The New York herald., 1874-12-05
THE CIlY IMPROVEMENTS.


sioner Van Nort-More Men To Ne Em-
ployed and Less Pay.
A committee OF property holders from different
parts OF the city called upon Commissioner Van
Mort 1t his o.nce yesterday TO press the necessity
for carrying on uptown Improvements to COM
petion, and also the placing OF more laborers at
work even oy reduction In the wages OF those
already employed. This committee consisted OF
Cyrus Clark. l. r. Barry, 8. Z. Church, John NJ.
Pierson. Philip @. Weaver. william F. Buckley,
William Richardson. l. Friedman and J. L. Good.
WIN.
Mr. Clark presented the following resolutions =
Whereas the city OF New York Is now paying twenty
ve per hour for the elias, labor lis pub
lie works beng performed Tor the Harlem Railroad
Company &nd other Lrvae contractors al one ha thar
Whereas BY a reduction OF the prce paid double the
number OF men can employed at greater cost
to the city than that at present incurred =
wages ior the same @ XII Kind % Of work than private ind
viauas corporations aud contractors and that prefer
ence should be given 10 men willing TO work ten hours
esoved That we request the Commissioner of Public
Works and also the department OF fualc Parks to EN-
Wiling a oaes 10 Work ana ss the viii
warrant .hereSy prosecunng .ne public improvements
needed relie to the worthy workingnen OF this city
Mr.. DWIGHT q. OLMsrEAD called attention to the
importance to the city and property owners OF a
speedy completion of the pubic works ALREADY
commenced, anu upon the great relIe' their CON-
plctlOu WUulu duOIu W Tue WOTklux CIdSSeS, tHdt
1t would prove mutual benent on account OF the
present cheap price OF labor and the future neces-
stiles OF the city. He then went on to speak OF the
bad lalth in which the city had acted toward the
property owners on this island In neglectlng to
make the improvements or which they had been
long ago assessed. He stated that the
assessment Tor M0rnlngside Park and Morning.
side avenue, amounting TO $500, 69S, was confirmed
on June 2S 1870, and IOr Riverside Park ana River
side avenue. amounting to S3. l04 479
frmed on August 2, 1872, ana that, so far as he
lie tnen asked, What light had the city to compel
the pay ment of these large amounts by the owners
OF property ITO be benefited inereby' II benefit
was conferred and said that no such thing couid
happen IN any European city, and an attempt TO
levy such assessments without corresponding
cause the overtnrow Of any oresn esSe aovernment
The question he insisted now was, not whether
these imp. ovemsnts could be afforded or nor, but
whether the ctiy was not pound both morally and
legally to complete within q reasonable time I'm
provements which Lad already peen inaugurared,
and Tor which assessments had been laid and COL
lected. IN conclusion, Mr.. Oimstead said there
were only three great commercial cities in the
world-namely, London, Paris ana New York. He
that In MS opinion $4,000, 600 spent upon the
city, even by borrowing the money, would prove
good and paying investment.
Mr.. $. h. CHURCH followed and said the deleQa-
tions OF property owners had not come to ask the
unlawful things. The eiQht.h0ur law exists and
the commissioner could not repeal 1t. He must
take tue law as he hnds II. But there was nothing
in that law or any other that required the CoG-
missioner to pay more for labor done for the city
than was paid by employers outside. And II it
employing men at 81 and 81 25 o day Tor ten
hours WORK, and could find more men at that rate
as the labor organizations asserted that 10 Ooo Ia
borers were now out OF employment In this city,
then to pay ~ day for eight hours work, which
was lust double the amount paid by private con-
tractors was a great injustice toward every IN.
terest. II was unjust toward the city, whose pub
unjust to the taxpayers, because they were made
70 pay double price for what tney got ana cru
men, VINO, equally willing, have an equal right to
share win the others In such work as the city has
to DO. what they asked. then, was. that the Com
where, by the nour, paying them at the same rate
as 10 paid elsewhere.
great pleasure to meet 80 many property holders.
and ne heartily agreed with them that the i'm
especially as they were not charge on the city'
and did not add to Its permanent debt being
mostly paia Dy assessments he knew here were
for these improvements. 1t was necessary to %
TO the Legislature or Common Council Ior the
puted, and he could not do anything In the
matter without authority from the. LeRis.
however, that where power had been gwen
HIM to carry on improvements everything had
progressed satisfactorily For instance the East
River Boulevard was rapidly approaching com.
peton. Tne Commissioner contended that wnen
tue city had committed itself to certain improve
menss and had taken the money OF property
owners Is was bound to carry on such improve-
mentA in conclusion he cOncurred IN the opinion
that the city should not be called upon through
its agents 10 pay higher wages for work performed
than private corporations or individuals. The
Common Coancil could, OF course authorize the
public works to be Carried on by tue day or hour.
He would be most happy to cooperate with the
committee In any movement having Tor Its opject
the completion OF the neglected improvements.
After discussion by otner gentlemen present the
committee wlthurew.