New-York tribune., 1882-02-22
SrHEEECLEANING PROEAEMS.


ALDERMAN DUFFY on THE WAR-FATr.
RESOLUTIONS DENOUNCING MIR COLrMAN' D. PART
MFNr AND CoMMENDING TIE FORMER SYST NJ
MIR MARS MAKES THE ADVANCE DEMANDED.
Nacrl.an Duffy Yesterday, at the meeting of the
Board introduced preamble and resolution di-
rectcd especially against the Mayor and street
Cleaning Department. The preamble sets forth
that through the intcIposltlOn of seii-conSt =
tuted interested commit ec of thirty social q
citizens backed by the influence and endeavnT> of
ms Honor William Y. Grace Mayor of the City of
New-Yofk evidently with the sole intention 10 Sc
cure patlonagei. the Legislature OF the state o.
NeN-IoIk was induced 10 create an addlilo al de
partmrnt fOr the government of thus muinclna NV
that of street cleaning 1t is also stated thai the
main reason alleged for Snch creation was that the
Police Department had failed to clean the city prop,
erly duTug the inclclnent weather OF Nso- ana
that the Department of Street-Cleaning had, by
making special contracts to clean portion of me
city, virtually conceded its inability t. cope wl.l
the work htTIsted II, notwithstanding lnCr, aScd
appropriations of money and the favcrahl" wea' her
Ii is declared that the Board o; Aldermen has
viewed with earnest indignation and dtpeca'lon
the action of the contractors Tor street cleaning IN
reducing wages for honest labor by the employment
of a horde of unskilled worknen, " who's only
ability consists III eking our a support from
street refuse which they are supposed 10
collect. thereby reducing labor to "A beggarly
standard in place of an honorable call ng"
The resolution calls upon the Mayor to
exert the authority given him by the law creating
the Sueci-Cleaning Department and compel the
fulflment of the contracts executed under IN, au-
Ihoritv 10 see that fair days work receives fair
days pay III the of the men employed in the
Strcet-Cleaning Department; and on tile failure of
tie contIactO tors to give n0ice 10 them terminate
such contracts. Upon the neglect OF the MaNoT 10
do this within ten days the Clerk OF the Board Of
Aldermen is directed by the resolution 10 prepare
and forward to the Legislature petition IN behalf
ol the Board asking for the repeal of the law
creating the Street leaning Department, and re-
questug that the york be done 10y he Police De
partmcnt, Whose efficiency more than tavOfably
compares with tie new department under the SUI
psrVisicu ol Mavor Grace"
A!dcrmau Roosevelt SAID that the charges against
Dali had ftSnf
lie asked /, the LOard was ready 10 recommend
that the work of cleaning the streets AGAIN be
placed under the control OF "A Board which had
proved Itself notOnously incompetent to perform
the work required.
Alderman Fitzpatrick said that the agitation
which preceded the passag' of tine Street-Clcaning
biIl by the Legislature was artfully worked up.
The people at large were led to believe that
plague Was imminent, and the act was rushed
through the Legislature. The streets al the present
time we're iii "a filthy condition. lie believed III
holding the Nayur and the Committee of / hrty re-
spoIsbC for the failure OF the Strce-Cleaniug De-
parmcnt 10 clean the streets properly. great deal
more mOaey was being spent now than when he
work was done by the Police Commissioners and
he could not see that II was being done any better
Alderman llaweS deprecated the preamble. The
work done hy the Committee of Thirty was one
year old Why 90 back TO censuIe ltY The
committee was not responsible for the manner iii
which the work was being done now. He hoped
that actio would not De taken at present. He de
sired time to examine the preamble and resolution.
Alderman Martin declared that the streets III
very filthy condition and rejected disgrace on
to the action of the contractors in refusing TO pay
decent wages to their employees. He thought that
the city should pay living WAGES TO those who do
it's WORK. Alderman McClavc said that the
principal reason for taking the work OF
street cleaning from the control of the Police
Commissioners was TO secure certain
amount Oi patronage. Under tlie old system the
appointments were divided equally between the Re
puDlIcanS and the Democrats. Within month
after Commissioner Coleman was placed in control
of the department, OF the 400 Republicans only
eight were left III the department and he had been
tod by his Iamniany colleagues that their organ
iZatiOn had received the same treatment.
Finally the preamble and resolution were referred
4 the Commit c Oh Police and Health.
Yesterday morning, when Contractor M1Irs re-
turned 10 the city from the West he instructed his
supenhieudent to pay the strikers - 90 day, the
rate which thcy demanded. Il am compelled TO 10
this said Mr.. Mairs to a TRIBUNE reporter, to
keep the streets clean. Ii is Impossible for Inc TO
neglect this work the men have the advantage OF
me- and therefore yield. | am having few carts
made but have given order for "A large number,
demands of the men SIMPLY rs a makeshlit, until
can have carts of my own made. IL the
7neu earn S3 30 "a day am willing TO pay them at
that rate they will doubtless feel more ike dong
their work thoroughly and efficiently with the in
crease and l expect to continue TO pay 1t perna-
nently."
Before Mr. Mairs arrived in town, several cart
owners in the Twenty-seyenth Precinct ordered
their drivers 10 20 TO work, but when they at
tempted TO do so, they were met by number of the
strikers and told that il would not be for their in
Tefest 10 Interfere with the strike The horses were
then put back III the stables.
Commissioner Coleman yesterday afternoon made
tour oi the streets and avenues the districts for
which Contractors Mars and Walton are RESPONSE
bic. He found a decided Improvement The ashes
were removed and the street dirt was piled up and
In many streets III process of removal.