The evening world., 1894-06-13
|CLAUSEN BACKS OUT.
Park Asphalt Walks to Be Laid
by Day Laborers.
He Withdraws the Resolution to Let
II Out to Contractors.
Misuse OF the $1,000, 900 Appro-
priation Is stopped.

There was n very pretty exhibition
of craw-fishing given by the Park Board
st the meeting of the Board Of Esti-
mate and Apportionment to-day.
The meeting was called for the avowed
Intention Of asking the Park Commits
sioners to explain their action taken at
their last meeting. when 1t was decided
to discontinue the days work on the
asphaiting in the park and finish the
work by contract. Here is the resolu-
tion passed by the Park Board:
Resolved. As the emergency for the expenditure
OF money under the One Million Dollar act. Tor
the relief OF the unemployed poor. has practically
ccased. the work Of laying asphalt walks In the
parks which Ia yet to be DONE bo let In the usual
way. by contract.
II carried out, this would have been a
gross miscarriage OF the object Of the
81, 200 appropriation which was to
give work to individuals who were In
want, owing to the existing hard times.
According to the Park Boards own
showing. only $4,000 has been spent.
leaving s55l 900 still at It's disposal. This
money, under the conditions which ac-
companied the appropriation. cannot be
applied to contract Jobs.
The utter failure of the Park Com
mlssioners to carry out the plan for
which the si,OOOOOO was appropriated
has been fully told in 1.-THE Evening
worli," and when the Board boldly
passed the resolution which would di-
vert over half OF the fund from the
pockets OF the needy poor and put Y
In the pockets of contractors, the Board
OF Estimate thought 1t high time to de-
mand an explanation.
That the members Of the Board OF Es-
timate were cooked and primed to rake
the Park Commissioners, fore and aft.
was we'll known before the meeting was
called to order this forenoon
Evidently President Clausen had hear
Of 1t and had been doing some think
At all events. when he and Commits
sioner Bell arrived at the Mayors office.
Mr.. Clausen at once made his way to
conference with him. The result was
that a council of war was held over in
Mayor Gilroy's corner. at which were
present the the n,ms, Mayor, ComptroIer Fitch t
missioner Barker and Park Commission
ers Clausen and Bell.
The confab lasted for fully twenty
minutes. and It was evident that Mayor
Gilroy was urging upon Mr.. Clausen the
necessity Of the Park Board altering Its
plans. That the Mayors arguments
were effective was evident a few min
ates later when the Board OF Estimate
was called to order.
Almost Immediately Mr.. Clausen got
up and said:
concerning % 20 the Si action OF The PARK
Board at It's last meeting. There seems
to be a mistake somewhere. 1t Is not
our intention, nor has It ever been. to
discontinue the work under the $l,00o.-
900 Appropriation act.
I'VE will continue to do the work as
heretofore by days work, and only the
material required for asphalting will be
r1trrrba aad nv contract ~
Then Mr.. Clausen made little bow
and hurriedly retired. The members OF
the Board OF Estimate looked at each
other a little -quizzically. and other
business was taken up.
II was very good exhibition Of hedg-
Ing on the part Of the Park Board, after
its duty had been pointed out by the
course of turning the biggest part OF
the n.000.000 into the hands Of con-
tractors.