New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-01-27
THE CITY DEEP IN SLUSH.
A CONFERENCE WITH CITY OFFICIALS
ACTION TO. DE TAKEN AT ONCE TO RESCUE THE
STREET CLEANING DEPARTMENT FROM THE

ACTION TO. DE TAKEN AT ONCE TO RESCUE THE
STREET CLEANING DEPARTMENT FROM THE
sLOUGH-TO TRY THE BLOCK SYSTEM.
Tho horrible condition OF the streets OF this city
almost every thorouehare chokcd In the filth and ,h
streets and lined with disgusting array, ~
garbage barrels and ashcans full OF r0tiing ref.
has at last been brought TO the attention OF The CITY
authorities. TO Mrs. Francis p. Knn.cutt aud he,
colleagues Of the Ladies' street Cleaning Auxiliary N
due the credit Of forcing the maladorous subject upoo
the Mayor and heads OF departments As result n
their energetic presentation Of the fHghtful facts
conference was held yesterday In the Mayors ou,es
and the garbage problem was considered. At Mayer
Gllroy's invitation there were present Proesso,
Charles F. Chandler, Colonel Francis Y. Greene ana
David n. King, jr., OF exMayOr Grants ADVISOR
Commission: Mrs. Francis p. Kinnieutt and Nm
Richard Irwin Of the Ladies' Society. together With
Commissioner Brennan. his private ecTetary, Edward
+. Mccarthy, and Mr. BrcnDans cleven district sup.,
intcndents. two hours session held with cos<
doors.
Nobody would tell what happened 10 the Mayer.
private Office but II there Is any tfnth In The rumor
which escaped tlerefrom Mayor Groy read the RIA
act" to the street-cleaRing officials. lie tod than
that the appropriation for STRENGTHENING had bean
most liberal and that ample force Of men had been
authorized. II they unable to do the work and
meet public expectation the best thing they could d.
would be to vacate the places they incompetent
to ill and let somebody with more energy and sklu
succeed them. The Mayor gave them notice that
each man OF the district superintendent would DO held
10 rigid personal accountability for his territory
and that future inefciency would be followed By dis
missa
After the conference the Mayor said that remedy
for the bad condition OF the streets hal been care.
fully and earnestly discussed and that full inter.
try the block SYSTEM AMI he SAID that IL should hive
a fair trial. The district which should be cleaned
by this yscI should embrace the territory between
Twelfth and Fifty sts., and run from river to
river. There were. all told, l,320 sw"epers in the
street Cleaning Department. Not less than $50 q
these would be necessary TO put the block system
In operation in the district decided upon. This would
leave only $40 swecpcrs for the rest OF TIE city. But
Sweeping machines wCuli be used in other parts Of
the city. The Mayor said that he had ordered Mr.
BicDnon to set the new plan in motion forthwith
Each cleaner would have a street, Of about 10
feet TO keep clear.
The Mayor said that the Funklit bill discussed.
Professor Chandler and his associates Of the Advisory
Commission opposed to this bill, because II puts
an end to the civil service In the street Cleaning
Department AMI makes every rmplOye the rolls
abject creature OF the Tammny leader Of his dis
Iict. II abOlishes the monthly salary Of $50, and
allows each OF the 1000 drivers and sweepers ~
day, or twenty-five cents hour The ingenious
reason given Is that the men will be paid only for
the time they actually maze. and when the weather
will not admit OF labor or the sick they eau
ba laid OIL thereby saving the city a great deal
OF money Tho real PURPOSE, however, is TO place
the men entirely ir the power Of the Tammany Bosses
The Mayor said nnoccntly, that he srew nothing
shout the measure beyond what he had In the
newspapers, and Commissioner Brennan in an un.
guarded moment admitted yesterday III Mr.. Plunktts
Till introduced with the full approval OF the city
authorities
Professor Chandler emphatic IN his dcnunela-
Of the bill. III II becomes law he said, 1t
Will demoralize the entire system prepared By the
Advisory Commission What need Is the general
adoption OF the block system
Inquiry yesterday developed the fact that ont Of
the $4,000 appropriated for removing and Ice
for the year only s3,402 6: had been used. accord
Ing TO the Controllers figures. but II Is possible that
rs much rs one-fourth Of the appropriation in this
almost unprecedented emergency has been expended.
The reason that small sum was drawn upon, In
the face OF the terrible condition Of the streets, Is
because the the regular pay roll have been
working on the snow Nothing really has been done
In the way Of getting rid Of the rsflse The De
work upon the streets from one end OF the cy
to the other has been prctence pure and simple:
Yesterday only twelve or fourteen OF the deparr
menis bumpers were reported capable OF Use: ~
many instances where Investigation mas been maze .uS
to be- unfounded. There 10 be no Suincent
reason why the most ef the ashes and garbage now
denling the streets should not have been removed
The snowscarc' seems TO have been made the CLOAK
for covering the most ptihll and indefenslbls lnem'
cheney within the memory OF the Oldest inhabtant
The inefiiciency Of the department is most forcibly
md painfully demonstrated TO the many iHu,anas
who are Obliged to Westst. IL any one believes
hat the department Is doing has done all II can
hat belief will be annihilatc by journey through
part of West-st. and that belief viii give way 10 .
firm conviction that the department has done aD
solntcly nothing make West-st tit p!ace Tor
bumnn beings travel In. afoot otherwise >es'er
day this busy thcrougare crowded. to rs unlost
On the sidewalks there WIS thick c9t'ns
of mud that made walking dangerous and uncom'
Portable The most skllfll pedestrians frequently
lost their footing. No attempt was made - remove
Inc great heaps OF snow and mud lining both SIDES
OF the street In piles about three feet high. Nothing
has been done to make the crossings clean. They are
covered q foot and In some places. with slusl
and water. II impossible Yesterday To Walk
two blocks on the West-st. sidewalks without wens
ones feet unless neebOOts worn. side streets
are I'm exactly the same condition rs West-st