The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-02-15
Important Document-The First Report Of
the New City Comptroller.

Important Document-The First Report Of
the New City Comptroller.
We publish to-day the first annual report Of
Mr.. Flagg the new City Comptroller, presented
to the Common Council last evening. 1t is the
most important document as regards the inter-
ests Of this great city. that has ever emanated
from any department of the city government.
Never has such a voluminous, able and inter-
esting report been issued by any Of his prede-
cessors in office.
II is paper Of great length; but when we
take into consideration the fact that il covers
the whole ground of our city government laying
bare the frauds that have been perpetrated, the
reckless and wanton expenditure, the frighttul
abuses, increasing and multiplying every year,
the corrupt and Illegal courses that have been
pursued, the fragrant violations of the charter,
and the alarming progress Of taxation threat
ening, at no distant day, to overwhelm the city
with ruin, we come to the conclusion that instead
OF being too long the report is remarkable for
its comparative brevity, comprising as it does,
in condensed FORM an immense mass of well
digested matter, arranged under appropriate
heads.
This document will be received by the great
mass of our citiZens-it will be received
with joy and welcome, as the harbinger of
a new era of retrenchment and reform. 1t is
very evident that our city government, SO lavish
in its expenditure. have caught a Tartar in
the person of Mr.. Flagg. He knows too much
of finance. human nature, and the laws to be
humbugged-he is too upright to be swayed by
improper influences and too brave to be affected
by threats or intimidation. He is just the kind
Of man the people wanted for the Office Of Comp
troller. and, on their part, we must protest
against General Pierce taking him to Washing
ton to fill the Office Of Secretary Of the Trea-
sury. not because he is not thoroughly compe-
tent but because he cannot be spared from New
York. No doubt the City Hall is like the Au-
gean stable; but Mr.. Flagg is a very Hercules
of a reformer. and, by continuing to direct the
stream of his facts and figures through the seat
of corruption. he will soon have accomplished
labor as great as that Of the son of Jove;
and the result will be that he will win the con-
fdence and earn the gratitude Of an injured
people.
The Comptroller goes back to first principles;
he goes to the charter of l849, to the charter OF
1880, to the convention that led to it. and the
causes that led to the convention, which,
strange to say, were the very same as
those that now call forth the scathing animal
versions in the report with this difference
that then the evils were as mere molehlls
compared with the huge mountains that at pre-
sent appal the taxpayers. and which it requires
something more than faith to remove The
people, in 1880 imagined that they had ample Sc
curty in the charter against the recurrence ofthe
wrongs inflicted upon them by the "city fathers"
of that day. A few years experience however,
taught them that this charter could be violated
and evaded; and they sought additional security
in the charter Of ls49 which distinctly sepa-
rates the legislative from the executive func-
tions, but which have been ever since. in prac-
tice, COMPOUNDED by the usurpations of the Com
mon Council. just as if no charter existed It's
provisions have been evaded and violated so
Systematically that the people are now calling
for some new guarantees. in the shape of amend
ments to the charter and some additional checks
upon the wild career of public profgacy. But
what security is there that the new provisions.
if they should be adopted. will not be trampled
under foot like the old? What is wanted is
not so much new laws as the faithful admins
tration Of those we already possess. Laws
have been piled upon laws. like Pelion upon
Ossa but all to no effect. because, practically.
they have been permitted to remain dead let
ter The laws that have been passed have
been aimed rather at the effects than the causes.
and have not reached the evil at its source.
in the primary elections and the police
system. which have hitherto defeated all
the laws, by preventing the right kind OF men
being elected to administer them. It is true,
chat once in long time such man o. Mr
Flagg turns up; but it is more an acct
dent than anything else. and he is an ex-
ception to the general rule. He may nc
complish great deal If he continues for his
term Of three years in Office; but he may not
be elected again, on he may not wish to be
candidate again, and the good that he achieves
will therefore be only temporary, unless there
is some organic change which will 20 to the
root Of the evil. securing the election Of men Of
the same stamp for that and other Offices and TAX
ing away both the temptation and the power to
do wrong upon an extensive scale.
The Comptroller shows, among other things,
Che Illegally Of mulcting the city for extra
compensation to the Judges of the Supreme
Court, who arc State Judges and he accordingly
declines to pay Judge Edmonds' bill for $3.50,
unless the spirits from the other world order
him to do 50. 1T is worthy Of remark that in
1916 the salaries Of the Judges Of the Superior
Court, who are County Judges, only amounted
20 1890; now they amount to $4,000, besides
$500 for City Judge--in all s27 500. The
Comptroller also exposes the gross injustice
done to the city by the operation Of the Free
School law. which compels il TO pay a special
sohncI lay after contributing al beavilv IN