New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-06-14


"laboring classes employed by the city
government if they are paid for their
work no moro than that work will bring
at competition in the open market.
Translated into plain English this absurd
proposition only means that when living is
high the municipal government ought to in
crease the taxes of the whole community
in order to pay gratuities to the few hundreds
of day laborers who have obtained situations
by political influence on the public works.
For every man who holds place of this
kind there are scores who have nothing.
Notwithstanding the reduction" says Com
missioner Porter, "the applications for en-
"ployment upon the public works are by
thousands in excess of any ability the
lefty has to pay them; and this de-
apartment is, during every hour Of the day,
"undcr the painful necessity of refusing to
"employ hungry men who are eager for work"
But the suffering of these hungry thousands,
who have apparently no political value, since
they have not succeeded in getting employ
mcnt tickets from any of the ward politicians,
has no effect upon the Tammany Committee.
On the contrary, the Committee insist that the
Commissioners have 10 business to bring IN
such men to "Ieduce the wages of the better
"class of laborcrs."
1t would be a waste Of time and trouble to
remind Mcssrs. Morton, Hughes, and their
associates, that living is high in New-York,
not only because the cost OF everything
has appreciated since the war, but because the
city has been saddlcd with an immense debt
and an oppressive rate of taxation by long
course Of the same system OF expenditure
which they now recommend. The financial
embarrossunpts which bear upon us so heavily
were all caused by the practice of the old
Tammany government of paying for every
thing more than the market rate. Whether 1t
was chairs and carpets for the new Court
house. gorgeous furniture for the armoiies
and tlIll-rooms, tons OF thermometers, ana
square miles of plastering, or labor on
the streets, roads and Croton pipes,
the rule was the same; the city must
nav all it could be forced to pay, with
out regard to the value of the work
or the supplies. Goods were purchased only
for the profit of the Ring purveyors and labor
ers were hired only for the advantage OF the
Ring politicians. AS a result we have these
burdcnsome taxes, which the labOrlng man
must pay first in the increased price OF house
rent, fuel, bread, meat, clothing. and all the
ncces,aries of life ; and secondly ia the depres-
sion of business and the consequent scarcity OF
work. There will he no relief from these hard
times until We reduce our municipal cXtrava-
gancc and put stop to the eleemosynary
system OF public expenditures The first step
is to pay for public work just what it is worth
we have no right to pay penny more.
The Committee indulge in the usual com
fnonplace about ga fair days work and fair
days wages But they failed to inform Ills
by what rule they are able to ascertain what
constitutes a fair days wages, unless they late
the value of work just as they do the value OF
corn. pork, or whatever else men have to sell,
by the price which it will bring in the open
market. When there are thousands OF good
men anxious to work for 30 cents an hour, 20
cents is evidently more than Il fair price. The
truth is the attempt TO make the Commits
sioners recede from their sensible and business
| like action, is merely remnant of the OLD
Tammany principle that the chief duty OF a
| public officer was to draw money out OF the
treasury for the Use of the " insiders" and
the art of politics consisted chiefly in putting
gratuites where they would do the most good
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