III
PATRONAGE JOURNAL

An act of the last legislature was so ambiguously drawn as to leave room for doubt whether a certain piece of work was to be done under the Department of Public Works or the Department of Parks. On this ground an order of the Common Council that the Departmnt of Works should proceed with it was vetoed by the Mayor. Early in the session of this year a bill was introduced giving the settlement of the question to the Common Council, the effect of which it is presumed would be to give it to the Departmnt of Works. In the public discussions of the matter nothing appears but a wish to get a highway made as soon and as economically as possible and that in making it some of the great number of laborers lately thrown out of work may be soon employed.

The Bill had rapidly passed to a third reading in the Assembly, a large majority favoring it, when during the period of a Sunday adjournmnt I met one of its members in the Park Commissioners’ Office. His business was to procure appointmnts for a few men. After accomplishing it he was asked why the Assembly was so ready to pass the bill. He replied: “It’s because the members think that the Commissioner of Works will treat them better than your departmnt in the matter of appointments.” As he went out another member came in on the same business. The question was soon put to him and he answered in almost the same words. Meeting a third, I explained to him that the passage of the bill without some amendment would incidentally prevent a most desirable improvement. “Oh! I see”, he said, “but the fact is nobody’s thought of anything but the patronage.” At the request of the President I called on the Commission of Works and urged him in the interest of the city to have a slight amendment made in the bill before its passage. In reply he said, “Mr Olmsted you know very well that this is a fight for patronage.” Two days afterwards [655] the Comptroller spoke with me about going to Albany to oppose the bill. In doing so, he used the identical words of the Commissioner of Works. “This is a fight for patronage.”

The lobby of the Park Board Room is every morning filled with men, mostly mechanics, armed with letters from legislators and politicians, seeking employment; in an inner room there are always some of their patrons waiting their turn to see one of the Commissioners; I seldom enter the Commissioners’ room that I do not find one or two engaged in pleading the duty of the Department to provide employment for those who are out of work. It is claimed that there were never so many men out of work before in the city; never so much distress for want of employment. At the same time there are two trades on strike, one for higher wages and one to prevent anyone in it from working over eight hours a day. The latter (the Stair builders threaten (says the Times of this morning) not to handle any stone that has been dressed out of the city by men working 10 hours day).

Coming here on the cars this p.m. President Wales said (to Mr Bacon), “The constant pressure of politicians for employment urged as it is now on the ground that men are starving for want of work, forces us to do a good many things that I can’t think right and that trouble me a good deal. I’m strongly tempted sometimes to resign. We are getting stone now for filling at a cost of a dollar a load, when we might get it I’ve no doubt by contract at 50 cts. The only reason we don’t is because of the pressure upon us to give employment to the owners of the carts.”

I was dining with a friend on a Sunday evening ten days ago when a messenger came to say that the President of the Dept had been to my house and wished to see me at once on business of importance. Calling on him I found that Col —, a leading republican member of the Assembly, had been to see him and had represented that a certain bill affecting the interests of the Dept of Parks was likely to pass the Assembly the following night and he wanted that I should go with him on the train to Albany the next morning in order that I might supply him with argumnts which he could use to defeat it. I agreed to call on the Colonel early the next morning, prepared if he thought it necessary, to go with him—and did so. Our interview was had in a public [656] room of a hotel. I gave him at once the key to the only argumnt that he was at all likely to use effectively but said that it appeared to me that the bill having passed to a third reading it was too late to prevent its passage in the Assembly. He acknowledged this and that it was not necessary that I should go with him but assured me that he would defeat it in the Senate and even if by any arts and combinations he should not be able to do so the influence he had with the Governor would secure its veto. This assurance he gave me so loudly, vehemently and oratorically as to attract general attention which was evidently gratifying to him, so that when I rose to leave, he also stood up and in still louder and more vigorous language than before assured me of his confidence that he would be able to defeat the upholders of the measure in the Senate. “We’ll whip ’em Sir, yet; Rely upon it Sir; They stole a march upon me in the Assembly but I’ll whip ’em in the Senate, Sir, I’ll whip ’em out of their boots; out of their boots, Sir!”

Today the Senate Committee on Cities met to hear argumnts in regard to the bill. It was to be apprehended that if it passed without amendment, Riverside Avenue would have to be constructed according to a plan on which it had originally been laid out and which I had satisfied the Departmnt of Parks was most objectionable. I was present, therefore, under their instructions to show by plans, diagrams, sections & comparative tables the great advantages which a change of plans such as was not contemplated in the bill would secure to the city.

The first to address the Committee was the same Colonel—who had with so much warmth & eloquence made himself the champion of the Park Dept at the hotel. He first stated that a delegation of working men was present, one of whom would represent their views and wishes. For himself he had opposed the bill when it was before his house as he had then thought it better that the jurisdiction of the Avenue should be with the Department of Parks, but he found the working men thought differently. He had listened to their arguments and was converted by them to the opposite conclusion. He came before the Committee therefore to urge the immediate passage of the bill. I was very curious to know what argumnt had effected so rapid & complete a change. The Commissioner of Works, the President of the Park Commissioners, a gentleman representing an association of Taxpayers and two gentlemen representing the property holders near the line of the Avenue successively addressed the Committee and I laid the plans before them and explained them.

The Workingmen’s spokesman then came forward and began his speech by arguing that none of those who had before spoken had any claims to be heard. Who were the taxpayers whom the gentleman said that he represented? In the end all taxes came out of the earnings of the working man. As for the owners of property on the Avenue whom another gentleman spoke for; it was, he believed, three miles long and if they owned all the property on it they must be rich enough. If they wanted an Avenue there, they might [657] have put their hands in their pockets and got it made long ago and not waited for the legislature to do anything. A lot of plans had been shown to the Committee. The people did not want plans; they wanted work; the men who had been making all their plans might have been better employed at something else and the money they had cost, would have been better spent if it had been paid to working men. The question was how were the people to be provided with work; who would give them the most and who would give it to them the quickest. Now he had had an experience which settled that question. He had been with a delegation of his Association to the President of the Park Commissioners and asked him to put ten men at work. The President gave him tickets for five and said he could not put more on without the consent of the other Commissioners of the Department. The same day they went to the Commission of Works and he put on ten men for them right off without consulting anybody. It was evident then that the Park Commissioners had to get together and consult before they could put men on, but the Commissioner of Works could go right ahead and put on men as fast as they came. All that the Commissioner of Works needed was that the legislature should give him the work to do. Therefore the people demanded of the legislature to let him have it without wasting any more time about plans or about what taxpayers or property holders wanted.

{This be it noted was the argument by which a legislator—a leading republican—had been led to change his views.}

Mr. Hawkins when about to address the Commission on Cities yesterday, was asked whom he represented. He replied that he represented an association of 50 gentlemen who were among the largest taxpayers of New York. He told me that he represented the Council of Political Reform. He is engaged to serve the Dept of Parks by its Committee on Legislation, but the Dept. not being authorized by law to employ a legislative agent; it is stipulated that he shall demand no payment for his services. So he told me.

Tonight we spent three hours (Hawkins & I) with Senator Wood, my business being to give him as complete a knowledge as possible of the topographical conditions affecting the question of a plan, and as complete an understanding as possible of the two plans of Riverside Park and Avenue, and Mr Hawkins’s business being to ground him strongly in other respects with a view to his speaking in the Senate for the Park Dept. In the course of conversation he said, “The difference between the two departments is this: If a man who is running for the legislature thinks that to make his election sure he must obtain employment for fifty men he goes to Dept of Works and says so; ’Certainly’ —would be the reply—’very happy to accommodate you’, and the men would be put on—of course with the understanding that the favor was [658] to be reciprocated. That’s what makes that Dept so strong here. The same man would go to the Departt of Parks and make the same request. What would be the answer? ’No, Sir! this Department never has gained its ends by such prostitution and it never will. It will be governed in its appointmnts by no considerations except those of the strictest economy.’ ”

A friend of the Commissioner of Works said to me: “Hawkins is here for Green. Green wants to be Mayor of New York and he wants the Park Dept to get this work because he thinks he can use its patronage to help him.” Tonight, Hawkins, talking to Senator Wood, said: “Van Nort has got it into his head that he can be mayor of New York and he thinks that if he can get control of this work it will give him a chance at some critical time to give employment to a thousand men more or less, which may be enough to turn the scale in his favor.”

Wood

At Albany—

A bill was before a Committee of the Senate which it was desired to defeat. A senator of the highest standing was consulted about it when I was present. He took up the list of the Committee and reading the names said without lifting his eyes.

“A. can be bought with patronage

B. can be bought with patronage

C. will vote as—says.

D. well; possibly, an argumnt on the merits would get him.

E. He is close - you can’t tell what he will do.”

A friend [Mr Wales] remarked to me today that one of the Commissioners [Williamson] had said to him: “The Riverside matter is not of so much consequence in itself as it is in the effect it may have on the disposition of patronage.”

Bogart tells me that a Sunday paper [Mercury] says that Green regards it as possible that he may be so hard pressed to retain himself in the Comptrollership that it will be better that he makes a compromise and giving up his present office take the head of the Park Dept. Hence he is using every means to increase & hold patronage with that Dpt. B. says he several times heard this alledged by members of the legislature, while in Albany.

President Wales having returned from Albany said—“Assemblyman—was on the car and I had quite a talk with him. I tried to stir him up to look at the matter from a higher plane but he could see nothing but the patronage. He asked why we could not give him a few more men. I said ’well now you ought to take a different view of this matter. It’s a question of the interests of the city—’ ’I don’t know that, said he, ’I guess the interests of the city are about as safe one way as another. What I look at is how the poor men are going to be taken care of.’ ”

[47: 347] Dr W. De F. Hay, Sanitary Superintendent of Board of Health, examined by Committee of Investigation of Legislature regd to Street cleaning, testified that he did not think the business of removing ashes & garbage could be done worse.—have always had the impression that the men employd in street cleaning were not proper men as a class; that they were taking a little gentle exercise for their health when at work; generally aged & infirm & their actions very deliberate. Should not employ such men to do my private work unless as an act of charity. Times. March 3d 1874

At this time, as I am informed by the President (D.P.P.) an eminent politician [Green ] and one upon whom this Dept. is much dependent for success in its purposes, is laboring with the Commissioners to induce them to remove a man who first became my assistant more than ten years ago. He has been with me in three different works and has always occupied positions of trust & confidence. He has been in his first position under the D.P.P. two years and there is not another man in its employment who has been more efficient in the duties assigned him; who has worked harder, more faithfully more discreetly or by whose discretion and skill the Department has more directly profited. There is not another whose loss it would be more difficult to make good. The President some months since expressed the opinion to me that his pay was less proportionately to the value of services rendered than that of any other man and said that he would propose an increase of it. He failed to do so however.

The only reason assigned by the politician for his demand is that he is a near relative of a man who has publicly criticized both himself and the Department. The President told me that this demand was urged so frequently [660] & so strongly upon members of the Board that he thought it very probable that they would yield to it.

Later

Later (same day) Another member of the Board spoke to me on the same matter. He said that he was informed that the relative above referred to was employed as the attorney of another department the interests of which were opposed to those of the D.P.P.

I could not see any reason in this circumstance why the Park dept should deprive itself of the services of a very valuable servant—“Suppose then” said the Commissioner, “that you were told that the attorney obtained information through him which he might use to our disadvantage, what would you say?”

“Has anyone told you so?”

“Never mind that. What would you say if told so?”

“I should say I did not believe it.”

“Why not?”

“Because aside from any question of good faith on his part I don’t see how he could know anything which is not public property or which could be used to your disadvantage.”

“But suppose you were assured that such information had gone from here and could have gone only through him what would you do about it?”

“You mean, if I were you would I not dismiss him? No, I would not. I would tell him the facts, say that he might have been indiscreet and that I hoped he would be cautious how he answered inquiries about the business of the Dept.”

“But suppose his dismissal were asked for by a politician who could give us a great deal of trouble?”

“Asked for on the ground that he was suspected of giving information that he should not?”

“Yes.”

“I can only say that there are some things which can be bought at too high a price.”

“That is true.”

