for the delay In this matterYn
III the ordinance is TO be OF any good to the poor
they must pass it In Its original form and tho
has already vetoed two great ordinances providing
work, which passed both branches OF the Common
Riverside avenue and the streets adjoining Morn
ingsde Park. pointing TO q map before him.
Here are six miles and half OF roadway To bo
constructed, and yet Mayor Havemeyer, on the
advice OF the Corporation Counsel, vetoes
ordnancss providing for the construction OF
Smith think his advice was erroneous, the
appendix to the charter in June, which overrde5
taxable terms gives the Common Council power
to order this work. This department mas no power
In the matter nor has the Department OF Public
WHAT THE MAYOR SAYS.
The reporter then called on May Havemeyer
and asked him II he believed that the Common
Council had power to order work to be given out
by the day. The Mayor, after searching through
the charter, pointed to the following distinct Sec
tiOn:-
Chapter sss section o. Laws of 1873 wv henevcr any
work Is necessary to be done to compste or perfect
cnar purpose which work and job is to be undertake.,
supply furnished for the Corpora on and the several
Of the said supply shall altogether involve
the expenditure than II CO., the shall bv
contract under such regulations erning as shalt
be established by ordinance OF the Common Council
law ordinance to be done otherwise than by contract
and unless otherwise ordered by three ourths vote Of
the members elected to the Common Council"
In reply to q question from the reporter the
Mayor said distinctly that he had never seen the
ordinance for the Eighth avenue Improvement,
though it was openly stated at the last meeting OF
the Board OF Assistant Aldermen that 1t by his
advice that that ordinance was modified by the
Board OF Aldermen. The Assistant Aldermen and
the Mayor all admit that there Is no necessity for
further legislation to enlarge the powers OF the
Common Council with regard to those out OF EN-
plOyment, the charter Of 1873 and the above
ton cover 1t sufficiently.