New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-08-04
NOTHING BUT easy JOBS
NOW COMMISSIONER HAFFEN's MEN
PASS THE TIME.

- NOT DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND WHY THE
.rprErs OF THE NORTH SIDE ARE IN
SIGH A wRETCHED sTATE-IABoRERs
ARE FEW. FoREMEN AND IN
spEcroRs ARE MANY.
r.,ue municipal work Is frequently not carried
9TH as great energy as characterizes private
." -,ses the peculiar laxi.y and s.owness con-
'.s with the maintenance of the streets In the
~, north OF the Harlem River have caused
Vs., complaints by citizens against Commission
Ious F. Haffen who Is at the head OF the De-
,rent OF street improvements for the Twenty
pa md Twenty fourth wards. Mr.. Haffen Is
'n,ca Tammany office-hoder. having been Sc
80 nv Commissioner Purroy candidate
w erect Improvement Commissioner. although
~ ,,d held only subordinate place In one of the
~ denartments and possessed few qualifications
s ,ha important office which he holds His prede-
.or Louis J. Heintz was elected by citizens
e.oOsed 10 Tammany Hail. and while he was alive
Vf,v annropriatons made for public work
a the Harlem Since Mr.. Haffen became
con,ssioner the appropriations made by the Tam
-, BOARD of Estimate and Apportionment have
..,dlv increased until the Board last year appro-
,a,ed sie6 40 for this department. This was an
,n.rease OF $4,000 over the previous year.
r,s main item Of the appropriation is for the
,.,ntenance OF streets. which includes the care
- .,reets already opened and graded. the nlacad-
,,,ng and repairing OF some of the avenues. the
..,ng of cutters and the sprinklng Of the streets.
III, sum OF $4,000 appropriated this year for
,s, work An allowance OF $4,000 also made
o., the care Of sewers and drains. An additional
,,opration OF s6S,250 made for surveying.
~. aying ont Of streets and making Of maps. The
r,.making did not include the work on the final
x,tal map and profiles for the district. special
.,oropration OF SCI 100 being made for this pur
,.e The manner in which these large sums OF
-..v have been expended is OF interest to every
,mayer OF the city. well to all residents
A the Northern district, where the work is car
I'D on.
THE LABORERS ARE FEW.
ne maintenance OF the streets which Is the
,,,cipal work for which the city's money Is ex-
.,aed by Commissioner Haffen. Is especially i'm
,s,ant in the northern wards. where many or the
rrets are unpaved and where a small amount Of
.hr carefully directed and theoretically carried
"A will suffice keep In good order many miles
y Air, roads or OF macadamized avenues which
AZ. no, much used for heavy trucking. Mr.. Half
inns subord!nates, however. selected as they are
largely because of their political Affiliations ana oe
ending for continued employment upon the FAVOR
a, Mr. Purroy and other Tammany leaders are
A, az rule energetic or faithful The larger
mart Of the money granted TO the Department goes
., IN. higher officials and to foremen. inspectors.
n~rs.rs araughtsmen and others. who are carried
IN the rolls at wages larger than those OF an o'u
nary workman The final estimate OF last year
nrovides only for the employment or hi'y 'aoof-
ara az the lowest wages while inspectors iorc'ie"
and other workmen Of that description rcceN'ns
rso Aa day, are so numerous that 1t Is d'fncuit
=. .aa how they can all perform their duties on
,hs limited number Of streets upon which the So"-
missioner does any work. AS In a south America"
amy the number of generals and other onicers
,s so great that it is distinction to De pri'a'e
soldier.
p.nartmen, Is at fremont. Fordham and the nof'n-
.rn and eastern parts OF the Twenty-third "aru.
was,,,g,on-ave one Of the most direct ana most
lave, Of the avenues running north ana south
through the district, has been In a cono''on vi us
saer for months past. a part OF the street II ~,
no by contractors but the Street Department WIN
r.n have been engaged at intervals In laying
-,casauized surface on the avenue Tho rough
,rrss stones were laid several weeks ago on SOME
- ~. blacks near One hundred and-seventy-se'-
eath-st .A.r.
. After the first layer had been put IN p'a,e s..
vas a long delay, which continued "een
vsek The street meanwhile was prac'0a"'
passabIe as light wagons. bicycles ana many 49,
conveyances could with dimcui'y i"ane w"
over the unfinished surface. To conphca'e ina.'e'
ps,byate-ave running parallel and next 70 WASH
,nr,onave -as been In like condition Nahoe'-
blt-ave Is In a rough state ana traihc sou'" "
fremont has been difficult through any OF 'he usua
,horoughfares Westinghouse. residents nave
MADE frequent complaints. but the only excuse OF
me Department has been that it was somewhat o''-
ecu,, 70 obtain the slftings finer stones 10 Dc
nacsd over tho coarser surface already laid. some
~ the material needed has finally been optaihea'
and gang OF workmen has been laying the ma
terial In lesurely way over part OF the avenue
pEcREPIr woRKMEN.
r,. ma, vsrs engaged IN this work near
onshundred and seventy-fourth-st few days ago.
Two forener directed them and saw that they
Nd not !nture themselves by overexert'on. Inc
hbcrers were principally engaged In shoveliins 'he
material brought wagons ana oistrlpu''hs ~
over the rough stones Several OF them were elderly
men who seemed 10 ind II hard to raise shoveis
full OF fine stone. Two Of them were espec'aiiy
decrep,t but their efforts TO spare their insucent
strength were not rebuked by the ioremeh' VINO
conyersed together with utter inoinerehce u III"
proceedings about them. few OF the worKme"
were young out 1t may safely be SAID that none
was too young 10 vote A Tammany iaporer WIFI
out a vote would be Of small use In Commissioner
Haffen's department One little bit Of energy was
shown but this was by the steam roller. which
conscientiously kept at its work or grinoing down
the sfted material into the nerstces OF the rough
stone
A smaller force Of ,aborers was engaged at Frank
lin-ave. Just above One-hundred and-seventy-hfth-
st. Thes, men were at work on that species OF re-
pairing the streets which Is peculiarly popular In
Mr.. Haffen's department 1t was apparently learned
from country roadmakers in New-Engiand' VINO
have a fash on year or scrapins UP from
the cutters OF the roads any sand or soil which
may have accumulated. and placing 1t upon the
middle of the roadway. and thus. as they believe
putting the thoroughfare in better condition
heavy rain renders their work useless but year after
year they adopt the same methods. thereby pay
ing their taxes by working them out on the ROAD.
The Street Improvement Department OF the north
ern wards hires laborers who each year place on
The top OF some OF the rocky roads called avenues
few loads Of soil. which quickly disappear after
neavy rains. They also construct CUTTERS but as
'ney make them from loose stones and build them
only few inches high. the result OF their iapofs
not apparent after few weeks. The need OF