The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-01-08

las, mentioned four qineials are no, gwen bat. We
presume, are at the same rate as those OF Others Of
The payroll Of saIsried officials exclusive OF gang.
men, mp IN tho estimates Of the department. for
1875 500, $780, and this is payable In good and
bad weather alike, whether work be done OF
no. Your committee has obtained and annexes hereto
list Of the patriots who kindly serve as foremsn and
gangmeu, together with the occupations with whion
they their leisure hours Time would TAIL ia
I describe them alb; few instances must suico. One
| is a merchant, mepiber OF downtown drm throa
stable one IL barber another baker, and ineen-
uousiy describes himself as q Speculation How long
leo Commissioners were doing the street cleaning OF
this city as private conIractors' Not one hour.
without mentioning names tnis sdmssion mas oscn
II DO remembered here that the department has al us
disposal number OF officers who, TOO old for active
patrol duty invaded In the service, must DC aud
are provided for at public expense aud who are ad.
mrably calculated 10 All the positions now occupied
by the lazy drones above described. Not one Of them
is detailed for SO much for our first charge
LABOR BADLY UTILIZED
Now as TO labor Common iaborers are PAID ~ u o
Of 81 81 per day OF eight hours scowmsn. 81 so
per day cartmen with cart and horse IS - per day
sTsa So" We take " the estimates Of ~ the de.
Observation-Disclosures the Board OF ApPortionment.nas
fixed tho appropriation Tar below these est,mates-as
judgment OF the Police Board regards as absolutely
This labor payroll Is thus classified
500 laborers, 50 80 per week. $249 600
1925 car,men, 50 70 per ss9, 500
SO gungmep, s12 per week ................. 81 200
so p. D. drivers. $40 SO per week..... 800. 1880
so machoe and watw cart drivers. sl2 per
10 waicnmen al dumps, So per diem ...,.... 1850
S scSw a. aS%ps g. 90
1t Is somewhat peculiar fact that, although IN
their written answer 10 our questions the Commits.
sioners acknowledge that only seventy per cent Of
ordinary force is employed during the interval
when street sweeping Ia prevented BY snow and frost
and Its resumption IN the spring, yet in the above cs
innate they demand amounts equivalent In the
OF laborcrs, scowmen, eangmen and Police Department
drivers v wages for days. labor Ia every week
through the entire year, and the other Glasses Of
laborers including hired cartmen. to wages for seven
days labor in each week throughout the entire year
No allowance seems to be made for bad weather or
diminuson Of force during the winter mouths.
There no neccssy for US 10 dwell on the class OF
men pl0yed aborers by the department.. Any
taxing the trouble to notice first gang OF street
sw eepcrs he may meot will DO struck by the wretched
ana ieoblc condition OF the men. Few among them
capable Of exeruon necessary do uil days
work, and hardly one could command any private
situation requiring strength or address So, o0 with
tho carts and cartmen both are badly, very badly
qualified render honest work.
The wages paid the swcepers grossly In OF
what they could command elsewhere The Commas
sioners, in course OF conversation on the Brown
tract said to your committee that tho reason Brown
made much out Of contract was that he only pad
same wages?' We asked AUST come in here was
the reply, 'sand attempt TO lower the wages Of these
men 10 lcngthcn tho number OF hours IN their day
and how long you would remain, and how pleasant
IL would be made Tor you while you stayed" And
this admission was coupled with tho acknowledgment
that tho abvrers in question were as alleged by
committee poor miserable objects, hardly able, in
mary instances, TO stand without the support Of
their br0oms and hoes
Your committee submits that no further proof is
OF the labor employed and OF the undue amount OF
wages paid therefor 1t would simply call attention
wages ' we mean not to exceed ss 900 per month,
saving OF tbirty-sevea per cent w0nld be vt once
Effected In this item OF the estimates alone.
APPOINTMENTS BY THE BUREAU.
Now, how are the appointments IN the Street Clean
ing Bureau made One OF our first questions TO the
Department was this
men and gangmen were appointed giving names A. Tue
incubation clerks employed many been
IN the service ay years as TO and dnmp nspec
d.rion Of reputable citizens who have vouched for their
The archives OF the department do not enable us to
give the names Of the gentlemen recommending the
several such employees and II they did we should be
out the assent Of those gentlemen.
Should your committee permit itself to indulge IN
conjecture rather than exact iacts the names of the
reputable gentlemen aforesaid would present them
selves with but litte research.
The department is equally non committal as to the
calling and occupation OF these officials They say,
$50 lar this department has any knowledge they
tho forcmen and gangmen) did not exercise any
their duties IN the street Cleaning Department"
The fact Island IL Is as we'll recognized the daily
rising OF the sun-that these appointments are in the
OF those VINO rule the so-caled politics OF this
msgoverned city, arc looked upon properly belong
maQo
MUIR at the character and fitness OF the nominee. no
matter what that character and fitness may be. THIS
has been acknowledged TO members OF your commit.
Ice by hosc IN position TO know all the facts in the
case with influences OF detail and particularly
Of incident that leave no room tor doubt.
So with the employ mont Of aborors your committee
ask
O. Describe tho system OF appointments to in your
department BY when are sSorers engaged and on whose
A. Laborers are appointed or employed by The Commits
soners mostly upon tho recommendation ct reputable
finding them the means tor the support OF their families
CHOICE
Here the reputable citizen makes his appearance
again, still modestly yelling his lace. But may be
news to him, as 1t certainly was to your committee,
that MS praiseworthy humanity has been able TO
transform an organization intended to clean streets
into charitable bureau for employment of paupers
ing has absolutely no choice whatever In the
selection OF his men. They come 10 him with
uenco that no - forced whatever hts opinion OF the
candidate, to enroll him forthwith Hcre 10 tie plague
spot OF our municipal administration the root Of the
disease that Is sappng our very lie as city.
Behind these gentSmcn IN tho Police Board stands
a power which forcesthem to employ men whom they
know and acknowledge 10 be unt for their places; 10
make places for others who render work In return
for the money which hey draw 10 hire aud discharge
reference TO capability or the quality OF guam
tity OF The work done or 10 DO DONE
Is IL right, Is II honest for them TO submit? Have
they no duties TO those who providothe means. as
well AS TO those whose influence g.vos them the POSI-
lions they hold Are they not, IN acquiescing silently
system which they OF all men know TO be corrupt
mcnt 10 the deriment Of the public good? In the
judgment OF your committee there can DO but one au
swer TO this question.
From this wicked system OF political patronage this
barter OF Office ana employment for corrupt ends,
grow all the evils of which as taxpayers have TO
complain Why 60 further into details and recount
utresh the system or want Of system which sweeps
street and piles up the drt aays before
the carts are ready 10 remove II; winch makes
regular provision OF vessels 10 carry away
refuse and gives THIS excuse for the nccumuia-
Of fostering garbage In the open street; winch
material which, II properly utilized. would yield
large revenues 10 tho city coners which, not content
with this waste, casts alter II handiuis OF money IN
payment for the privilege OF giving what should
rather DO eagerly sought at remunerativc prices;
which makes effort to separate garbage from ashes,
aud out that such separation rs an impossibity
which, in one word, is lavish in demand, rich in ex
cusc, utterly wanting In performance. so long US tho
present appointing and employment system continues
40 VIII OH siracia remain QIlhY money