The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-03-21

THOUSAND DOLLARS YIELDING TO Fofo-
LAR cLAMoR"
Tho recent report OF the Municipal Reform Asso-
citation the abuses Of the Street CIeaning Depart
ment and the contemplated change by which the
street cleaning be given again into the hands OF
contractors have once more called popular attention
to this point bets nofre OF the city govern
ment Will 1t be a cnange Tor the better or Tor the
worse? people naturally ask. The HERALD. which ale
WAYS gives two sides Of every story, yesterday
Afforded an opportunity to the Police Commas
sioners to explain the charges made against tnem
in the report already referred to and with that Wow
the writer sent to Police Headquarters II s no
easy matter however nnd these lucky four gentle
who drawing tut salaries from the city treas
ury~ One nearly always ''out of town.: the other
is ''sick" the third gone round tho corner with
some politicians; and the weight OF the department
rests upon the shoulders of the fourth remaining
Commissioner Az the rooms OF the President OF tho
Board, General Smith, IL announced for instance
upon inquiry, that no had left last evening, 'not
feeling WE'LL" while Commissioner Nichols,
who the only Commissioner present
yesterday after two p NJ, frankly stated
that Messra Smith and Wheeler had both gone to
Albany, which seems TO be favorable point and
scoisne vantage" TOR administering the affairs OF
the Police Department AT all events, Mr. Nicnols
was the only Commissioner present al time when
and explanation was to be obtained mad to
come IRON him.
COMMISSIONERS NICHOLS STATEMENT.
"ME Nichols, have you read the last report OF the
Municipal Reform Association"
al have; and, while some Of the statements in 1t
are true, others are altogether wrong l am made to
say by these gentlemen, among other things, That
nobody could afford take the contract Tor street
cleaning never said that What l did say was
fntfn nhn U a
make enormous amount oil money IN II; that ne
woud have figure carefully and DC sharp ana wlde
awake TO come out well at the end
Ills II true that you keep ON hand an enormous
quantity oil DIRT at the dumpsY"
at rs altogether mistake. These gentlemen nave
said that lhere immense quantity vi the sun at
the Twenty-second street dump You so ana see Tor
yourself and II you lind CARLOAD therc III give you
a new hat suppose am uslntcrested Judge OF
the question whether or not these gonlemsn are
pi'tn INTO US OF mstters N when We are
Justly liza 10 TO blame but 40 not ike 10 be misrep-
resented IN what say or 40"
THE STREET CLEANING CONTRACT.
show about The contract Tor Tho street cleaning
which II ~ proposed 70 give OUR"
"wcl, caanot tell you anything new ABOUT u;
Tho single bid which received mas been referred
TO the Corporation Counsel to obtain HIS Vows as to
whether we can legally award the contract TO the
Didder"
Ills i. your opinion that the bid will be accepted.
II cannot tell YOU as have had opportunity TO
confer with tho members oi the Board who are
away. General Smith anu Mr.. Wheeler are both IN
Aro they there n reference to the street cleaning
businessf"
"tney have gone thore to give some explanation in
reference TO The police Insurance iund"
rs II true that the Commissioners nave been ex-
erllng influence al Albany against every measure
to lake the street cleaning out OF their HANDS ?"
mo, sir; we have not done any ihlng oil the Sort
We are wiling thai the work should be done by those
who do It cheapest aud best We are making TINS
change only 10 yield TO the popular desire and because
It rs thought ina; contractors clean the streets
cheaper and better than wa eau"
s.Why should contractors be able to clean them
more cheupy ~
swell they may have superior advantages with ref
crence dsposng OF the stuG These contractors, TOR
instunce nave hoard, have quite extended water
trout some where the city and they the
dirt 10 make their land while we have TO pay to
have It taken away they may be able 70 DO the work
THE SAVING TO THE CITY.
Then you think ny giving out the contract saving
Eyes, there may be q saving TO The city OF about
500, 600 The contract would oe moro profitable, Of
course we could give " for year. but We have
l0niy power award II for the street cleaning from
April To January oil next year. and the carts and
buy might cost thdm perhaps $780, 00 We propose
sell them the carts and otnsr necessary material for
about $42, 000."
ais l. not most singular that onIy bid for this
fat contract was rec.ived by the CommissonersY''
swell, not every man ~ New YORK can enclose .
certified check tor forty ODD thousand dollars with his
bid offer surety TO the amount Of $500, OOO and
then the fact that we can only award the contract or
nine months must have discouraged bdders."
A political friend OF the commissioner who was
present during last portion oi the inlevew here
ventured the opinlon that II would not be legal 10
aw ard the contract a In which there only
Que bid. The Commissioner, however, was non-c com.
| INITIAL ON this point and ouly SAID, with shake vi
| the head, that 'he didn't KNOW"
| ''some people think there was some undsrhanded
business about the UiddiDg.
"a here undernanded business whatever
about ~" Mr. Nichols enefgeticaly rep!ied II give
you my word OF honor thas dont even know Mr.
Ripley anybody interested In the contract Ny sight.
know Mr. Sioney Dillon by reputation"
| ..Wnat measures will be taken that the
| tractors clean tho streets properly
'.You may rest assured that there will be non-
sense about TING. These gentlemen. II they resolve
and II they 10 tho slightest particular neglect do SO
we shall very quickly take measures 10 abrogate It,"
NV III the contractors adopt the block system lately
| introduced by the Police Department.
SWELL they have told ,nemselves that our streets
have been cleaned better by tho now plan thar they
were under the old, and should not wonder, there
| lore, ii they adopted IT,
0superannuated policemen will still supervise the
swcepers ~
On yes as lar as the super vision is concerned the
Will not rcl.x its vigilance the least,
may depend upon that"
CORNERSTONE Nichols ended this disj oiDted in.
tcrvicw when took place partly between the pauses
OF numerous TRIALS OF delinquent policemen ana partly
In gong tho stars from the Trial room and tar
rying tue landing, and hurried away with mis- walt
CAPTAIN GUNNER on THE cosrRAcr
Chief Inspector Gunner was next questioned In ref
crcnco To tho contract He SAID that spec ncat
WOULD nave 20 os pr1parea snow,n h 'av streets
whether twice three times or only once week. He
thought that the saving TO the city would be about
xlUO 600 this contract CapIvin Gunner had heard
that the bidders had an excluded water front and
meant 10 use the dirt Tor filing 1t up The contrac-
tors would have ceau city 10 begIn their opcra IONS
upon, he did not believe that The streets would DO
| auy cleaner than under the Police Department. 1t
was only yielding to popular camor TO make tho pres
cnange. captain Gunner the new block system
still IN operation all the avenues and priuctl al
cross streets, and that yesterday II mad been intro
duccd the entire Tenth ward for the
| that this was the dirtiest ward IN the CITY.
THE VANDERBILT WILL.