The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-01-16
More Of FIngs's Economy.

Decidedly the most amusing expose Of Mr..
Comptl oller Flagg's financeriug was contained
in the report of the Corporation Committee of
Ways and Supplies, published in yesterdays
paper. 1t seems that the Comptroller has been
in the habit of advertising under the ordinances
for tenders for supplying the Corporation and
its departments with stationery; but, instead of
awarding the whole job to the lowest tender,
as the law provides, Mr.. Flagg selects from the
tenders Of each the articles set down at the low
est rates, and thus makes contract with half q
dozen houses instead Of one. Now 1t is quite
obvious to every one who is acquuinted with
business that statiorer, like every other mer-
chant, cannot afford to sell lot Of goods worth
500 at the same rate Of profit as he would a
lot worth 81 900. The statioDers who rendered
at Flagg's request-there were only seven,
most of the trade having seen too much of
Flaeg's mode Of doing business to desire to
deal with him--threw in some articles at lower
rates, proportioDately, than Others, looking to
the aggregate profit to make the account square.
To their dire confusion,I Flagg has picked out
of each tender the very aFticles they thus threw
in almest at loss, and effected the other items.
The consequence is HAT in the words of the
committee, at is utterly impossible to procure
even the most ordinary description of articles
at the prices named" Our experience of Cor
poration doings leaves us in no doubt as to
what the result will be. As was done in the
case Of the street contractors the contracts
will not be fulfilled, and the city will be COM
PEELED to pay full retail prices for all its sta
tionery. Needless to add that Flagg acted in
defiance Of law. No such dissection of tenders
was contemplated by the charter or ordinances:
the trainers of those laws directed the award
TO be made to the lowest bidder, regarding
each tender as an integral whole.
Thus Flagg saves the money OF the people Of
New York. If he contented himself with break
ing the law, and setting the Legislature and
Common Council at defiance, looking out the
while for the public welfare and interest, some
excuse might be urged for his refractory tenn
per. Bat a. violate the Law and at the same
time 10 haetAse the public expenditure by ad-
herring SfSolish crotchets of his own. is too
! mucn To- be borne in silence. Let the Comp
! hollsf choose between his two propensities.
Let him either bully the Common Council, and
laugh at their laws, or keep a smooth face and
Increase the taxes People might suffer Flsgg
to set law and authority at defiance il he was
an economical guardian Of the public money;
or they might submit-being tolerably accus-
toned so to do-to bis extravaganza. if he set
al example Of subordination aud respect for the
popular will. But to be bulled and fleeced all
at once is putting their temper to too severe o
| trial.
The fact is, we think Mr.. Flagg 8 race Is nearly
run, We suspect he must have been deluding him.
'sclfinto the belief that bewas popular officer,
and fancying, because the journal of Commerce
| sustained him in bad English, that the people