The New York herald., 1875-07-02
The Politician. and tho city Labor

The city politicians are sorely perpexed
over the question Of the reduction of the city
laborers' wages. With the taxpayers, already
greatly overburdened, the movement in favor
of economy is popular. With the working
men, who spend the whole Of election day at
the polls, it is unpopular. The policy of re-
duction was initiated by Mr. Van Mort before
he retired from the Department OF Public
Works, and was advocated by him, in an Off
cial communication, on the ground that while
laborers in the service of contractors are
compelled to be satisfied with ten or twelve
shillings day for ten hours work il is un-
just to compel the citizens assessed for street
improvements to pay two dollars day for
eight hours work. Mayor Wlokham, Police
Commissioner Disbecker, General Porter, Mr..
Van No1ts successor; Mr.. Wales, OF the Dock
Department, and Colonel Stebbins, of the
Park Department, took The same view of the
matter, and consequently the laborers' pay
was cut down to twenty cents an hour, or one
dollar and sixty cents for eight hours work
Either this reduction was fair and
expedient or it WAS an injustice TO the
laboring classes who work for the city. The
issue is very distinct and is not to be evaded.
If the laborers we're paid too much it WAS an
injustice to the property owners which de-
manded remedy. If they were paid only
O fair days wages, according to the market
value of labor, for o fair days work, 1t was
| cruel and oppressive to compel them to ac-
cept lower rate
II is not surprising to find the ward poll
tician, who is willing at oil times to play the
part of the ranting demagogue, denouncing
the reduction Of the laborers' wages and de-
manding that before the workin9man shall
be compelled TO give up portion of his
earnings the large salaries of the heads of de-
partments shall be reduced. Such declama-
ton must always be expected in city gov
ernment which yields a living to an army OF
political paupers and corner grocery declaim-
ers. But it is singular that the well known
promoters Of the reduction movement should
lack the boldness to justify their policy.
Every head of department who is questioned
on the subject evinces a disposition to evade
the issue, Even Mayor Wickham, in writing
letter to workingmans meeting, makes
some singular aud unnecessary excuses
for what can only be justifabde os an
act of justice and equity to both the tax
payer and the laborer He endeavors to show
that twenty cents an hour is better pay for
the laborer than two dollars for eight hours,
because on some days when il rains in the
morning and clears up in the afternoon the
men may work under the hour system for
half day, while they could not work at alI
under the days wages system. He also
argues, with great profoundness, that when
men are to be paid two dollars for days
work of eight hours, it is "impossible to
measure the time when they work at night,
as they do in the Street Cleaning Bureau.
These and other special pleas by which the
Mayor seeks to excuse the reduction are un-
worthy of q sincere and honest public officer,
and it is not surprising that his communica-
ton received an unfriendly greeting. The
advocates of the lower rate of pay should not
fear to meet the issue, for it is one they can
not successfully evade BY timid and un-
worthy apologies for their action they only
forfeit the respect of its supporters while
falling to satisfy its opponents.