A contracting mason whom I lately employed to do some work on my own house today told me that since January he had estimated on over $300,000 worth of work, which had been given up because it could not be done at lower rates than he offered. He said that there were thousands of mechanics now idle in the city because capitalists would not build at present rates of cost of building, and he complained that a chief cause of these excessive rates was the course pursued by the city in supporting a large number [661] of lazy men at high wages who were the chief cause of the refusal of their trades societies to work more than eight hours a day or at moderate wages. He said that the President of two of the Trades Societies were employd as foremen on the park; giving me the name of one [John Tuomy [Tuamy] foreman of Masons & President of Stone Masons Society]. The Park Dept were now paying $4.24 per day of eight hours. He could engage men at $3, and as many as he might want of the best class at $3.50. But even at the higher wages he added, “your men don’t do half a fair day’s work. I met with three other builders who like myself have now almost nothing to do and spent three hours on your work a few days since, watching the men with watches in our hands. We saw a man stand with a pointed trowel set holding it by his left hand and doing nothing. It was 23 minutes by the watch before he put his right hand to it. We saw {men} in a place where they were pretty well hidden who were talking together for two hours without doing a stroke of work. There were many men who did not in three hours do more than 5 percent of the work that should have been required of them. I am sure that your Departmnt although it is paying more than a fair day’s wages can not on an average get 50 percent of a fair day’s work.”

On the 26th Jan. 1874, it appears by the Minutes that the Board: “Resolved that a Committee of three be appointed by the chair, with power to make such statemnts and explanations as may be found necessary in all cases where legislation is meditated by the legislature and having reference to this Dept.”

Since then the bill has been every week under discussion & some representatives of the Department have been almost constantly in Albany to influence legislation—as follows —

The President - 3 times

Commissioner Williamsn

Commissioner Hall.

the Secretary

the Assistant Secretary

The chief clerk

The Disbursing Clerk

The Landscape Architect twice

The Chief Engineer—4 times to March 19th

Green has had his private clerk, Morrison, and John Kelly, President of Tammany has been on the floor of the Senate during the discussion—also a contractor Tracey. Tracey denies that he went for Green—

Among the men who have visited Albany for the D.P.P. has been one Tracy. He had a paper on which the Senators were named in classes. Those sure for the Bill; those sure against it, & those to be influenced. With the latter he talked as he had opportunity in the character of a (taxpayer) and (property holder). He also canvassed property holders for signatures to a petition against the Bill. The bill was withdrawn last week and it is since announced that Van Nort recognizing his defeat & considering that he has been treacherously dealt with is about to resign. Today I heard one say to another in the Department office. “Tracey don’t have to wait long for his pay,” and presently found that our order had been given him to supply 900 yards of embankment material at $1 a yard on the park at a point near the property which he owned and the value of which would be favorably affected by the work to which this filling would contribute. The law forbids contracts to be made for amounts exceeding $1000 except by advertised competition & to the lowest bidder.

The Departmnt is now getting filling from other contractors at the same price; the President not long since told me that he felt that it was not right, having no doubt that by advertized competition contracts could be made at considerably lower rates.

The Board of Aldermen have passed an ordinance intended to make it illegal for any person employed by the city to reside out of it—(afterwards vetoed by Mayor).

Several employees of Board have been to me to ask advice saying that they are now in Brooklyn, to move to NY would add 20% to their household expenses.

The Engineer on behalf of two valued assistants called on the President. The President said all who lived out must be expectd to be removed.

It was pointed out to him that this was equivalent to saying that if they remained it must be at reduced pay and we might lose men impossible to replace. Reply: no man that we can’t replace. Not a place we couldn’t fill tomorrow, lots of men glad to get it. Experience counts for nothing.

Mr J. W. Gelray—introduced to me by Mr. F. G. Shaw—entered army at 20 yrs {of} age—Col. Shaw’s Regiment 22(?) Massachusetts; promoted for gallantry; lost an arm; At close of war, Brevet Lieutenant Colonel, Captain Regular U.S.A. Resigned after 2 yrs service—Friends obtained him appointment in Permit Bureau of Mayor’s Office—Found he had nothing to do, that the business of the office was swindling and petty tyranny and that it supplied berths for men whose real value was in their service at primary [663] meetings. Several times told the mayor so and offered his resignation. Mayor at length, as he thinks to get rid of him, gave him letter to one of the Park Commissioners—(Dr Hall). Was offerd position of Assistant Superintendent. Saw the Superintendent & learned what the duties were; said he feared he was not qualified, never having been engaged in gardening or the like & declined—Said that he evidently gained much in respect of Superintendent, & of President & Commissioner Hall by doing so. Would be glad if any other place could be found which he could honestly take. Would be content with moderate compensation.

Suggested Captain {of} Keepers which he thought just in his way.

Thought he could not get any sincere assistance from Havmyer. Havmyer did not like his objecting to his former place & would in fact put obstacles in his way if he could.

Made the suggestion to the President who thought it an excellent one & said he wished it were possible to make such an exchange as he was disgusted with Koster.

Ryan at Board Office, wanted me to try again to get Burns appointed foreman—says he is the best foreman at shaping ground we have ever had & he’d like him in place of some of the sticks we have—men just good enough not to be dischargd—“I’d report’ em for discharge in a minute if I did not suppose theyd send me up just the same sort of sticks in their place. Now there is a vacancy but I don’t report it. I just make one of the carpenters I can depend on acting foreman, I know I shan’t get as good a one if I report it. He’s a good carpenter & a good foreman.”

I went to the park stables at 20 minutes before 5 and found the foreman of the Division and several of the cartmen already come in from their work. On inquiry of the foreman I found that to comply with the 8 hour law he allows his men to knock off work at 4:30. They can then get to the stable, untackle and clean off their horses before 5. The horses are fed by a watchman but the men are expected to clean & tackle them before the hour for beginning work, so that (one hour being allowed for nooning) they are at work about 8 h. 20 m.

Visiting the Buffalo park, I found yesterday that the laborers employed were working 10 hours a day at wages of $1¼ a day=12½ cts an hour. The Park Dept of New York is paying (as it has been through the winter & for [664] several years past) 25 cts an hour (8 hours a day at $2) just twice as much. The Buffalo Superintendent early in the winter spent a day or two in the study of the New York work and observed that he had much better men & that they worked harder; he felt sure that his men did half as much again work every hour as those at N. York. That is to say the laborers in New York earn a dollar in four hours in which time they move say 8 yards of material. In Buffalo the laborers earn a dollar in 8 hours in which time they move 24 yards of similar material. Cost in

Buffalo—per yard—4⅙ cts.

New York—per yard—12½ cts.

Yesterday the President said to me that there was one thing he could not do—give contracts to men in consideration of political services—“There’s Tracey”, he said, “I gave him an order for filling at a dollar—it was not because he had been at Albany for us, though he probably thought it was, but because we wanted the filling & I thought a dollar was a fair price for it—but since then another man has offered to supply it at 90 cts; and I took him up and gave him an order for 900 yards. So Tracey comes down complaining. He says the other man has done nothing for us, while he has been working as hard as he could for us and been several times to Albany. I told him that I should allow no such consideration to affect me in the least and if I had had this offer before I gave him his order I should have accepted it all the same and should have refused to deal with him unless he was ready to take the same price. Of course [I] would rather deal with our friends but not at any expense to the interests of the city.”

President observed that Mr Van Nort had concluded not to resign but seemed to have started on a new policy. He was going to discharge all the Tammany Hall men in his employ. Callahan (a Tammany H. member of legislature) had been in to get employmnt for some of his men whom Van Nort had just discharged—he had discharged 29 of his men last week, and as he had taken the side of the Park Dept in its fight with Van Nort he claimed that we should take care of them.

W. McMillan, Superintendent Buffalo Park writes to me April 20th 1874:

Since 6th December, I have been paying laborers 12½ and foremen 20 cts per hour. On the City & County Hall the present wages are, Laborers [665] 12½, Formen 20 C., Carpenters 25, Stone Masons (Setters & Bricklayers) 25 cts, Stone cutters 35 c. per hour.

On contract work, deepening the canal, laborers wages are 15 c. an hour since 1st April.

Owing to certain technical difficulties the city is in arrears of payment to engineers who have been employed under the Park Department in surveying & laying out the north end and Westchester districts of the city over 40,000. A Bill to provide for the paymnt and for continuing the work has been for some time before the legislature. Among other duties of the Departt referred to in the Bill is that of placing surveyor’s “monuments” at the angles of streets. The sum to be provided by the Bill for all purposes was $100.000. When discussed in Committee it was considered as a Bill for ornamenting the suburbs with “monuments and statues” and on general grounds of economy was about to be thrown out, when the fact was stated that nearly half the amount was for payment of wages already due, whereupon the sum was reduced to $50,000 and the bill reported. The President hearing of this went immediately to Albany and after explaining what the monuments were, the original sum was restored.

(on authority of Commissioner Williamson)

Ten urinals (brick walls open at top (— x—ft &—ft high.) were years ago placed on the C park. Neither Mr Vaux nor I were consulted in regard to their plan or position—They were designed to be covered with vines. When I returned to the park in 1871, no vines had grown upon them, I found them in some cases badly placed, conspicuous, the metal work corroded and much out of order. They were cleaned at irregular intervals during the day, were often used improperly & the brick being soft & absorbant, so loaded with ammonia that immediately after they had been scrubbed out I have smelt the odor when passing at a distance of fifty feet on a thronged main walk. When President I succeeded in substituting better arrangements in several cases. In other cases I had ordered the removal of the brick structures & the substitution of the scotch iron, of which several had been imported by the Ring & were lying in store unused. At this time I was often called on by gentlemen who wished to secure an order for a certain urinal patented by a German. It resembled a summer house in appearance & occupied —times as much ground as those we had on hand. We had one specemin of it in use. I thought it would be unnecessarily expensive and conspicuous & avoided it. “Pressure” continued to be brought on the Board in its favor.

[666]

Soon after the reorganization of the Board, Commissioner Bissinger told me that friends were urging this upon him. I told him it was unnecessary while we had the scotch urinals still on hand.

On the 7th April, without consulting me or any subordinate, he informed the Board as the President tells me, that he had promised Mr Bacharach that the Commission would take 10 of them at $1000 each. As the Board can contract for not more than $1000 except by advertized competition to the lowest bidder, he asked it to so far meet his promise as to order one at $1000 but with the understanding that the other nine should be subsequently ordered. He wanted them to replace the brick urinals on the C. Park. After some expressed reluctance the Board passed the vote desired—Mr B. immediately afterwards sent for the Engineer & directed him to have one placed immediately. The Engineer came to me for advice & I to the President. I asked among other things how is the work to be charged: to construction or maintenance—It is replacing complete work—of course {it} is maintenance. “But we can’t put it to maintenance for we have no money to spare for that—It must go to construction.”

“But in our estimates for the year we have allowed but $500 for urinals. And you have now but $20,000 left not already appropriated.”

“It was very wrong.”

I had shortly before reported on the subject—Report printed, maps prepared—Evident from remarks that no member of Board understood the question—

(’75) The urinals have cost set according to Engineer’s estimate $1600 each.

The matter being referred to on the Board, by Commissioner Martin, as an apparent evasion of the law, the President (Stebbins) stated that the Landscape Architect had recommended the adoption of the urinal. He repeated this statemnt & turned to me as wishing me to support it. I was obliged to say that he was mistaken. I had not recommended it & had not been consulted—but had privately told the President Wales that they were over large & excessively costly.

By act of legislature the Board of the Dept was last week reduced from 5 to 4 members. Dr Hall’s term expiring. President Wales has been assuring [667] me that from the manner of the two Democrats he was assured that they were content with the organization & that he should remain President & no further changes be made in the staff offices. This afternoon Col. Stebbins wished to speak with me confidentially. He said “suppose at the meeting this evening it should be determined to hold an annual election, & there should be a wish to get rid of Mr Wales; suppose I should vote for Mr Wales & he, out of delicacy & courtesy should vote for me, & that the others calculating on his doing so should also vote for me. You see he would be no longer President. He ought to have his attention called to this but I can’t do it.” —

“It will be easy for me to do so if you wish.”

“If you could do so without its coming from me.”

“I can & will” —

I did so. Finding what I said made little apparent impression on Mr Wales’s mind, he repeating that he felt no danger—that there was no desire to get rid of him—I put the case as Col Stebbins had done, and again, making sure that he saw it and he thanked me & said if it came to a vote he would vote blank.

