The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-04-02
SUGGESTIONS FOR REFORM.
A CONFERENCE or THE NEW YORU
MUNICIPAL SOCIETY,
Prison and Pauper Labor. the City's Fxpep-
ditures. and the Peril to Commerce Dis-
Guessed bv romo Represc-,ativs Men.


Prison and Pauper Labor. the City's Rxpen-
ditures. and the Peril to Commerce Di..
cusscd bv somo Repre.c.,ativs Men.
IHo ''a N@~ York Municipal Society held
special meeting In the Fifth Avenue Hotel last
evening to consider: First-1he question OF
prison and pauper labor In reference TO the Gov
ernor's veto. second-The necessity for rsduc-
ing city expenditures. Third-Ths peril TO the
commerce Of New York city from excessive
charges upon II. Fourth-Tbe pending bill to
secure labor for the city at market rates, and to
prevent partisan assessments by city oficers.
Mr.. Dorman ID. Eaton presided at the opening
OF the meeting. hut resigned his seat upon the
entrance OF ex-Gov. Dix, one OF the Vice -Presi-
dents OF the society, who made . few general
remarks on reform.
MIR. Oswald 0ttendorfer spoke In favor Of en-
ploying all able bodied criminals and paupers.
not only that they might help to pay the ex-
pense OF their support. but become accustomed
to habits Of industry. He alluded to tho veto
Of tho labor bill BY Gov. Tden, and said that
after having read the veto message twice over,
he was at a loss to discover the grounds upon
which It was based.
Mr. Sinclair Tousey said that for the past Of
teen years the city had supported an average of
loo paupers and criminals at twenty nine cents
each per day. 1t was not possible, he thought,
to maintain perfect discipline 10 a prison where
the oonvlcts were not constantly employed. Ii
was the duty Of the State to see that every con-
vict was employed, not only for what he might
make toward his own support, but because OF
tho Eood that would accrue to him after his dis
charge.
Mr.. Theodore Roosevelt said that many per
sons we're practically sslf-oommitted to Black
wells Island, knowing that they are there GER
tain OF an easy winter, with but little work.
This class would increase as long ns the system
continued, and as long as paupsrs and crimin ais
were flowed to live Hfo OF idleness
AsssInolyman hayes said that as member OF
Assembly, he had been present at the
examination Of many of the prison
conclusion tn Il II was impossible to make con-
vict labor pay. In Clinton Prison, he said. the
chief Industry was II making. outside of tue
Jail keg ot nails costs $40, but keg OF nails
made by COW cts costs <5. At Auburn SO con
Nicts were idle because there was no market for
thetr LABOR. The employment Of couyicts was
simuy question Of humanity. Ii was not,
" net snail we do with themf" As far as he
knew tnere WAS only ono pfison-the Albany
Penit t.ntiary-which paid expenses, aud this
was due to tne fact that It received m ny
United states and state conNictS whose board
was Id. DIR. Hayes pledged himself to aid the
society as far as he could IN the passage OF any
Mr.. A. j. Campbell said tina, to pass the bill
over the Governors veto w"ulo be impossible.
re suggested lhat the " uNtflur might be IN
uuenced by committee Of leading oitizons, at
le ~ to such an extent as TO sy what sort Of
nill he wou sisn. IL mig1t 6e. however, thar
Just at this tuncture II would be Impossible to
draw bill that would meet the Governors
Mr. Roosevelt said that he knew the Governor
WIS willing To tunsult WITH suea committee as
had becn suggested.
THE CIrY's EXPENDITURES.
The next topic was introduced by sir. Jackson
s Schultz. who devoted hi. remarks mainly to
the police force. our policemen, he said. ere no
better than the porters In stores, ana yet the
latter receive but SIS "a week. while the former
are paid $l.2O year. lie advocated tine ar ding
OF policemen, and "a system OF gradual y. ONO
banks and Insurance oompanies, and to 10 court
duty, he said, old not wear tneir uniform. This
was wrong. 1t VS. the uniform tbat was effect
i've ~ most cases, not the man. He was In favor
Of red eng ths pay Of the force according to
grade, the lowest pay to be $500 per snnum, and
Col. Hawkins said New York had become pre-
eminently eminent In b ID eminenoe. Abuses
were numbered by hundreds, but he would de-
vote his remarks to onr-street openings. He
urged that a Iw should be passed doing away
Pdblic Works SHOULD be overnauled. lie had
seen one laborer shoveIling dirt into a tarrow
while his six comrades sat placidy beside 10 and
reacefull' smoked their pipes. 1he Croton De-
peTtment was lso corrupt, 10 his opinion.
Mr. Charles II Saith ssid that the CONNER
cial stringency was felt moIe ~ New York than
in any other cltv. Between Grand street ana
Stewards down town store on Broadway there
ne ded no c. mnent. New YORK was becoming
the most expensive place In the country Con-
trasting the coat OF trausshipment OF goods at
baltimore, Boston aud New York. he showed
that at he nr>t II ~ cents ton, at the
second 40, and at New Y, RI 81 Other seAboard
cities mad drawn largely from the trade OF New
\ TX because Of our Rad terminal f4cltes, our
lad streets, aud our high prices for transship-
nent He alluded also to the fact tn New
York Is far behind any OF the Western cities In
the matter OF elevators.
MIR. f. Is. Ihurber illustrated the decline In
NV Yorhs commerce, as heretofore shown by
THE sun.
The discussion Of the remaining subjects was
deferred.