The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-02-20

1874. 97OoOO 1856 II 9s6,6l5 II SIS, S37 IA
49, s ssSSS s1s sss % 90
1871. 7l7,oOo Not made up
Total. s4sl7 $751; Az o. s. ISL Az "a $685. 7s OF
The amount returned as ''savcd" has been handed
over to the Comptroller each year.
DISSATISFACTION
There has always been some grumbling both at pri-
vate cont racors and the authorities at the manner
which this work has been done. Brown could
give satisfaction He sold the contract Judge Whit.
ing for $780, 900, though WAS shrewdly suspected
that he still maintained interest in it, JudgeWhit-
ing was severely hauled the Goals by a committee
OF The Senate, OF which Thomas j. Dreamer chair
He stated on oath that though he paid $780, 900
he did not expect to realize more than his money,
as his real object was philanthropc one-namey, to
give the city clean streets IL was heartrending 10
the poor old man appeal that com mitce not
put the thumb screws TOO tight as "he had but
few years 10 lve' He did not survive the ordeal
long; the contract returned TO Brown and soon after
the old Judge died. The dissatisfaction Increased.
Complaints were still made through tho press and in
othcr ways, untils the contract broken and tho
street cleaning business became bureau in the Police
Department; Brown received $500, 600 for the scows
and other property, including horses, CARTS &C.
which were his own, and without which the work could
not be done.
HERCULES.
When one looks Al the amount Of work required to
be done It VIII certainly seem hercnlean task which
is imposed upon the Police Board. Let any one con.
slider the immense heap of ashes and garbage taken
daily out Of but one large tenement house among
the many Ia this city, and he may gain some den Of
the amount Of work required to DO done IN promptly
and regularly collecting and removing ashes and
evils which must follow the neglect TO do Let
him estimate the number OF which required
daily in single ward to effect this service; then
multiply that number by the number OF wards and the
product by the reasonable value of the days SERVICE
and then the whole by the number Of working days
IN year, and add the cost OF removal, tho salaries
OF an army OF clerks and others who have 10 be pro-
vded for, and he viii begin to realize the great
OF properly scavenging large city. Yet alter all this
has been done nothing has been accomplished toward
cleaning the streets: they are only prevented from be-
coming filthy.
WHEN AND HOW THE STREETS ARE CLEANED
Broadway and the avenues east and west arc sup
posed 10 De cleaned three times week. tho other
streets only once, and not ut ali when rain snow
falling nor for some days after For the purpose OF
street cleaning about 400 carts employed al So rs
per day, and some OF these when ashes heavy
(Which occurs on Mondays Saturdays and the day after
holidaysl, are employed removing ashes The rush Tor
sash route" they call IT, IS great when new a.
are made but to secure this the applicant
mnst be avorite with the foreman Of his ward, and
there but one way by which such favors be pur
chased. Even the appointment OF cartmcn is not
equitable, and many poor man who has but horse
and cart would DO glad OF JOB and get 1t because
mcn who arc rich have probably fifteen twenty
employed. In one ward alone certain political favor
Ito had AT least carts employed his own name
own and other names When pay day comes round no
Is on hand, and, as the name OF the person who sup
pose TO own tho cart Is called and the paid, he
receives the money. Once however, he was
cheated, for as soon as the 0stcnsIbe owner was
paid Tor the months work ho of and spent
the money. These dirt carts are each supposed to
contain thirty five cubic feet Of dirt, but when the
latter 10 wet and heavy they are not filed There
seveny-hve carts belonging the department, which
drivers receive 81 IS per day. A private cart must
bring in ten or two.ve loads, according to distance.
cart a. d. eight. IL they are short OF but
OF tho prescribed number Of loads they allowed but
was 81 per day until 1876, when II cut down to
So 3D. and subsequently it reduced It's present
900 year each (reduccd IN Nav, 1874 from 200
under the Charlck regime); thirteen dump inspectors
at $500 reduced at the same time from 81, U00 and
forty-ninc gangmen mt 81 per day except Sundays)
when working. One OF these was io mcry foreman,
but was removed to make place for a brother n-aw
OF Police Justice Kasmirej another was dump
spcctor removed to make way for a friend OF Senator
booth, and II third is detailed Two arc attached TO
each ward (thc second and FOURTH and sixth and
Fourteenth consolidaed) and for Broadway
and the avenues which have but one foreman
These poorly paid men are the hardest worked of
any, not excepting the cartmen and swecpcrs Be-
sides their own work, in tho performance OF which
they travel miles Of territory, many Of them do tho
making out his returns and taking thcm to headquar
tcrs, for some 0remen not very capable oil dong
clerical work themselves.
HALF A LOAF NOT nErrER THAN NO BREAD
AT one period IN 1875 the Appropriation began to
low and they hal 10 alternate week about thus earn
ing but 81 day. most intelligent man among
them when amcnting this reduction to friend, was
told that .Half loaf was better than no bread"
Ab true he replied, "but the loaf itself is so
small tho hall Is almost worse than nothing" He is
now foreman himself and Is able to do and does his
work. There arc estimated Tor, 527 Iaborcrs ut
lwcn.y cents per hour (ognt hours 10 the day, and
averaging, perhaps, three lays III the week. seven
teen scow ,rmmers at 81 SO per day, including sun
W
formerly 81 80 per day. but the late James Lee when
superintendent Of boats, had their wages reduced to
81 30, and gave thcm the privilege Of selling whatever
they could pick on The scows The proceeds OF which
formerly went 10 the contingent fund.
WHAT ARE FOUND AT the puMPs
some OF them make IN this way from SO TO $50 per
week. Jcwelry has been iound and even money, and
more than once dead babies have been picked out Of
the ashes winch had been thrown the ash barrels
bat were not discovered by The drivers. so much
removing ashes In The night time. lnlantcide can
thus be concealed. Then there sixteen watclmen
at The Jumps AT 81 per day, sundays included; three
dump laborers al twenty cents per hour, and three
scowinen at So per day tthc laborers generally make
81 per day, but are not employed Sunday In tho
stables there one superintendent at 81 jUQor an.
mum. Who has a roundsman as assistant and who
does the work. seven bostcrs and ore Waterman ut
s. per day, including sundays; Two horscshocrs at
s3 40 per day, one blacksmith at $40 per week ono
al $40 TWO wheclwrghts aud one bar ncssmaker nj SIS
per day, ana two laborers at twenty cents an hour
Tho carpenters employed IN the shop del allied DO.
ccmcn, aud there arc $40 Italians employed IN un.
loading scows AZ 81 % per day when they work. Tho
tugs cost for repairs ana supplies IN 1876 S. 500 the
scows repairs 81 100, and there paid for hired
scows 800, and tor tugs ST., 800 Two tugs the
L. y Grant and the William Parks, belong to the de-
partmcnt Thcy are thus manned Two captains and
two cugnccrs S1,440 each per annum, and two flre-
mou two dcckhands and two stewards at 800 each.
the STATE
We now come ~ the large stan at Police Headquar-
tcrs at East Seventeenth street FIRST, have
one Inspector Captain John Gunncr) who Is tho OK
of .c nur a fort dut