Sunday. Mr Wales came to my house early in the morning & asked what I had said to him. I repeated it word for word—“That is precisely what occurred last night. I foolishly voted for Col. Stebbins feeling sure that the three other votes would be for me, and in consequence I am no longer President & Col. Stebbins is.”

Col Stebbins afterwards admitted to me that he had had an intimation of what might occur & he was divided between his duty to his informant & to Mr Wales.

(Wales soon resigned Commissionership)

Yesterday came information that “Tom Stewart” was to be appointed Park Commissioner in place of Mr Wales. A friend of the mayor’s who had been told by him that Stewart would be the man said (Dr—to Ryan) “Tom Stewart is a right good clever fellow; he is a politician of course and will let nothing stand in the way of serving his party interests but aside from that you will find him a pleasant man to get along with.” President Stebbins in the afternoon read me a note he had just received from a friend at the City Hall informing him that the appointmnt had been made. The note said that Stewart was chairman of the Liberal Repub. Central Committee and was appointed as an act of grace to that faction. There was nothing else to commend him but that he was a pipe laying politician whom the mayor wished to conciliate.

The papers this morning all take the same view, the Tribune, organ of the Liberal Republicans, only observing that the mayor has made worse appointments.

[668]

At the Board room I met and was introduced to Mr Stewart, the President & Commissioner Williamson being present. In conversation he presently said something of applications for employmnt & while he was talking a card was brought in—“I suppose,” said he, “this is some man who wants to get an appointmnt. I have had several at me already.” (His own appointment had not yet been officially notified to the Department.) The President promptly took the occasion to say that in this Department no political appointments were made. The Department had always been managed independently of parties and so on. “Yes”, said Mr Stewart slightly frowning. “I suppose that is so; The chief good I expect to get out of it is in the advantage it will give me in dealing with other Departments.”

“But” said Col S. “you can only have such advantage by reciprocity in some form and that is very difficult. For that reason I have never allowed myself in the fifteen years since I entered the Department, to ask a favor in respect to appointments of any other Departmnt.”

“I did so”, said Commissioner Williamson “once, when I first came here; I asked a very petty place for a man who was fit for nothing here and got it and I have had abundant reason to regret it ever since, for I have been asked repeatedly to return the favor by securing the appointmnt here of men to positions for which they are totally unqualified.”

The pay-rolls for officers and engineers and for the keepers were brought in by the Secretary. Learning what they were, Mr Stewart immediately took a seat and asked the Secretary to sit with him that he might examine the rolls, putting his finger on each name, the designation of office or duty, and the rate of pay of each man. He asked the number of keepers, of gate keepers and of men in other petty employmnts not laborers. When he had gone out, his character was discussed. “I am told” said Commissioner W. that he is a thorough politician.—says he was a politician before he was born: he takes to intrigue as naturally as a duck to water.” And it was agreed that he would come into the Dept with but one interest, namely to make use of the parks to bring about appointmnts and secure patronage and that he would be greatly disappointed at the small business to which he would be confined. Col S. also told me that a friend who knew Stewart well advised him to resign as he would “sneakingly” give him no end of trouble in his pursuit of patronage and it would be impossible with the means Stewart would command to maintain the reputation of his Department. To which I replied—“There are two of us; & Mr Stewart is but one.”

Entering the President’s room at his request one day last week, I found a young man with him who at the moment was saying in a confident pleased way as if he {were} uttering a pleasantry. “I simply repeat that if after [669] having voted for your bills every time through the whole session of the legislature I have not the right to the appointmnt of a foreman from you when I want it, I just want to understand it, that’s all?”

“Did you vote for the bills because you thought it would give you such rights here?” asked President S.

“It’s no matter whether I did or not. I voted for them and you know as well as I do that it is always perfectly well understood that when a member of the legislature supports the bills of any Departmnt of the city governmnt he is entitled to a share in its patronage. You can’t tell me that that is not so and you know very well that what I ask for in the appointmnt of this man as a foreman is no more than my right. If I can’t have my rights in this Department I want to know it.”

“How long have you been in public life, Mr —?”

“Not very long; I am a young man as you may see.” (a boy in appearance)

“Well Sir, I have been in public life more or less during the last thirty years; I have occupied this seat before now five years consecutively and I tell you Sir, that I never acknowledged such a right; I never went to Albany to ask votes for the Bills prepared in this Department, I never made a bargain expressed or implied with any gentleman for his vote and I never acknowledgd that any member of the legislature had gained a right to dictate to me whom I should appoint for any duty under this Department—I never did & I never will—But when a member of the legislature evinces an intelligent interest in the affairs of this Department as you have done and from an intelligent conviction that such bills as proceed from this Departmnt are calculated to further the best interests of the city, gives his votes and his influence for them as you have done, I naturally feel a respect and regard for him and common courtesy prompts me to do all in my power to meet his wishes in respect to the business of the Department. I am sure that you would not wish a man appointed whom you did not know to be one who would serve the best interests of the city in the office for which you proposed him.

You are convinced that the man you name would be a good foreman—I am bound to respect such a conviction on your part and you may be sure that I will give him the appointment as soon as it is possible for me to do so, but you know that at this time we have been obliged to suspend the larger part of our work for want of appropriations and we have now a number of our best foremen suspended. Under these circumstances you will see that it would not do for us to be making many new appointmnts. In fact we cannot just now make any, but as soon as we can you may be sure that we will do the best for you that we can, not as a matter of right which you can claim of us but as a proper courtesy and mark of respect to a gentleman who seems to have understood the requiremnts of the Departmnt much better than the majority of his colleagues in the legislature.”

In December 1874, I visited Buffalo. The Superintendent of Parks said that it had occurred several times in succession that from 50 to 200 men had been standing at his door when he first went out in the morning. They were there to seek employmnt and as they must have started from home before daylight and walked three miles, he inferred that he must be paying higher wages than could be got elsewhere, and had therefore reduced to $1 a day. I asked if he felt free to do that without special orders from the Park Commission. He would not to increase wages he said but he did not think that they could object to his doing anything by which the cost of work would be reduced—Wages are thus fixed at Buffalo at $1 a day, for 9 hours. The Park & other Departments in N. York, continue to pay $2 for 8 hours.

D.P.P.

The Board being in session Alderman Gillon(?) sent in his card & was admitted. He wanted certain appointments. He was asked whether the report was true that the Tammany Committee had agreed to divide the patronage of the Dep. P. Works on the basis of 1.50 for every vote for Tilden. “We thought”, he replied, “that as there must be some kind of agreement about it that that would be a fair business arrangmnt.”

“And when are you going to divide up our departmnt?” —

“All I want now is just these men I have asked for.”

Under the same circumstances with Alderman Gillon came in a Member of Congress. After salutations and introductions, seeing that the regular business of the Board was interrupted he said: “Well now I will not take up your time. I’ll tell you what I want. I just want three little offices.”—

“Three what?” asked the President, not hearing the word.

“Three little offices. I don’t know what you have and I don’t much care. I have three men I must take care. These are not of much account—most anything you have will answer for them. But I want something somewhere. If you have not any just now, you have only to tell me so and I won’t keep you.” He was told so (seriously & with full explanations) and went so good naturedly that I think he was willing to see the humorous side of the conversation but he had no other business.

The Board is now equally divided, one party urging the removal of certain officers, the other which includes the President resisting the movemnt. It is avowed by the first that those they wish to discharge are all friends [671] of (Green), that they wish to remove all who distinctly owe their appointment or retention to him. In the more important cases no other reason is given. In 1873 removals were made for the reason that G. had not confidence in the men. One such removal was that of the book-keeper. His place was supplied by a gentleman, not a professed book keeper, who had failed in business & whom Mr G. favored.

Day before yesterday this gentleman reported the discovery of an error of $70,000 in his accounts, which leaves the Department with nothing to its credit for construction account. The President immediately gave me a written order (copy appended (B)) suspending all forces on construction. By an established fiction (originally adopted from a motive of political convenience & absurdly sustained for consistency against my repeated protests) the whole engineers & architectural force has been paid, however employed, solely from construction funds. The order of yesterday has the effect of disbanding all these officers, and of reducing the pay of all executive officers one half, by striking us off the construction roll. When informed of the President’s order, one of the Commissioners laughed and avowed himself much pleased, for now he said the President has done just what we wanted, suspended a lot of G’s men and (A) (under the recent order of the Board) he will not be able to get them back.

Yesterday morning, the Board in session, I stated that the duties of the Dept could not be met without engineers’ & architects’ services. That one important work— (repairs of Battery sea wall) was in progress under contract, chargeable to maintenance fund— must be superintended by an engineer. There were contracts for construction in progress requiring engineering & architectural certficates of inspection &c. I recommended that the first engineer should be invited to remain on half pay & volunteer to give what superintendence on construction was essential without pay until legislation could be obtained, & that one man in each office should be kept if found practicable on the same terms. One of the Commissioners immediately proposed to retain—(Calkins) on full pay from maintenance fund. “Why”! I said “he knows nothing of the Battery business & would be less valuable in the emergency than any other. He could only be used with advantage on certain works, now suspended, of construction.”

“Never mind,” was the answer, “we must take care of him. Don’t you know his brother is Clerk of the Assembly?”—I did not. The Board adopted this motion, and then my suggestion with an addition of a clerk whom I had not asked for and could have easily dispensed with. Why? In order as I was told by one of them not to offend (Hugh Hastings), an editor of great influence at Albany who had asked to have the clerk’s salary increased.

Commissioner Martin goes today to Albany to urge appropriation for our Dept—He told me that he was advised that Green (comptroller) had 3 men there to lobby against it.

It was stated by one of the Democratic Commissioners today on the [672] Board that he understood that all the working force of the Dept of Works was now being discharged to make room for new under the new dispensation of patronage. confirmed

As the catastrophe of yesterday will have the effect of greatly increasing the expenses which must be paid out of our limited appropriations for maintenance, and will thus lead to many uneconomical and improvident shifts, I took the opportunity to again urge a reduction of wages—repeating that we were paying more than twice as much as was necessary for nearly all our common labor. No one denied this & it was conceded to be most desirable that a reduction should be made, but it would not do to be in advance of other departments in reducing.

The order above referred to ((A) p. 2) is a repeal of a rule first made by me in 1868, that a man absent from work more than 2 days, was to be suspended, but would be restored on coming to the Office of Superintendence with a note from the foreman certifying to good character & that his absence was caused by illness. The Commissioner who moved that no restorations should be made except by order of the Board, stated that he was constantly beset by aldermen & other politicians who wanted laborers appointed & that to gain more opportunity to meet these demands this rule must be discontinued.

Today the President stated that the Superintendent reported that owing to reductions, six laborers were wanted. As this number could not be divided between the four Commissioners, it was agreed to make it 8—and each Commissioner was to have the appointmnt of 2.

Speaking of a certain piece of work, one of the Commissioners (Stewart) expressed a unfavorable opinion first of the engineer, afterwards of the inspector—they were incompetent he feared. I asked the Superintending Engineer what he supposed gave the Commissioner this opinion. “As to the Engineer, all I know is that a few days ago the Commissioner sent a young man to see me who filed an application for appointmnt as an assistant engineer. I suppose he wants to take ——’s place. As to the inspector, he ranks as a detailed laborer. He was appointed by the President at the request of——who is a friend of Green’s. (Van Valkenberg). Both are perfectly competent” The inspector was removed by order of the Board. (Subsequently, the engineer also)

A few hours after the order suspending work of construction, by which 127 men were thrown out of employmnt, was known on the park, the Alderman from the Yorkville district, in which most of them live called on the President and denounced him for issuing it, (as the President said to me) in the most offensive way. He refused to receive the President’s explanation, assumed that it was because the construction funds had been dishonestly mis-appropriated and a few hours later made this charge publicly before the Board of Aldermen, who then at his suggestion ordered an examination. Two days afterwards this same alderman sent in a list of 60 names of men, demanding their employment.

