New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-12-01
LOCAL MISCELLANY.
THE PARK COMMISSIONERS DEFENSE.

THE PARK COMMISSIONERS DEFENSE.
AN OUTLINE OF THE PROBABLE ANSWER TO The
CHARGES AGAINST COMMISSIONERS MARTIN Avn
oDoNBUE.
1t is said that the following viii be the main
points of the argument be presented to-day befos
Mayor wlckham by Park Commissioners Martin and
ODonohue 60 sustain the position which they have
taken in regard to the discharge OF Of the employees
in the Department OF Public Parks, and against the re-
duction OF the wages Of the common laborers:
There are two points upon which charges made
the removal Of certain clerks without notification or
hearing and the refusal to reduce the OF the park
laborers. The statute gives the absolute power re-
moyal Of all clerks the commissioners, except In he
case OF those designated Irregular clerks" These reg
uar clerks are entitled to notification and hearing be-
fore removal The persons who bring the charges claim
that the discharged were regular Clerks and that
since no notice of removal was given or a hearing al.
lowed the removal was violation of law. The comms
soners answer that the removals not partisan nor
made for any other than that the reduction In
the appropriation for salaries made reduction the
force absolutely necessary Tie salary appropriation
was cut down from $4,000 10 $4,000. Everybody
knew that somebody would have to go and that there
was no way OF avoiding it, Under these circumstances
then there was no call for notification or hearing be-
cause nothing any clerk could say would have been Of
the slightest effect One subordinate office had five EN-
poye and it was decided that it must be reduced 10
three There help for this and the commissioners
acted according the best Of their judgment in keeping
the best clerks. In the other cases tho vacancies
we're filed by men at two-thlrds the salary. On
the law the commissioners win argue that the power
to remove is general power, and If class is excepted
that class should be clearly defined by statute that
when this clear definition is lacking in the there
can responsibility for chance violation. "Regu
lar clerk Indefinite term II is to be noted Also
that discharges OF this kind been since the
-
the accused commissioners have done He voted to dis
charge these That he has not been attacked i'm
piled that for violation OF the statute not
the leading motive OF the charges. 10 seems singular
that what H. G. Stebbms did right and that what
tie accused commissioners did wrong, when their
action was the same Clearly it is partisan attack
Concerning the reduction of wages the ground taken
parties Private individuals can enter into competition
aud get work done at starvation prices II they choose
They can give full swing 70 the law OF supply anu de-
mand but the Government, in its dealings with labor
ers must act higher principles and must try 70 Keep
near average of what, for long periods, would be
proper rates The plan pursued by the commissioners
by which the rigid discipline has been enc reed
been dropped. The result has been that the Park
has always had superior BE, class ,,S oil isoorerS
There exists to-day among the class OF people
that outside employers can got work done at wages
ranging 80 cents to 81 90 Thus there Is not to-day
a Uniform price for labor. The whole process Of the
commissioners has been 70 eliminate the Inferior men
and to keep the best When 81 60 the rate esab-
disproportOnately above that when they gave % per
for the best class OF which they Insisted
upon having. As in the other there or
strict rule and the whole Only matter OF dcIeon
the question becomes, simply, We're the Commissioners
justified I'm their discretion Take the year 1875,
for which they cargeabe Compare this with other
years, and l. VIII be- found that all through the Park
work has been done az saving Of % or 30 per cent
The Park has been carried during this Summer less
than One-half money expended in previous years.
For example, The Park stables from May 10 November
have managed for about 80 per cent OF what
10 conduct them in previous months The services OF
tF.or urara Isgou
ten men, wls OF course necessary TO have men w1r5l
the difference. This goes to show the pIecaut0n tskea
in exercising discretion and dropping ordinary men, BY
obtaining better laborers, they have obtained better re-
suits.