The morning call., 1892-01-05
THIRTY MEN LET GO.
Park Lab0rerS the Victims of
Fancy Improvements.
3cnmissicnez Hammond Does Net Wish the
Park Made a Place of Pension or Hes
pital-C Contemplated improvements.

The discharge of thirty labOrers from
Golden Gate Park by Superintendent
McLaren on Saturday has caused con-
siderable talk, and the dismissal Of the men
from their employment in midwinter with
families on their hands is a general source
of regret
1t is thought strange that out Of the extra
large appropriation OF $4,000 enough money
was not set aside for the maintenance labor
ers. On investigation it was found that the
carrying on of a great number OF I'M
pTovements. thereby causing the necessity
of letting out private contracts Tor the
work, made such a large drain on the fark
Fund that the usual amount for labor was
not appropriated, and liz consequence the
men were made TO suffer.
Many of the men are deserving and
acknowledged to be good wurkmen, yet
owing to a lack Of funds in the middle Of
winter they are thrown out OF employment
IT WAS A NECESSITY.
Superintendent McLaren was asked yes
teTday in regard 10 the discharge OF the
men. He said he regretted having been
compelled TO let them 60 but 1t was ne
cessity. Some months ago, he said, sixty
extra labOrers were employed Tor making
the boulevard on the great highway facing
lie ocean. HIS HIS DGGu 6ldNNQ 1tlA
macadamiz5d the full length OF the width
Of the park-a6OUt a half-ml.e. his I'm
iShed the work as mapped Out here Tor the
year. Consequently, II became necessary
10 let some of the men 90.
lie Knew il was hard, but it had to be
done. lie selected those he thought he
could best do without None Of the regular
hands were discharged, all the old men
being retained. Not one of those dis
charged had been employed more than two
months during the year, but were simply
extra men. He did not know how much
the laborers owned, all ne required being
good work. There are still rs men EN-
ployed at the park and Will be 10 carry out
the work on hand.
Theusual payroll is about 100 men, There
would be 10 necessity OF employing any more
during the year, on account OF the condition
of the funds. The following are the names
Of the men who were made the victims OF
Improvements:
William Carr, Pat Whelan. NJ Ryan. George
Flynn, ". PdulSen, L. SummeTyiile, l. sullivan,
klugOn, James Duny, L McNeagh, Charles
Cregan, A Gillespie, =. O'COnuOr. {. Rode, /.
Rice, P. Scuily, ". Brown, p. MuLsky /.
SlueS, ". Butler Chris Reese, L. Lamar, w.
MelancoTd ana T. Costello.
FUNDS HAD BECOME Low.
Asked regarding the discharges Park
Commissioner Hammond said lie desired 10
take a strong position.
u want men for the park" ne said. who
viii do a good days work for 3 %. L pre-
fer young men to old and men VINO have
not been IN the army u those who have II
inGapactated for work. All things being
equal l would give the preference TO the
army men, but l do not desire 10 make the
park a place Of pension, nor hospital. We
are responsible for the peoples money and
it would be absurd for Us to spend $4,000
for labor when contractor would 90 1t Tor
$4,000. We must get the value for our
money and l want the park run on business
Ny policy has always been to make the
best show with the least money, and as one
Of the cUstodians Of the Park Fund. do
moi feel It within my privilege or duty TO be
sWayed by any sentiment, and so l have
declined for the past two years to make any
appointments whatsoever IN the park, but
hold the Superintendent responsible Tor the
economical performance OF Improvements :;
and so holding him responsible permit him
10 make every appointment and discharge,
with explicit Instructions to make the best
showing for the money, 10 get the best
labUTer without regard to politics, religion
or nationality.
"Our funds growing low it becomes nee
essary 10 call a halt, and some labOrers had
to 20 Tie Superintendent discharged
those he thought he could best spare. We
Cuu.d not leave our contract work hall
finished, and therefore we could not draw
Oh those funds SO set aside.
DESIGNED IMPROVEMENTS.
The improvements designed by the COM
mission which resulted in less money hav-
ing been set aside for the wOrkiugmen are
as follows: New lake, $50, coo; improving
chldTen's gu aTteTs. $1,000; aYiary, $4,000;
new bridge, $1,000; water pipes, 5000;
observatory for Tie beach, $1,000. In all
almost $4,000 was appropriated for inl-
pToyements, to carry out which less was set
aside for the iaboTer, the following being
the sums: Boulevard $1,000. all gone;
mountain lake $780, all gone; walks and
drives, almost all spent. The remainder Of
tile Park Fund WAS set aside for main
tenance.
Park Commissioner Austin thought that
the subject OF laborers in the park was
hard one to deal with. The Commissioners
had had 50 much trouble that they had
given the Superintendent the power to ap-
point and Discharge men, and con sidered
him responsible. As Commissioner he did
not know WHO was discharged, but knew
that some of the labOTers had to 90 on ac-
count Of the funds growing low, there being
too many large private contracts 10 be
carried out.