[673]

Of the members of the Commission in 1873 when Scofield, (Lieut of Keepers) was removed, Hall and Wales both told me shortly after that they considered him to be a much better man to command the force than Koster, who was retained as Captain, a few days since. Stebbins said the same thing—that he always found him perfect in his duties, could trust him entirely, had similar confidance with no other commander, and was now ready & would be glad to get him back in place of Koster. He also said that Williamson would vote for him. He could be elected at once but for the two new Commissioners who have never seen him. Hall, Wales & Stebbins each declared or admitted that Scofield was removed to gratify Green.

There has been in 18 years no act of legislation of the State, County or City by which the affairs of the Central Park Commission & the Departmnt of Parks was to be directly affected that has not been made the occasion of attempts and generally of successful attempts to obtain money from the public treasury through “the dispensation of patronage.”

The Board some time since suspended Captain Koster, leaving the recently appointed lieutenant in command. (I have spoken with him, being commissiond by the President to give him some instructions, for the 1st time on the 5th May, when he gave me the following particulars.) He had several times made a visit to the park at night without finding any keepers on duty but had let it pass. On the evening of the 24th March between 8 & 10 he did so, but on the next, 25th, entering the park at 8 o’ck he spent more than {an} hour on one beat finding no keeper. At 9:30 he met a sergeant, and asked if he had found the keeper on duty on either of two beats which he had visited. The sergeant said that he had seen them both. He was then required to go back with the captain and find them. It was a bright moon light night. After searching some time in vain as they were passing near the cottage on Hern’s Head, the Captain thought he saw a movemnt of a window blind in it. Going to the cottage he called and recvd no answer. After trying the door, he found a small window loose and obliged the sergeant to go in at it and open the door. In the door was found a false key. Then drawing a match he found three keepers in the room, all with their coats and one with his boots off. They had each rolled up his coat to serve as a pillow and had evidently been lying each on a settee, with his feet to the stove in which they had made a warm fire. Each had a pipe in his hand and had been smoking. The captain after sending these men to their beats, went on with the sergeant to another beat and without wasting time in looking for the man on duty, went at once to a cottage, (the childrens cottage near the Kinderberg). In this two keepers were found and evidence that they were lodged for the night as in the other case. Going to the 3 other beats, the men were found on duty but the captain said, and Commissioner Stewart who examined those reported told me that he had no [674] doubt that they had been housed in the same way as the others but had been roused and warned by the three men first found. The next day I was in the Board room when Commissioner Stewart, who had special charge of the police for the time, came in and spoke of it to the President. He said unless some explanation could be made it would be necessary to dismiss these men. The President thought this would be hard—a first offence should be dealt with leniently—he thought it was the first offence of these men, their record was good he believed, he was sure that neither of them had been reported against for a long time back and he turned to me, asking if he was not right? I was obliged to say that so far as I knew, no man had been reported against for a long time past. The President, however, said that he would send an order, immediately.

The President had written an order [32: 838–39] suspending the men until they could be examined. Commissioner Stewart begged him not to do so, for that would frighten the men and start them all at work to get political influence to prevent the Board from doing anything. “The Board meets Monday morning, I will have them here tomorrow, Saturday evening, and examine them and report Monday and the Board can then take what action is right before any movemnt can be organized to prevent it.”— This was done and on Monday they were all dismissed and though they have made some effort, none have succeeded (May 5th) in getting back. Commissioner Stewart has said to me, that he was much surprised that {they} were able to give the commissioners no more trouble than they had. At their trial, and afterwards in conversation, all admitted the truth of the Captain’s report, 4 of the 5 made the usual explanations—water closet, something in his boot, wanted a drink of water—(this from one who had walked near half a mile from his beat on which there was plenty of water.) Donaldson one of the oldest and of the best of the old men, alone, made no pretence of this kind—but said simply “We are all human.” All admitted, and pleaded in excuse, that it was a customary thing to do on the force, they were no worse than the rest. Every man did it; the officers all knew it and all allowed it. The very sergeant who gave testimony against them—(who accompanied the lieutenant) had often come into the cottages when the men were off post and sat and taken a pipe with them. So had the others. The lieutenant said he had no doubt it was so—he believed that the sergeant knew the men were in the cottage at the time. He added—if we had the best men who could be picked out of the whole population of New York these sergeants would demoralize them in a month so they would be good for nothing. The sergeants are afraid of offending the men and they think of nothing but to make it as easy for them as they can. There are four sergeants and each of them sits in the station house 6 hours a day, then makes an inspection—that is to say he goes out on the park and does not return to the station that day; He is supposed to make a round of the park and see that each man is on his post or beat. There is no sergeant for the upper station & the men go there, get their clothes & go on and come off duty, no officer observ- [675] ing them. The captain has been accustomed to make his own inspection by driving over the roads in a buggy. Except at the unveiling of a statue and at some of the concerts, I have never, in 3 years, seen him on his feet in the park. I have never seen him in the Ramble or anywhere off the drive, even on the above occasions never 100 yards from the drive; I have never seen him but once, (a ceremony at the Muster Ground where he stood with the reviewing officers & allowed his men to take care of themselves) in any of the small parks.

The above occurrence was on a clear, mild night (following rain) and before the hour for closing the park to visitors. Both Commissioner Stewart & the lieutenant told me that they were satisfied it was and long had been the rule that the men going on duty at night went directly to a cottage and passed most of the period of duty asleep.

Two or three weeks since, the President had an interview with the new Commissioner of Public Works and it was agreed that a reduction of laborers’ wages should be made simultaneously in both Departmnts. Their conclusion was reported to the mayor who said, “Wait a bit and let me feel the way.” The President yesterday, apprehending that with the special charges which would now come on our maintenance fund, we should not be able to keep our expenses low enough, I said “if you make a reduction of wages to anywhere near the market rate, you will gain more than enough over the necessary additions. Why should you not make a reduction at once?”

“I’m afraid,” he replied, “that we cannot do it. You know that the mayor stopped us in order that he might consult about it. He has said nothing more about it but yesterday Mr Hewitt, (M.C.) who is in his confidence & whom he probably has consulted, spoke of the proposition to me & said it would not do—he said the mere suggestion of it, if it should get out in his district, would make a revolution.”

The President said to me this morning that in all his experience the pressure for removal and appointments had never been as great or made in such peremptory and intolerable forms as at present.

As I was entering his room a man who looked like a prize fighter was passing out, who saluted me as an acquaintance. I asked who he was. “Oh he is an agent of the President of the Board of Aldermen; comes here often to get appointments for him.”

Commissioner Williamson told me that the respectable members of the Democratic party were many of them not pleased that all the laborers of the Dept of Works were discharged in order to gain a new distribution of [676] patronage—a large part of those discharged were democrats and the course would breed dissatisfaction.

Tierney.

There was a debate in the Board this evening in which it was evident that each party was desirous to draw from the other a report that could be quoted publicly, to its injury, favoring a reduction of wages. “Oh, you know very well,” said Commissioner W. “that if we should pass a resolution now for a reduction of wages, there’s not a member of the Legislature from this city who would dare vote to give the Department a dollar.” There is a bill before the L. appropriating $817.000 to the Dept.

[47: 330]

The Times. 8th Ap. 1875. says that during the whole 13 years existence of the Old Park Commission the ward politicians were ignored in the appointment of laborers and to the selection of foremen & heads of bureaux. “To that policy we owe the fact that the C.P. was practically completed without a taint of jobbery.” The Tribune of same date reports interview with John Kelly in which he observed of Mr Green that “he had always stood ready at any time to grant favors to Republican politicians if they would assist him in procuring such legislation as he might need.”

I reported to the Board that for the time actually at work in the field— i.e. making due allowance for time used in traveling after & before roll-calls-the Departt was paying at least 27 cts an hour for wages of laborers of an inferior class.

The Superintendent confirmed this calculation, and the President said he did not doubt it.

Contractors are paying for 1st class laborers 12½ cts an hour—in the suburbs less, (see Culyer’s letter).

The Herald of today states that the present President of the Department of Parks has “on occasions denounced,” Comptroller Green’s interference with the Department of Parks “’as a system of interference and espionage inconsistent with the interests of the city and injurious to the Department’”—(these words being quoted)

The Board of the Dept has for some time passed (since Jany 1 st) been equally divided between two parties—the friends of the Mayor Wickham and the friends of the Comptroller Green. Of late the antagonism has been very marked and at times somewhat heated.

P.S. Shortly afterwards Martin offered resolutions in the absence of Williamson. The President fearing they would pass became much agitated. Martin began to read another and the President to remonstrate. “Oh!” said Martin, “don’t you be alarmed— wait till I get through.” Whereupon the President rose & said I’ll tell you what I think of you, Sir, You are a contemptible puppy.”—At this I left. The next time I saw the President & Martin together, they were conversing amicably.

The Times of this morning has a leader in which it is assured that the Green party is fighting simply to keep it out of the hands of political jobbers; the other simply to capture it in the interest of Tammany politicians. On the supposition that something has been gained by the latter, the Times asserts that the property (of the parks) is not being as well looked after as it was, and that if the Mayor is successful the park will be utterly ruined, and Mr Green is called upon to give his friends in the Dept such encouragment and assistence as he can in their resistance.

The fact is that the Park has not for many years been as efficiently and economically managed as during the last month, and that the struggle is in no sense as to whether the patronage of the Dept shall be used or shall be prevented from being used for the benefit of the politicians, but whether the Mayor or the comptroller shall have the benefit of it.

In the Times article of today headed “Another raid on the Central Park” it is said:

“The great work [of constructing C. Park 1 was carried out without robbery or jobbery chiefly because politicians were not allowed to meddle with it”, and the whole article assumes that up to 1st Jany 1875, when Martin was appointed a Commissioner, the park had been completely free from the pernicious influence of political patronage.

Under the direction of the Commissioner of Accounts, 3 or 4 men have been engaged daily for some weeks and are still engaged in examining all the accounts and vouchers of the business of the Departmnt for several years [678] past. The Committee room of the Board has been given up to them for the purpose, the labor is great, the cost to the city considerable and the irritations caused by the proceedings very wearing to the President, Treasurer and Officers chiefly interested. A few days since the President referring to it said to me. “This is all done to make a place for a book keeper. See note of 25th— I knew it from the first. If I had consented to turn out Mr L—— all this trouble would have been saved.”

The President today expressed to me the conviction that the Comptroller would not allow a single bill to pass the legislature favorable to the work of the Departmnt. I asked why— “Why?—Why should he when he is attacked in the way he is, here? Have you seen this letter of Mr Martin’s published this morning”?

“No,”

“Well then, read it!”

“Is this from the Times?”

“No, it was written for the Times but they would not publish it & he sent it to the World.”

The letter is a proper reply to an “attack” of the Times on Martin in which facts are mistated and base motives attributed to him.

There are two ways in which the value of “a place” may be increased, either, that is to say the emoluments may be increased or the obligations made lighter. There is a constant tendency in both directions and men in office are striving to have their duties made easier and more agreeable and the pay, commonly in some indirect form made greater. Both processes can be carried far without attracting the smallest degree of public attention.

An officer who is eager to get more and better work from his subordinates or who is disposed to require duties of his subordinates demanding more intelligence, skill, method or industry will be unpopular with them & this unpopularity will act through a circuit upon those upon whom he must depend for means to enforce his wishes.

The manner in which my efforts to secure good service of the Keepers is the most marked illustration of this of my personal experience. (For outline see letter to the President July 30—1873.) Less marked but not less weighty to me—the whole organization of management—of C.P. (see also above letter which gives outline to that date.) Since then till this spring 1875 [679] have kept systematically aloof. The removal of Ryan and appointment of Muncwitz led me to ask to have a distinct responsiblity in the management again. By laws revised accordingly. At this time the Dept is more closely run than ever before and I can ask for no increase in any division of force. The total force employed on C. Park is about 400, of which but 10 rank as working gardeners (omitting those for hothouse & nursery). Efforts to secure wild character in rocks ineffective hitherto. Demand of foreman for 500 yards of soil for lower division of park. I object & ask for what. To fill up and round out surfaces on declivities and among rocks where soil washed out—done every year—the rocks (N.W. of) Copcot (near VI) pointed to. Examination showed that peaty soil and ferns set in there year ago by me all last year over-laid and the surface rounded and smoothed out with soil and turf. Gave orders that no more should be done and showed what was desirable—on the 27th April, going to the place with the gardener to instruct him about new attempt to wilden it, found 5 men, laborers, engaged clearing the ground & rocks, raking out all loose and matted vegetation, patting round & smooth the surface with back of shovel and sweeping the crevices and faces of the rocks with a (carpet) corn broom. Asked who was in charge—no one. Had been told by the foreman to clean out and fix up the place and were doing it in the usual way. The Superintendent came as I was standing, puzzled to know what to do with them. He said he had been over all the division and had not seen the foreman, might look two hours without finding him. The men finally ordered to go to a gardener and dig holes for trees under direction of Superintending Gardener who was with me.—An hour afterwards the Superintendent found the men back again & at the same work. The following (3d) day he found the foreman who said he meant no disrespect but thought there must be some mistake as he knew the rocks needed some cleaning. Therefore when he found the men at other work and heard their report he sent them back with orders not to do any more at the particular place where I had interrupted them but to finish the work on the other side. He knew that Mr Olmsted could not wish the rocks to be left with heaps of rotting leaves packed among them—but the men were again allowed to go to work with no one in charge & under general orders to clean up the rocks only not so carefully & completely as usual.

