The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-12-10

ECONOMY ACCORDING TO fLAGG-lt dp-
pears from the City Comptrollers report
that he amount to be expended by the
city government during the coming year ex-
ceeds thirteen mil ions Of dollars The total
expenditure last year was under seven mil
lions; 80 that in round terms, our expenses
have doubled during tn twelve months. De-
Quoting $4,20O,000 for redemption of bonds,
the whole amount to be spent on the city In
1855 is nine millions Of dollars. The increase is
fairly distributed over the whole budget. The
Aims House gets $4,000 more than usual
the Board of Education 100000 extra; the
Fire Department $4,000; the p,ving account
100000; street opening account ss50,O0O ex-
ira; the police department 100000 extra and
so on. No one has any reason to complain OF
Mr.. Flagg's want Of mpartiality. 1t is only
in dealing with poor clerks and impoverished
contractors that he stints the dollars.
We cannot Of course 60 into the details Of
these various appropriations. That there are
jobs among them, and that certain parties
whose names are now unknown will tatten on
the swelled tax levy, and grow rich while the
public at large are grooming under fresh exac-
tons, we have ample reason to believe; nor can
there be any ground for experimenting that in
all cases the guilty will escape detection. The
public may rely on it, some Of the rogues will
be exposed by some one or other before the
year is out, and we shall know where the extra
millions are going. Meanwhile. we watch and
pray.
These estimates, high as they are, are consi-
derably lower, we are told, than those proposed
by the heads OF departments. In some cases.
it is said, Mr.. Flagg declares that he under
stands the business Of the department much
better than its auth rized chief, and where the
latter says ten, Fagg instantly substitutes five.
The COZ Sc queDce Of these nterferences, which
appear to be based on no sound rule Of econo-
my but on mere arbitrary caprice. has been
that severe embarrassments have already oc-
CURED in one or two offices; and while the city
deposits million Of dollars in the Mechanics
Bank for stock operators o use, the public 0u-
siness has in more than one instance been
brought to stand still from want of means. We
should moi complain Of these arbitrary mea-
sures, if they brought forth any tangible fruit;
but Mr.. Flagg's economy is more burdensome
and more expensive than any other mans
wastefulness. The tax levy grows, and grows,
and grows; and while the friends Of the Albany
Regency are praising the more than Spartan
virtue Of the City Comptroller, he is continuing
to extract more from us year after year.
The ordinance providing for the annual az
preparations contains clause absolutely pro-
hibitiDg the various departments from mourning
any expenses over and above the appropria-
tons. The effect Of this may be to subject the
city to serious inconvenience in the event Of
the amounts appropriated falling short Of The
object for which they were designed 1t is
another illustration Of the folly Of the pril-
ciple on which the las city charter was based.
Flagg and his associates seem to think that the
eli ser the hands Of the city officers are tied, the
better they will discharge the business entrusted
to them. Automatic would answer their pur-
pose far better than men.
1t is high time the Mayor gave his attention
to the Treasury department, and began to eA-
ercise his executive authority in restraint OF
Mr.. Flagg and his short-sighted theories. II
Mr.. Wood does his duty, we shall have an entire
change Of policy next year.