New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-01-07

TIE GROUNDS On WHICH GIN. PORTER WAS MANI u
FOR A SECOND TERM-Ils FITNESS foH TIE
PLACE GENERALLY OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
IN ADMINISTRATION OVER HIS PREDECLs-
soI.-EvIs DUE 10 TuE sYsTEM or DAYS WORK
II was stated Mt the City Hall yesterday that
the r. tson why the nomination OF Gen Porter WAS re-
ferred TO committee was that Aldermen opposed To
him wished TO give him opportunity 10 resign before
they took action ON his nomination. 1t was rumored
that Gen Porter would certainly resign, and that the
MAYORS ne II nominee for Commissioner OF Pdbc WORKS
would be either Tloma, Cooper Campbell or Chiries
Place. Secretary fthc Newlofk Mutual Gas Light Com
piny.
A rcportor of TIE TRIBUNE had conversation yester-
day with the Mayor after the nomination OF Gen Porter
rad gone into the Board OF Aldermen. 1t as fol-
lows:
Mr. Mayor, win the nomination be confirmed"
As TO tbat cannot say. The responsibility for that
must rest with the Board Of Aldermen. 1undeiftand
however that there Ia not VI the members oil me
Board who does not admit Gen Porter IL emineniy
III for the place Indeed they all concede believe thA
he has by the most efficient Commissioner since
the Office created"
DO you consider tho nomination the best when you
could have made under the circumstances
Yes SO far as I am aware there have been but two
classes OF objections TO the admins ration OF the Depart
Of Public Works since IL has been Ia charge OF Gen
Porter One Of those objections Ii that with regard 10
the rates OF wages Us u which Gen Porter has himself
stated the reasons the he has pursued and my
message the other day reiterated them. He has SIMPLY
done his duty by Insisting that the rates oi wages paid 10
laboIers upon the public works shall be tho same as
those prevailing in the market and paid by individuals
for similar labor. Tho other objection has been
that the lborers the works have not always
done fall days work. but have been
lOungDg about smoking their pipes, discussing pol
tics, IL true that such things have occurred
Ia OF the gangs OF aborcrs But II is also true mat
there has been much less Of that SOFT of thing under Gen
those competent to pronounce opinion that the men
during tho last Summer have averaged at least 80 per
cent moro in days work than done under Gen.
POrter's predecessor aud may add that my own OBJ
servatOns confirm that estimate. The fact is that Gen
really not responsible for the things complained
Of The difficulty has been IN the system of days labor
ITSELF which is Of the relics Of the Ring But that
system is to give way TO the contract system
wherever the conditions such 10 trust
worthy proposals from responsible contractors Even rs
It was the would generally have worked better than
they did, II they had not been kept continually excited
by politicians who for purposes OF their own, were busy
In trying 10 persuade them that they we're ireated by
the ctyrcmnding them Of what were called the good
old days under Tweed, when vote on election day was
about all that tie expected TO give In return
regular exorbitant wages from tho public eas-
ury. very much mistake the sentiment OF this commu-
nifty II return that sort Of thing IL TO be endured by
the generation which recolecs the Ring, and 10 now
suffering because Of the plundcring tho Ring did"