Going over the ground afterwards with the foreman, he saw a place which his men had happened to neglect. It was a mat chiefly of Chinese honey-suckle growing over a flat piece between and below two bold blocks of rock. On and in this mat were a few russet and yellow dead leaves, adding greatly to its beauty. The foreman pointed it out to me and said “Now, there, Mr Olmsted, I know you would like to have them leaves left there.” And he could evidently hardly believe me sincere when I said that I certainly would. While he professes his intention of obeying orders; it is evidently, with a certain degree of contempt for my taste and no good will, that he receives instructions under which the smugness will be lessened, which for many—years it has been his chief business to gain and preserve as far as possible.

The President soon after the appointmnt of Commissioner Martin in Jany began to say of every actual proposition of Martin’s or which was sustained by him, and which favored a change either in the personnel or the methods of the Departmnt, that the Comptroller would regard it as moved by personal hostility toward himself on the part of Martin; that just so far as the Board allowed itself to go with Martin, under whatever good argumnts, it would lose the confidence, favor and support of the Comptroller, and that only through the support of the Comptroller could it hope to succeed in anything.

Apprehension that the report of the Commissioner of Accounts would condemn the system of accounts, for which he considers the Comptroller responsible, and that fault would be found with the old Commission in which Green was allowed to order everything to suit himself has made him feel more and more that his own reputation is bound up with Green and that he must depend for defence and support on Green. That anything reflecting on one is a reflection on the other. That an admission that anything could be better than it has been before Martin came in, is an admission of weakness. The prolonged and silent investigation of the Commissioner of Accounts and the constant urging of improvements by Martin has gradually brought him to a condition of the most painful and excited apprehension, and for a week or two past it has been difficult for me or for the Superintendent of Parks to make the simplest suggestion without drawing from him manifestations of this state of angry jealousy. He once said to me “Martin is the worst man I ever knew. He is a worse man than Tom Fields.” He has repeatedly said that unless Green was conciliated he would allow nothing to pass the legislature favorable to the Dept and he could not be conciliated as long as Martin continued his course. That Green was the strongest man in N York and would get the better of all who opposed him.

I had not been aware how completely he had been driven to identify himself with Green and Green with the Departmnt when I made my first general report after assuming supervision of Superintendence under the new By Law. In this report I showed that the fund remaining for maintenance for the rest of the year was smaller than for the similar period of any previous year—relatively to the price of labor and work to be done smaller than under Green, and sought to suggest means by which the park could be properly kept with less labor than usual. To do so I pointed out various matters in which I thought savings could be made and stated how they might be bettered. I had intended to read the report privately to the President and get his approval before presenting it to the Board, but not finding him in and obliged to leave town to attend a funeral, I left it for him to read. He failed to read it until the Board met. When it was then read, as one of the Commissioners told me the President [681] said that it appeared to him an attempt to gain credit for myself at his expense and asked to have it laid over. On reading it over with him afterwards he questioned many of the statements and one incident of no consequence as affecting the conclusions, quoted from a statement to me of the Superintendent I found not to be strictly accurate. To remove all grounds of apprehension that the report would be used against him or Mr Green, I offered to ask leave to withdraw it & did so—on the ground of its containing an inaccuracy. The Board consenting, I then revised it, omitting all the passages which he disliked but making my recommendations more distinctly. I then read the revision to him & offered to strike out anything else, omitting any suggestion of which he did not approve, but he found none. When it came up in the Board, however, at an adjourned session (for the purpose of considering it) he moved it be laid on the table without reading, because he wished to examine the suggestions more carefully. They were important & he did not know that he had any objections to them but at this time when there seemed to be a disposition to revolutionize the business of the Dept, he was disposed to receive every suggestion for change with caution and should not be prepared to act—The Board consented—At the same meeting (1st May, 75) he offered a resolution to restore Captn Koster, but after hot debate on a point of order, withdrew it.

My report was again called up and again the President advised that its reading be postponed & the Board assented.

Meeting of Board, Annual election postponed—motion of Martin seconded by the new Commissioner ODonohoe who takes the place of Stewart. President afterwards sent for me to talk about it—Considers it evidence that Donohoe means to join Martin in resisting Green’s party in the Departt—Then told me that he expected the Commissioner of Accounts would make a report intended to give the Mayor ground for removing him & Williamson (Treasurer), that he should have to reply to it & would want my assistance in preparing his defence. “This is all done only because the Tammany politicians have not been able to get as much from me as they wanted. Alderman McCarthy threatened me a long time ago. Then he came in again, after insulting me before the public in the Board of Aldermen. I was astonished at his impudence. He came in without sending in his name, or knocking at the door. Came right in and drew a chair close up to me, where I was writing at my desk, put his face close up to me, stooping and looking up to me with the most brutal expression I ever saw on a man. He said a man in [682] whom he was interested had been suspended by the Superintendent and he wanted him immediately restored. I answered, that will be a question for the Board to settle sir, I cannot restore him but will refer the question to the Board; then he looked so wickedly at me, I added, ’if it depends on my vote, I do not think he will get back.’ He drew back at that & threatened me in very coarse language and after he had got out of the door and closed it he reopened it and putting in his head, ’You’ll find there’s a day of reckoning coming for you. Your time is short’—or something like that. This is what he meant. If I wouldn’t do just what such fellows as he want, they’d find some way to drive me out and disgrace me.”

The Treasurer, said there was no doubt of it. “And they are after me because I won’t turn out every republican. They want every republican turned out and to put in their own men without any regard to fitness. I won’t aid them in that, and so they mean to turn me out.”

The President asked me to instruct the lieutenant commanding how to proceed in carrying out the orders of the Board providing for night watch-men and a special class of invalided men—“Why,” said the lieutenant reading the list, “there are men on the force much more disabled than any of them. There’s old —— for instance, he’s hardly able to walk. (I had this man dismissed 3 years ago on surgeon’s certificate that he was unfit for duty) he’s not on it, and why did they put Loeffel on it? He is all right so far as I know.” In the evening Loeffel came to me and said he had seen the list in a newspaper and I might explain what it meant. “The doctor told me he found me perfectly sound and I never had a sick day in my life. I have a father & a wife & 6 children to support and I want to make all I can. I went to Mr Conklin as soon as I saw it, and he advised me to come & see you.” I promised to ask for the surgeon’s report & see if there had been a mistake.

The Board today adopted the propositions of my report (see note of 1st May) with a preamble setting forth the special necessity of reducing the cost of labor in all possible ways—(See Minutes). In the course of the debate on the proposition to exact full 8 hours work the President said that he had no doubt that the Department might within a week put a force of 5000 men at work at $1—or $1 & a shilling (1.12½) for 10 full hours. Nor did any Commissioner express a doubt about it, i.e. we have been paying (as I reported with the assent of the President) 27 cts an hour when we could readily get better men at 11¼ cts an hour. In a special emergency and for special reasons, set forth in the preamble & in a circular (poster) addressed to the men by the President, we are taking courage to screw our wages down to 25 cts. an hour.

The night after the carpenter began to set the punch boxes, (a device of mine by which it could be determined whether the night watch went their rounds) one was smashed and another wrenched off and removed. A day or two afterwards the Board of Aldermen adopted a resolution, directing an investigation to be made as to the expenses of the Landscape Architect. At a meeting of the Park Board today I urged a resolution (adopted) offering a reward for the detection of the man who removed the punch boxes. One of the Commissioners said he supposed it was one of our own men. “No doubt it was”, replied another; “I am told that it was some of our men who don’t like Mr Olmsted’s ideas about these things that got the Aldermen to pass that resolution yesterday that he should be investigated.”

The Commissioners also agreed on believing, or in accepting Mr Conklin’s opinion that the stealing of eggs & plants & breaking off of nests was the work of our own men.

I have made repeated efforts since last winter to get the Commissioners to come with me to the park that I might point out to them the evidence of the results of ignorance and blundering in its managmnt; the need of reforms and the falsity of statements, reports & complaints by which they have been more or less affected. I have invariably failed. After reading a long circumstantial report on the ruin of the turf of the park at their meeting yesterday in which I begged them to see the facts for themselves—I verbally pressed upon them the need of their doing so. After discussion it was found that today at 4 o’clock all were free and it was agreed that they should meet me at that time on the park. At 5 two arrived, the others failed. It was agreed by these two, Martin and ODonohoe, that my estimate of the destruction of the turf was much within the fact—at least one half the turf of the Mall being absolutely dead & the ground bare.

In the morning, having invited the newspapers to send representatives to see the statue of the Falconer, the setting of which is just finished, I took them over the ground & they came to the same conclusion. The reporter of the Tribune, who a few days since stated that he found the turf never in better condition, acknowledged that more than half of it had been tramped to death.

The Tribune reporter promised me to see the City editor and deliver him a message from me requesting that he would do me the favor to simply state the fact as the reporter might bear witness to it, or as he might observe it for himself. But the Tribune, though it has a paragraph on park affairs, has no word on this subject.

The Times has a report about the park in which it says that the grass in all the broad sweeps is beautiful. “There are however numberless places where the turf suffered terribly during the winter and where patches of dull brown stand out. These the authorities are commencing to cover with fresh sods [not a sod is being laid or has been except perhaps a little edging] and no doubt by the middle of June all will be perfect.”

There were reporters from the Herald (Macdonna), Tribune (McCarthy), Times, World, & Post, all but the last of whom went over the ground with me and saw and acquiesced in my statemnt that on the Mall, the Ball Ground & the East Green, the larger part of the turf was dead & the ground bare and that there was evidence that it was the result of foot wear—points protected from foot wear being in good condition, the turf though not very even, being thick and luxurient, while points most open and tempting to trespassers were completely worn down—no trace of turf being left.

The Tribune of this morning has the following—

“It is so much more agreeable to praise than to criticise that we thank the Park Commissioners for allowing us to congratulate the city on the completion of three or four fountains in our small parks, before the first hundred years of our national existence are over. We hear rumors that some time during the next century the fountain in City Hall Park will again be permitted to moisten its parched lips of marble, and that within the lifetime of babies now playing in Madison square the fountain in that public nursery may be expected to gush—if gushing has not been driven out of fashion by recent frightful examples.”

Not a stroke of work has been done on the fountains for 6 months past, and the Dept has not had and yet has not a dollar that it could legally apply to the purpose.

Previous delays in constructing fountains has been due to the failure of contractors—specially in a contract made under the Tweed ring in 1871.

When the error of accounts was discovered in March (See Note of 25th March) and the Engineers force put on half pay to be defrayed from Maintenance Account—an exception was made in favor of Calkins - who has all the time recvd full pay though having no other responsibility & doing no more work than others.

[685]

Today Bogart (Superintending Engineer) when I asked about some work with which Calkins was charged & which should have been completed, said in explanation, Calkins has not been worth much lately. He has been too much interested in getting his pay raised. He says Stewart (Commissioner) promised his brother that it should be advanced and he has been worrying because it was not done. (Stewart has retired.) Calkin’s brother is Clerk of the Assembly (?) and at the close of the session was complimented by the gift of a valuable gold watch from members of the assembly—(See newspaper reports of closing proceedings).

Commissioner——told me that Calkins gave him valuable assistance in carrying through a bill not concerning the Departmnt, in which he had an interest.

