New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-07-23
THE TESTIMONY.

don't feel that still member OF the Boaru Tue
paid for salaries in the year 1874 at Castle oara.h
amounted 10 S74177 Il, and at Wards Island TO fa4'
5s3 81; consider that they were unnecessarily large
and uncalled for many times while member OF ''c
BOARD I tried to have them reduced ABOUT
October 1873, when immigration began to fah
off proposed TO the members OF 'he
Board 10 make changes for the purpose OF cc"
omy Among the proposed changes were te dispensing
with the clerk of the Irish Society and other snecmcs
Finally resolution passed that the SUBJECT shonid
should be referred to the Castle Garden and WARDS
Island Committees. They were requested 10 report Ut
tirable reductions TO be made at both places was
Chairman Of the Wards Island Committee, and called
meeting at which proposed TO cut GA all Tree ooaruc'S
II been the practice to give the orderies sweepes
and all the employ6s the same subsistence as the suIetm
tendens and officials proposed to let them nave ohy
inmates board. In that way $4,000 would annually
he saved to the Commission There great opposition
10 tie reduction first but the resolution finally passed
II took effect on Nov. l, 1873. No sweeping changes
were made by the Commissioners when they came INTO
office, and the old routine of matters remained unis-
nrbed. When Mr.. Webster was appointed SuleTn-
tendent believed his services were necessary, nut
sterward concluded that his place was sinecure NDe
resigned INV position considered the force employed
AZ Castle Garden and Wards Island unnecessarily large
To illustrate: la the Managing DepaI ment one OF TWO
tlerss could have been made 10 do the work OF the
four five that paid The number OF men EN-
poyed at Wards Island should have been reduced The
Labor Bureau could have he dispensed with and done
no harm As IL was conducted all the time was in the
Commission, the Labor Bureau simple disgrace
No discrimination made III regard TO the persons
seeking employment. All who asked 10 he taken III were
accommodated. People here from sag Hdrbor,
Oswcgo and distant parts OF the State; transportation
was paid by the Commission and in some cases men aud
women who could not get the high prices they
wanted, remained under care OF the Board ior
months. They would refuse to take $40 aud
sl2 month beside their board, and have
known cases where persons have been 10 1s different
places year. They would return at the end OF each
time 10 the Labor Bureau, which would take care of
them until they got the highprccd places that suited or
falling that, remained permanent bOaiders tired TO
remedy these abuses and told the superintendent OF the
Bureau 70 discharge these rcyoyer" hut every case
they were rcinstatcd by the order Of Commission
Lynch Being asked furnish the OF persons who
had conducted themselves in the manner stated the
witness long list Of persons who had obainedffon
- different places in the course OF single year. and
had inv ariaby returned for support by the Commits
sioncrs.
GENERAL INEFFICIENCY AND EXTRAvAGANCE.
The charge was made before the open Board by Com
missioner Starr and Endorsed by me- that the Bureau was
simply receptacle for dssoute women, who would
tally forth upon the Battery at night and make them
selves obnoxious the frequentcrs of that Park by their
loose and asciviOus conduct. Yet nothing was done to
remedy the evil. Invariably Mr.. Lynch would order
these persons have admission in the Bureau when
had ordered their discharge TO give my opinion freely
and frankly will state that the Commission, while
was a member, inefficient mismanagcd and
generally dcmoranzed Having tried without success to
sufficient reductions to meet the diminished I'M
migration, on Jan. !. 1874 publicly offered IN TINS
Board 10 pay $4,000 year, aud furnish Sl,OO0OOO
security, If they would hand the Commission over To ine
10 rum leaving the mead money at II 90 was simply
first dssension in the Board arose before became
member OF IT, grew ont Of anG ss s%% s GgT ngs
about the political complexion OF the dineIent
committees The new Board was Republican,
majority of the employees have always been Democrats
anIong the Commissioners. On March IL s74 offered
aresouton which aimed to make large reductions in the
and curtai the salaries of the remaining employees
pressed the matter 10 vote but tHce OF the Commits
soners got mp and left the without being excused
weeks atterWaTd meeting was held. ON Feb. =
of the hospital at Wards Island and making
reductions to the amount Of $4,000 year II wisI re-
amember OF the Board Recommended that the same
s should T para aP To ' Emon n
necessary clerical assistance should be dapensed
and they can be hired in the Winter they
NAV be needed proposed to dsIen,e WITH
who staying there all Winter at the expense of the
where persons lived at Castle Garden OF and for
eight years. Some Of them viii get employment and then
oa " Who hang around the Battery and they paS.
into Castle Garden unqu,sioned, and aie taken care OF
by the Commissioners. don't regard persons VINO
fuse employment at w or Tl5 a month as destitute.
PURCHASE OF SUPPLIES
should think that with the head money at 81 30 the
Commission would be ID paying basis il 10000 iunh
grants should arrive annually. Mr.. Bergen, in my
opinion, good purchasing agent and generally OBJ
tanned goods at the lowest prices. satisfied that
when the purchaser Of integrity il is better to
purchase in the open market than by contract. Be
fore 1874 coal purchased without being
weighed by the Commissioners. l insisted that
VT should weigh and take the coal dealers word
for the quantity par OF scales was finally purchased
Tue second cargo after the purchase fell short OF lAe
weight which eOd dealer claimed Ia give SUI
neent quantity ~ pay Ia" inc woe cost OF the seaS
LII june 1874 offer "A resolution tat- while could
for years use on Wards Island Should he
made. A committee appointed 10 purchase it,
but it not actually bought until the following Octo
Der IL was offered as III June at 50 % per tn. and the
difference between what would have cost II purchased
that time and What II actually cost when bought IN Oc
tOber amounted 10 s0lnethng over $l,2O0 DOM know
the for the delay and never could find out The
Committee had quite rs much money III June as III DC
tObeT.
believe that If the Commission followed the law
under which they exist their financial difficulties would
have been avoided and their Affairs placed upon sub
stdntia basis They should not consider themselves
qured 10 take care Of abe-bodied persons VINO are
simply lazy ana VIII not y ok. Seven thousand two
hundred aud sixteen Immigrants have been cared Tor
Incsc men have received care fot 2lG,3lo Gays
and have cost the Commission about Sl25OOO.
The steamship companies liable under the
law for every dollar OF this amount. Tney have
given bonds for all tie expenses incurred by this class OF
hnmigan; and galy liable for the full amount, yet
not te slightest effort has made by The Commission
u enforce It's clan have often urged that the cOnpa-
ncs should he sued but have been pat of by asser
hon That II would take 10 Years oi litigation. The Com
mission should not bc held accountable for cOnycts in
penehIiaiies. don't think that the county bills
ever properly audited 10y the Commission 1 never saw
one during the two years u member of the
Finance Committee. Tue manner IN which they
were audited was simply scIndal0us. Claims for
$4,000 $4,000 were passed without scrutiny,
and bills were rushed through few minutes before
should consist OF less number OF pcrsons than at
pres Mt The Presidents OF the German and Irish
sociotios SHOULD Not be members Of the C0ullsevn