In spite of the Mayor’s injunction (see his Annual Message 1875. Jan.) and the professed and formal acquiescence of the Board (it will be found in a letter to him of the President) in his view that the Departments should not attempt to influence legislation or have any business at Albany except through him, 3 out of 4 members of the Commission have each this winter been more than once to Albany avowedly to influence legislation—One in favor of proposed legislation to which the Mayor is warmly opposed.

Legislature adjourned. During the last week Commissioners Martin & ODonohoe (new) have been at Albany & by their influence the Senate abandoned an amendmnt reducing the appropriation to the D.P.P. from 575—to $250.000—and granted all asked.

At a meeting of the heads of Departments it was agreed to reduce wages from $2 for a day of 8 hours to 20 cts an hour. The Times (2d June) states that it is the intention to work two sets of men 5 hours each daily and the motive to thus get opportunity to employ a larger number of those who are pressed as candidates—but probably the fact that the money which can be commanded for the remainder of the year is insufficient to give steady employment to those now engaged has had more influence. I reported at the last meeting that our force was inadequate for the work to be done in every class of workmen and that nonetheless a considerable further reduction was necessary {because} of the rate of expenditure.

In a report of the Dock Commission (published Tribune 3d June) in which the intended reduction is announced with other retrenchments, something [686] “approaching”—“more nearly corresponding” to the economy of private undertakings is claimed to be aspired to. It is stated that the amount saved by the reduction of wages alone will be $50.000 a year.

The Departt of Works was the 1st to act on the agreement. The laborers at first declined to work on the reduced wages and came to the City Hall to protest & plead but on the 2d day went to work—(Times of June 2d).

On the 3d the Board, D.P.P. met & the President reported what had been agreed to at the meeting at the City Hall. The proposition to carry it out was made. Commissioner ODonohoe asked that its consideration might be postponed—said he could not vote for it—Explained that he was Chairman of the Tammany Committee of his Senatorial District in which were many laboring men. If the Dept made this reduction he would never be able to explain it to them. He thought it a great mistake. He wanted to see the Mayor & Genl Porter—(Commissioner Public Works) and remonstrate with them.

Rates of wages D.P.P. May 1875 for 8 hours:

As I pass over the Park now with Mr Fischer, pointing out to him places on which I am most anxious to have something planted, he often says to me, “Yes, this is one of these places where we did not get through. We began planting in the fall and could not get in time all we wanted to complete the group from the nurseries and put off completing it till Spring, then Mr Green would say that it looked well enough and he considered all this part of the park finished and we must do all we could on new ground where what we spent would have more effect at once.”

At others, he says, “I remember planting this ground, and at one time it looked very well here. But afterwards they wanted large shrubs somewhere else and came and took them out.”

There are still many points especially about the pond and in the South East part of the park where in the first construction I had the surface approximately shaped by common foremen and laborers, leaving it smooth and rounded like a dish cover, directing the Gardener that when the planting season came he should have its formality broken by the planting men while working under his own eye. Mr Fischer now points out several of these places, which have remained unplanted and unmodified from that day to this.

When the Dairy was built, it was designed to have it look out upon a nice little croft upon which a cow or two and calves were to be kept for a part of the day, simply to help make out a pleasant and appropriate picture. The croft was prepared and was very pretty—a fine close turf & the ground being moist very green & mountain like. The Ring of course misused it—a little stable was built for the cows—it was used as a paint shop. On the change of administration in 1872 I had some rows of ugly formal trees which had been planted taken out, directed some more harmonious planting on the borders which has not yet been done, and begged Ryan to put a couple of nice gentle little cows that would not hurt children if they should stray near them, in the croft. I fully explained the idea to him—or as fully as I well could. He said he understood and would attend to it, which in time he did but in his way, by tethering an old Kerry bull upon it, who amused himself by pawing and digging up the turf. When he had completely destroyed it in one circle he was moved to another, and this process has been repeated. The ground has been reseeded and I hope this summer to take some pleasure in it.

(Illustrations of careless newspaper reports). The Tribune had a Monday morning report of the park—describing the turf as never in finer condition—I found the writer of the report on the park the following week and on looking at the turf he acknowledged that not more than half of it was alive.

Today the Times has a similar Monday morning review—in which the Camera obscura is described—The camera was closed last autumn and the house containing it was torn down more than a month ago. (Reporter asking me to assist him in obeying orders to find fault with something.) Reporter coming to me in town for material of a report of observation on the park had never seen the park & did not know how to go to it. In conversation I used some slightly technical word—“Stop,” said he, “what was that word? That was a good word, how do you spell it? What does it mean?”

Just at the close of the session the legislature passed the Bill providing the Dept with construction funds. As to the means by which they were led to do it, in a recent discussion of what work should be undertaken under it, one of the Commissioners in urging a measure said that it was desired by—— a member of the legislature, who had done much to carry the Bill, who expected it and had a right to it. Another said that the object of this legislator was to make employmnt by starting the work in question for the laboring men in [688] his district—($30,000 was on these grounds transferred from other work on the list I had prepared to this—in the schedule of work for the year).

The Bill having passed was held the full time allowed by law by the Governor, and when I last asked no official copy of it had been recvd by the Departmnt. On the newspaper statement that it was a law, however, the Board has been making preparations for starting the year’s work. (All the planting intended to be done last spring necessarily goes over a year). I have arranged and reported a scheme of works which to carry out would require an average force of 300 men from 1st July to January. It will be past midsummer before we can put 100 men at work. Now that we have the means and everything is settled as to what shall be undertaken, all business is delayed and embarrassed by the difficulty which the Commission is in as to whom it shall employ. There are not to my knowledge half a dozen men in its whole force of administrative agents from myself down to foremen and messengers whose further employment is not a matter of doubt. The engineer is threatened. The Engineer & a clerk and draughtsmen of the old staff remain as yet on half pay. There are no rod men, and although work is ordered there is no force for laying it out, setting stakes etc.

I reported this to the President a week ago and asked immediate action. There has since been no meeting. One was called for yesterday but Commissioner ODonohoe was at Long Branch, and it was not thought courteous to proceed in any matter of appointmnt in his absence. Urging the necessity, I was privately consulted as to the political standing of the men whom I wanted restored (suspended assistant engineer & rod men) whether Tammany or anti Tammany. I knew nothing of this. After due consideration I was authorized to employ them for one week—leaving the question of their appointmnt open.

With regard to labor—

The placards, one at the outer door & one in the lobby of the Board room (“No Labor Tickets Given out”) remain displayed as they have for two years or more. Understanding this, since it has been known that the Bill is signed, there has been a constant body of men applying for employmnt and of politicians waiting to urge their claims on Commissioners occupying the sidewalk, stairways and outer and inner lobbies of the Board room. There are men in the crowd whom I have seen almost daily for six months or more in the same place with many new ones.

Two weeks ago, urging a resolution directing the immediate employt of 100 men, one of the Commissioners said, “That would give us 25 a piece. Now I’ve no doubt that every Commissioner would find it a great relief to him to be able to dispose of that number of the applicants who are more urgently pressed upon him. I know that for my part there are half a dozen men whom I have been importuned about since last Christmas almost every day. Someone is trying to see me about them almost every hour. They come to my house and to my office and they are now outside the door there waiting to get at me [689] as I go out. They follow me in the street and get into the cars omnibus with me. I’ve no doubt its the same with all the rest of you, and if we could each put on but half a dozen of the most pressing of these cases it would be a great relief and then we could afford to wait if necessary a few weeks for the rest.” Yesterday the same Commissioner said, I find that its no use trying to select 25 men out of the whole number who are pressed upon me; to do so would make more trouble than to put on none. I think that we had better authorize 300 men at once, and get them all on and have done with it. Then we can answer that no more are to be employed.”

That the other Commissioners have had the same difficulty and have not dared to discriminate against the whole number of applicants by selecting only 25 each, is evident from the fact that as yet, in a fortnight but 16 men have been appointed. The Superintendent yesterday said to me, Commissioner (Williamson) has sent me only 4 men. Each one of them is over 60 years old & one I judge to be over 70. There is not one that could do a quarter of a fair day’s work; and the Commissioner knows it, for he saw them himself & they came to me directly from him.

(This morning a woman came to my house before I had breakfasted to ask me to aid her in getting employment for a son. Another Commissioner had promised it a long time since but she had waited so long she feared that he might be overlooked. She urged my assistance on the ground that her son was unfit for hard work. He had a weak back and if he had to stoop at his work it sometimes made him sick & he was laid up for several days).

I went twice yesterday into the Board room, on each occasion there were from 4 to 6 members of the late legislature and of the Board of Aldermen present, and each of 3 Commissioners was engaged in a whispered conversation apart with one of them. There were others waiting their turn outside besides the mob of candidates, the larger part of whom were of the dirty, ruffianly and loafish sort. The large room with all the windows open was filled with a sickening odor from them.

Crosby, contractor on the 4th Avenue Improvemnt, told me that when their bid for the work was made they calculated on a basis of $2—a day. They had been able last year to get their men at $1.50 and retaining the same men and feeling that {they} had been fortunate they were disposed to be liberal and therefore maintained their wages this Summer at the same rate-But, said he, “if a man were about starting some extensive new work in the city at this time and were to advertize that he wanted men but none need apply who were not willing to work 10 hours for $1- he would have all he wanted at that price. They would come by thousands. I am troubled by men who come to me now every day & who say they will work at any price; they have been so long idle & earning nothing. I know I could get thousands at $1—a day.”

[690]

The Dept now pays 3.60 per day of 8 h. for carts—Crosby says that he can hire carts at $3. for 10 h. and paying by the yard there would {be} many who would be glad of a chance to earn 2.60 a day.

Since the 28th May (q.v.) the subject of a reduction of wages has not been mentioned in the Board. The other departments of the city are all working smoothly on the reduced wages. Meanwhile the parks are suffering greatly for want of labor which cannot be afforded them. I shall report today on two complaints of citizens of the neglected condition of small parks that I find the statements true but that the Departmnt has not men enough to apply the remedy. On the Central Park a considerable part of the enrolled force is worked half time. Numerous duties are neglected and the Superintending Gardener and foremen all answer when asked why, that they have not force enough.

From this to May, statements in the minutes will show that the outlay is constantly outrunning the rate of the allowance for the year & that the Board is unable to find a satisfactory remedy.

The D.P.P. Board being about to go in session and a knot of half a dozen Aldermen sitting together in the inner lobby; one of the Commissioners came and took a seat among them, saying in a hearty way, “Why don’t you fellows give us what we want?” (referring to a negative vote at the last session of the Aldermen on a proposition by which the Park Dept would have been able to proceed with work on the Riverside Park). “We never get what we want out of you when we do;” one replied.

“Make your bargains before hand then. Make your bargains before hand” returned the Commissioner. “You can depend on any arrangement you make with me. You can rely on that.”

“Thats right, that’s what we want.” All this was in loud voices, in the presence of several strangers and four of the Departmnt’s officers and clerks, and within hearing of the outer lobby which was crowded with applicants for employment. The voices then fell. I went out & shortly afterwards returning, asked the Secretary whom I met if the Board had yet gone in session—it being [691] a full hour after the time appointed for its meeting. No, he said, there’s a lot of Aldermen and members of the Legislature in there. I went & found 12 of them—each member of the Park Board stood in a seperate corner of the room, engaged in an “aside” conversation with one of them.

[33: 199] The city Engineer of Providence told me (Aug 1875) that certain work which I advised on the park could be done in the winter cheaply as all needed laborers could then be hired by the city at $1—a day (10 h.)

I have today, after nearly four years effort, succeeded in inducing the Board to return to the system which I originally devised for the gardening care of the Central Park and had in operation in 1860. Soon after I left in 1861 it was abandoned and except during the Sweeny Hilton period of 1870–71, when a more elaborate organization was formed, there has been no gardener with any distinct responsibility for the gardening work on the park, while there have been foremen trained only in common labor, as of sewer and canal digging, in command of all the working gardeners and often directing gardening work, even the removal and setting out of trees and plants, without consultation with the head gardener or myself. There have been constant difficulties in consequence of the ambiguous position of the head gardeners and of the efforts of the foremen to control the gardening business. Knowing that the motive of this bad arrangmnt was at bottom a political one, I have limited my requests to but two simple points; that every part of the park should have a capable gardener responsible for the ordinary care of the trees, shrubs & plants (not turf) upon it, and that all work on trees, shrubs & plants, should be under the direction of the Superintending Gardener-the foremen neither giving orders to his limited force, nor being allowed to direct their own force to work on trees, shrubs & plants.

On the 4th June last I addressed a report to the Board on the subject, which was laid on the table—and has since slept. On the 8th July I read another report on the subject, which was also laid on the table.

Soon afterwards one of the repeated quarrels growing out of the bad organization having been brought before the President and he consulting me, I illustrated its defects and begged him to give more consideration to my proposition for improvement. He admitted the need of a reform—of changes in the organization—but said that he thought there were greater defects in mine & greater evils would arise out of it. He would not state what they were but promised to give the matter more consideration & me the opportunity of arguing it. Shortly afterwards, grave charges were made against Wolf—who occupied an anomalous position of “foreman of gardeners”; his business being to keep the time, independently of the regular maintenance foremen, of a small special gardening force (from 4 to 8 men) chiefly employed about the [692] restaurant at Mt St Vincent and in the propagating dept. Wolf was not himself a gardener—or had not been before he came on the park, but had been made one by order of Green & through his influence had been advanced in this position in which his pay was considerably above any of the skilled & trained gardeners of the Department, the Supertending Gardener—a salaried officer—excepted. The President was much excited about these charges against Wolf; sent for me & for the Superintendent; and was very angry with the Superintendent, for not at once dismissing the men who made the charges—regarding them as insubordinate. The Superintendent was induced to drop the matter. Some of the complainants however came to Commissioner O’Donohoe, who insisted on an investigation, made it himself and was satisfied that Wolf had made false returns of time and had been grossly neglectful of his duty. He recommended his dismissal, Martin voted with him, and, Williamson, who is supposed to be now trying to find a way back to good fellowship with the Tammany men, at length did so also, greatly to the chagrin of the President. Williamson did not regard the charges of fraud & neglect as proven but said that he was informed that Wolfs wife kept a Beer Shop, and that being so he did not think he was a proper man to be a foreman. The President told me this, & I saw at once from the tone of his remarks that a large part of his interest in maintaining the old vice of organization, was based on the conviction that Wolf held a better position under it than he was likely to if any change occurred. I accordingly took an early opportunity to ask him to review my report. I took it up & read it to him, and he had no objection to make to any part of it. Today, the Board being in session, I requested that it might be taken from the table and this being done the President asked Williamson to state his objections. He said that he could consent to nothing which would prevent the foremen from returning the time of the gardeners the same as of other men, nor to anything which would prevent the Superintending Gardener from directing and controlling the working gardeners. His objection to my proposition was only that it did prevent these things. On the contrary, I said, the cardinal points of my proposition are that it provides that the time of all gardeners shall be returned alike by the ordinary foremen—thus securing simplicity and uniformity of the accounts—but that these foremen shall have nothing more to do with them, they receiving their orders solely from the Superintending Gardener. “Oh! is that so?” he said, “then I will vote for it.” The vote was immediately taken and my proposition carried unanimously (See Minutes). Three years of argument, entreating and practical illustration have done nothing - But it happens at this moment that no Commissioner sees any private or political interest dependant on maintaining the old abuse, it is abandoned without the least difficulty. Had it been done when I first urged it, the park would now be greatly more valuable and the force much less demoralized. Had Wolfs wife not kept a beer shop, the opportunity would have been deferred, at least.

A man who had been employed (I think as watchman—a “soft place”) last year and discharged on a general reduction of force has since been assiduously trying to obtain reemploymnt and finally in the general enlargement of work preparatory to the fall election, obtained a “ticket” as stone cutter. The superintendent when he presented {it} said: “Why I know you very well & you are no stone cutter.” The man insisted that he was & the Superintendent assigned him to a gang. In course of the day the foreman of the gang reported that he found him unqualified - he knew nothing of stone cutting, and he was discharged.

He left threatening the foreman; went again to the President to obtain restoration; the Superintendent met him before the President and prevented his success. He then went immediately to the Park; demanded of the foreman that he should take him back and on his refusal shot him. The foreman’s life was saved by some metallic object in his pocket from which it glanced passing through his body. (Minutes will show pay ordered him for time lost while under surgeon’s care.)

A similar crowd has been before the Office at every meeting since (8th Oct—Of late a policeman has been employed to keep them from crowding into the building. Of late much of the work planned and arranged to be done this summer & some in addition has been ordered, and several hundred men taken on. At the last meeting the Superintendent stated that of those supplied with tickets not more than 60 to 70 pr cent were to be relied upon for a week—30 to 40 perct dropping off from discontent with the exactions of the foremen. Yet I have never seen men walking more slowly than the new gangs. On this ground 100 additional men were authorized.

I have not been able to work through the necessary blanks and changes of form of accounts for fully carrying out the reorganization of gardeners but have carried the order of the Board mainly into effect. A few days after the changes were made, Commissioner Williamson told me that there was one of the gardeners in whom he was interested and he was surprised to find that under this order he had been put down, and asked me to see that he was restored as soon as possible. The fact was simply that he had not been chosen [694] for one of the more responsible positions being unfit for it, & was engaged & trying to get some one of the better qualified men removed & the place given to him by influence. Next I recved the accompanying letter from a member of the legislature in regard to another in similar position:

The bearer Mr. McManus, one of your gardeners, is a constituent and friend of mine.

It appears that he has been overlooked in promotions made within the past week, I am interested in his success, and any favor you may do him will be gratefully appreciated by

Several boxes having been repaired & new ones set—during the last week 3 have been forced open & punches stolen.

In cleaning the lake the following autumn most of the boxes were found in it. Two night watchmen discharged came voluntarily to me and assured me that the boxes were destroyed & removed by the keepers for the purpose of bringing discredit on the system, & which they feared tended to a reduction of wages.

Throughout the canvass now about closing the republican & anti Tammany speakers have been seeking to fasten upon the Tammany party the odium of the attempted reduction of wages, the Tammany party to repudiate responsibility for it. Not one so far as I have seen, has attempted to defend it. No one appears to have benefitted by it politically & the Tammany party has evidently suffered.

During the last fortnight the Herald has repeatedly & for several days successively published sensational attacks on the Park Departmnt beginning with a statemt from General Viele implying that the Central Park had never been under drained and was in a pestilential condition. After some days the Times took up the matter in an editorial hereto annexed. This was for some days followed by others of similar import.

The matter occasioned some excitement among the officers of the [695] Departmnt and one and all believed the attacks were in the nature of a punishmnt of the Commissioners who had prevented Green from using the patronage of the Dept against Tammany during the late election canvass and was premonitory of an intention to obtain legislation abolishing or reorganizing the Departmnt. The President & one of the Commissioners expressed the same idea to me, the President saying that he knew it was so from other circumstances, and it was what he had all the time believed would be the result of the folly of the Tammany Commissioners.—Commissioner Martin addressed a note to Mr Bennett of the Herald suggesting that he should take some pains to ascertain the facts before going further. Two days afterwards I was requested by the President to see a reporter from the Herald who wanted to make inquiry about the sanitary condition of the park. I found him a perfectly competent man, a physician with some training as an engineer. 1 took him to the park and spent most of a day in exhibiting the drainage, sewerage, lakes etc. At the end he voluntarily remarked that the Herald reports were greatly exaggerated and that he suspected Gen’l Viele, whom he had seen, was something of a quack in Sanitary matters. He expressed a doubt whether the Herald would publish his report. Today the Herald has an article (I am told) in which it says in effect that the Park Commissioners have acted promptly on its suggestions and the park is now all right. There have been no new orders during the month & no work is being done not ordered before the publications.

I have made a report to the Board showing the falsity of most of the reports and have addressed a letter to Mr Jones, the publisher of the Times from the following draught.

A plan for the summer work of 1875 was made by me and adopted by the Board in January (I think), sanctioned by the Legislature at the close of the session, by the Governor at the last moment the law allowed. Soon afterwards mainly readopted by the Board, but it was not till after the first frosts of autumn and the heat of the election canvass that the necessary force was taken on and the larger number of the works specifically authorized to be proceeded with. See minutes.

See dated notes 8th July & 10th Oct 1875

Yesterday it was generally understood in the Departmnt that a bargain had been made by which Mr Green would again obtain entire control of the Department, and that on Sunday last he was engaged with Col. Stebbins, Ryan, Manning and others of his adherants in determining who should take the offices to be made vacant by the removal of those who had not been of his [696] faction. From inquiries made by the President and the change in his manner and that of other of “Green’s men”, it was clear to me that there was some foundation for these reports. This morning the pendulum swings back as indicated below:

(The bill passed the Senate on the 2d May, passage in the house prevented by filibustering to the close of the session. (3d)

The Legislature adjourned on the 3d. For some weeks past the question whether a Bill introduced in the interest of Mr Green, to reduce the Commission to one, (Col Stebbins), was or was not to become a law has been one of intense interest. The President stated in the Board and afterwards repeated to me, nearly two months ago, that he did not believe that there was a man in the Departmnt who was not ranged on one side or the other or who was not demoralized by his partisanship. Almost every man has been of the opinion that according as the legislature acted he was to hold, or lose, his place. At the very least that his place was to be a much more or less comfortable & profitable one. When the chances of the passage of the bill have appeared very good the Superintendent, who is classed as anti Green has told me that some of his assistants—foremen—as well as of the administrative clerks—have been recklessly exultant, defiant and insolent in manner, studiously careless and ostentatiously forgetful in regard to his orders and requests. It has so happened that the movemnts in Committee and otherwise have been alternately indicative of opposite conclusions, and the foremen, clerks and police officers have been advised by private direct telegraphic dispatches as often as anything occurred of marked significance. A large part of the force has consequently been under a state of extreme excitement—one day of depression the next of exultation and triumph, for weeks. It is impossible to overstate the degree of uncertainty which has existed to the last moment. On the morning of the 2d I was assured by a manager (Warren in Buffalo) of the Democratic party that whatever might be done in the House, Green could not carry his bill in the Senate. At the moment he said so, Green’s bill was passing the Senate by one majority. It was then considered by all certain that it would pass the House but the leading opponents of it assumed confidence that it would be vetoed. Green’s men were so exultant that the Superintendent told me that they stood in all but open defiance of his authority and were plainly laughing at him. He said, “if the Bill passes the House today as I suppose it will, there will be no use in my going to the park tomorrow for they will give no attention to anything I say.” Commissioner Martin told the Superintendent that he must encourage his loyal subordinates, & especially the Police Captain, not to lose his command, with the assurance of a veto, and said the more the Green men were carried off their feet and into open mutiny, the better he should like for the better reason there would be for [697] dismissing them. The conclusion is indicated in the following published dispatches.

It is to be observed that nearly every other Departmnt was in similar condition.

Commissioner Wetmore sworn in yesterday & immediately afterwards meeting held at which Martin, (Tammany) was elected President of the board, vice {president} Stebbins (Green).

It is already rumored that the law reducing the Commission to one may pass in an extra session—Hopes being had by Green men that it will be called chiefly to pass an Apportionmnt Bill required by the Constitution but failing in the regular session.

During the session of the Legislature which closed on the 3d, three of the Commissioners visited Albany and two appeared before Committees. Most of the lobby work was, however, done in New York, during the Sunday recesses of the session.

At one time for a week or more there were six employees and recently dischargd employees of the Department in Albany, all with the recognized purpose of working for “Green’s Bill”, for reducing the Commission to one. They there met the Commissioners against whom the Bill was directed.

The Minutes show that a Superintendent of the Departmnt was engaged in getting signatures to a petition favoring the passage of the Bill.

The Herald is now again having a series of sensational articles on the park turf abounding in statemnts & reports wholly false.

Commissioner Martin when elected President D.P.P. told me that he meant to be independent of the politicians, to remove no good men & appoint no bad ones, under whatever pressure. I believe that he was sincere. Today going on the park with the Superintendent I found one of the Division foremen 18 years on the park, thoroughly conversant with the work of his division & with whom I have had less occasion to find fault than any other, had been suddenly [698] dismissed & a new man appointed, whom I saw & conversed with. An Irishman 60 years old apparently (gray headed) corpulent, slow, good natured, easy going. The Superintendent said the change came without warning. He found the new man waiting instructions & utterly helpless, needing to be advised in everything. He believed he had failed in the grocery trade—probably dram shop—and had obtained the appointment as a charity. He had had no experience in any of the various kinds of work to be done, had never managed men—in fact was utterly unqualified.—The President said of this—“I know—but there were special reasons which at this time made his appointment absolutely necessary.” The Superintendent told me a fortnight later that it took about half his time to follow him up and that he knew much less of his out door business & was less capable of managing it than his men. He did not know what grass ought to be cut, had set four men to mowing who never had a sythe in their hands before and had started them in with the right hand man in advance.

President Martin said yesterday that it was impossible not to employ men in most positions and all laborers & mechanics as politicians demanded, but he meant to keep all important & controlling offices in his own hands & to have only good trusty efficient men in them & oblige them to do the best that was possible with what they had to employ of a lower grade.

Soon after President Martin’s election, as he was talking with me at his desk, a card was handed to him. “Ask him to take a seat outside and wait till 1 am through with Mr Olmsted” he said, then to me, “I am going to attend to one thing at a time and not let the politicians over run me.”—Today he sent word that he wished to see me about 5 o’clock which is the close of office hours. I went to his room, and found the Superintendent there and several politicians. Others called & were admitted, one going another coming until after six; when, as the last one went out, he said, “Well now 1 hope we shall {be} able to begin the business of the day. There’s no use trying to do anything while these politicians keep coming.” He was then occupied till after seven with the Superintendent & me—The dinner of each of us had been ordered at six.

The Superintendent said to me. “Whatever I propose that does not call for more men and a distribution of patronage I find Mr O’Donoho opposed to. Whatever I propose that calls for more men, I find him ready to advocate without inquiry. If I want to repair a building he asks “would that make a place for a plasterer or a painter or a joiner” and if it would he is eager for it, but if! say that it is something to be bought outright and can be put up with our own force, he frowns upon it.”

Contractors could readily get all classes of the work of the Dept done at considerably less than half the price which the Dept is obliged to pay—doing the same work by the day. I have made all my estimates for work on Riverside & Morningside Park on the expressed condition that the work was to be contracted. President Martin is strongly interested to have the work on Riverside done as soon as possible and also as cheaply as possible. It has been a prominent object with him since he entered the Departmnt a year & a half ago. By one means or another he has been thwarted. Perfectly realizing that the cost of the work will be doubled if done by day’s work, he yesterday told me that he was satisfied there was no alternative. The patronage of a day’s work policy would enable us to override all opposition. We can overcome it in no other way.

Am informed today that contractors are now paying but 90 {cents} for 10 hours sewer work at Manhattanville.

A deputation of working men came to see the Park Commission this morning to urge employmnt (See papers for some days back showing the movement) at the same time that they were receiving a deputation of property owners urging uptown improvmnts. Having made their set speeches, the question of contract and day’s work came up and property holders described what they had seen of laborers employed under the city loafing and getting pay for the baldest pretence of work. One of the laboring men then said “we know that that is so Sir, we know that men are put on your pay rolls by politicians and that when they go on the work and the foreman tries to make them work they tell him to go to a hot place and ask him if he supposes that they expect to work, and they tell him that if he don’t mind his business & let them alone they have influence enough to get him out of his place.”

Not a day passes that some move intended to influence the public is not made in the quarrel between Green & Martin.

Recently (in August) the Board of Aldermen adopted a resolution authorizing the Departmnt to go on with the suspended work at Tompkins Square, on the condition that it should be completed by the 1st Sepr—an absurd condition wholly impossible to be realized if for no other reason because the work includes the planting of trees.

The day following this action I was in the Board room when it was announced that a deputation from the Board of Aldermen were in waiting. “What is their business I wonder?” said one.

“Why! don’t you know”, answered another. “They are coming to see what appointmnts they can get as the price for extending the time for the work in Tompkins Square.” I remained only long enough to hear their first question which was as to the number of men the Departmnt could employ on the Square.

The crowd of men, working men and politicians, which now gathers about the Commission office whenever a meeting has been called is larger than it has been before for years. A short time ago a meeting of the Board had been called at 9 o’clock but there was no quorum and no meeting & the Commissioners that came, except the President, left early. Nevertheless a good many men held on hoping to be able to importune the President. At two o’clock he asked me to go out to lunch with him at a hotel one block below. The policeman attending at the outer door during meetings had been withdrawn and as soon as the President came to the head of the stairs there was a rush toward {him} from below and we were several minutes getting to the street. As soon as we reached the sidewalk the applicants pressed upon him so closely that he found it very difficult to move. After struggling for half a block he said to me. “I can’t have this mob go with me into a hotel, try and get me clear of them.” I worked out & brought a carriage near, into which he made a leap and we drove off rapidly going to a hotel a mile away.

After the meeting of the Board this morning Commissioner Donnelly stood surrounded by a circle of politicians who were demanding appointment of him—“The republicans claim that {they} have gained 400 [701] votes in my district”—said one. “Do you know how they do it? Why it’s by giving them appointmnts—you know it is. How the hell do you suppose we are ever going to carry the district, if we can’t give any appointmnts?”

“Well, you know,” replied the Commissioner, “I have given all my appointments to the Committee, I don’t keep nothing back, why should I? I don’t want no office.”

“I don’t know about that, Mr Commissioner,” called out another, “I think I’ve heard your name mentioned a few times lately for Mayor.”

“I don’t care if you have, I have not asked for it. I tell you if you want more men appointed you must go to the Aldermen & get them to vote us more work. I’ve given you all the appointmnts I can get, until they let us put more men on. You go to the Aldermen.”

On one occasion I was urged to have a plan and report ready for presentation to the Board as soon as possible. I promised to present it in a fortnight. In order to do so and to feel safe in doing so I worked during the intermediate time to the utmost of my strength, taking not half my required ration of sleep and passing two nights without sleep. At the meeting of the Board at which the report was to be made there was no quorum and it was adjourned for a week. At the adjourned meeting there was a full Board. In due time the President called up my report. “How long it goin’ to take?” asked one.(O’Donohoe).

“I shall be perhaps 10 minutes in reading it,” I replied.

“I ain’t got no ten minutes to spare to hear no readin,’” said the Commissioner, looking up at the clock, “and before I go I want some other business attended to.” The matter was then dropped and a two hours’ wrangle began on matters of which the interest all lay in patronage, the Commissioner remaining to the end.

One of the clerks asked me this morning, “Do you know, Mr Olmsted, if Commissioner ODonohoe is going to resign? It has been reported that he was but his men here say that he told them this morning that he had no thought of it.”

In the afternoon while drawing at the Engineer’s Office on the Park a clerk whom I did not know by name, opened the door and said, “Mr Olmsted, Commissioner Donohoe has resigned.” As I was going home my driver said, “Its all over the park that Commissioner O’D. has resigned. His men are all very down in the mouth about it Sir. I suppose it’s true Sir.”—The evening papers reported it & it was true.

Nearly a year ago the Superintending Engineer (Bogart) was notified that he would be no longer paid for his services but allowed to serve the Department gratuitously. During the year he has done much important work for the Department, especially in preparing the working plans & specification of the Riverside Avenue, (which has been let at 530.000). Supporting himself however, by work outside the Dept—(Various young men of the Engineer corps have been at work without being sure of their pay & irregularly without discipline). On the 22d (?) Nov. the President informed the Board that the contractors had begun their work, having 300 men employed, that he had made temporary arrangements for engineering but they were insufficient & unauthorized. He thought it possible to get on without employing Mr Bogart & proposed to place the Superintendence of the work with our assistant, (Mr Aldrich) & offered a scheme for a staff. It included 6 men. Mr. Aldrich had said that 9 were necessary but he thought he could get along with 6. 4 of the 6 were new men and most of them were experienced engineers, who were willing for the winter to take the rank & pay of chain men & axe men. “Whose men are these any how”? asked a Commissioner (ODonohoe).

“I had all the applicants who came here sent to [Mr Aldrich] [the engineer to be in charge],” said the President, “and asked him to examine them and report to me as to their qualifications. These four are those that he has found to stand highest among all those who were willing to take the respective places. He knew none of them before the examination and he did not know by whom they had been sent to us.” No commissioner knew or was particularly interested in any of the applicants, “so I thought that was the best way.”

“I don’t believe in havin’ no man whom we employ comin’ here and dictatin’ to us what appointmnts we shall make and I ain’t a going to vote for no such men” rejoined the Commissioner. The President explained that the pay of the Engineer force for the work was to be paid (a fixed sum for all) by the contractor & it would cost the city nothing, but the Commissioner was inexorable. Finally a temporary arrangement was made.

Contractors for Riverside Avenue have 300 men employed, laborers 90 cts a day, 9 hours or more according to light, laborers furnishing shovels.

Dept still pays $2 per day but men volunteer to work 9 hours.

Wages reduced today to $1.60 per day of 8 hours, with priviledge of working 10 at $2. vote unanimous.

Wages. at Montreal, laborers constructing the road up the mountain 65 cts for 10 hours; extremely hard work; men sometimes frost bitten & driven from the ground by wind when mercury 20° below 0.

65c=74 paper

U.S currency—wages

Park Dept being $2 for 8.

Changes—Not only changes of men filling offices but changes of functions of office. A certain kind of duty belongs first to one office then to another. I have known a single continuous process of duty transferred from one man to another five times in a year, there being no dismissals or appointmnts but simply so many shifts of responsibilities.

On a certain day this winter a member of the legislature called on the Secretary of the Commission (D.P.P.) and stated that he had sometime before asked for an appointmnt from him. “I want you now to tell {the president} that if the appointment is not made at once—at once—I will make him trouble.” He then wrote to the President “I have left a message for you with your Secretary to which I recommend your immediate attention.” (or to that effect). The President made no reply. He could make no appointmnt. The second day following the same member of the legislature introduced a bill to transfer to another Departmnt an important division of the Park business and a part in which it was known that the President took much personal pride & interest.

Another member of the legislature who introduced a bill of the same character spoke to me about it. I told him that {I} thought he was mistaken in certain statements he made on the subject. Thereupon he began speaking of the President in insulting terms. I interrupted and said “You will please remember that I am his subordinate.”

[704]

“Yes, I know, but he has no heart. I heard him say that he was glad when the snow came and he could not put any men to work.”

This member afterwards endeavored to make a provision for carrying on the New Capitol building that would force me to retire from the partnership of E. R. & Co. and gave privately as his reason that I stood by Martin, the President.

I have been 11 years in the Service of the Park Commissions of New York and five in that of the Park Commissions of Brooklyn. I have been at the request of one and the other at least sixteen times to Albany to aid in obtaining legislation desired by these Commissions or to aid preventing legislation deprecated by them. The duty required of me has been almost solely that of a witness either as to facts or as an expert but I have necessarily been present at numerous conferences upon the matters in question and have been more or less in the confidence of the Commissioners & those managing for them. It is my impression that not in a single case has the object sought been accomplished, whether in obtaining or preventing legislation, that the good will of legislators has not been cultivated by holding out prospects of patronage. In numerous cases patronage has been promised. In some it has distinctly and in plain terms been made a matter of bargain—a compensation for votes and influence as much so as if dollars had been counted out. After every session of the legislature in which Acts have passed or Bills failed in accordance with the wishes of the Commissions, legislators aiding these results have asked or demanded appointmnts from them distinctly on the ground that they had rendered such service and were entitled to special consideration in consequence. The most respectable & worthy members of the legislature have been as ready to do this as any others. They have only made their demand more euphemistically and civilly than the ruder and baser sort.

In the conversation of those interested of all classes the fact that the good will of legislators was to be purchased, was expected by them to be purchased, or that it had been purchased, was generally assumed.

I have had confirmatory experiences in my connection with the State Survey & the Capitol Commissions.

The same is true, but much more distinctly in regard to all dealings with the Common Council of every large town in which I have been consulted as to any public works employing a working force. All most every year there have been proceedings in Common Council apparently unfriendly to the Heads of Departments with which I have directly dealt, which by these heads & their subordinates have been commonly assured in conversation and in debate as the managemnt of their affairs have been assumed to be in the nature of black mailing operations—threats to be appeased by patronage.