The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-02-07

a -
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. Important Report Of CemmSsssoner Smith
Mow the DspaxtynsAs - Organized - Txe-
sens--Hts Cowurehensave Financial Axpenah-
tur~-Over Three MllIions ef Dollars Want
- 1ur Ieuo-The Cosover and Dsvlan Contest
- Crss -. One Husared and Ftfty Thousana
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. and Fxuuds u the
ma c.,sr.rs syserm--One Mllllon ~ Dollars
~ r.xrs Uupasd--W0rk or the DaAerent
Ror,.u-The Checks and Balances ana
G,war~as and Fences OF the New System, DO.
OFFICE or SrRxxr COMMISSIONER
New YoRx, Jan. 81, 1859 J
n ,ym HONORABLE THE COMMON COUNCIL
In compliance with section % Of the charter Of 1857
.yc me honor 70 submit the following report in relation
10 The business of this department. to include the Slst Of
December last.
me Street DEPARTMENT has charge Of street improve
uents wharves and slips, roads and avenues, public
lands and PLACES, lamps and gas construction and
pairs Of public buildings, supplies 70 pubic Offices,
expenditures for Ere apparatus removal Of distractions
and encumbpAnees from streets and harbers and the
collection Of In the principal Office besides
the Street Commissioner and Deputy there clerks,
ave inspectors and three messengers There nine
separate bureaus IN the department, in each Of which
there is superintendent, officer in charge, and the
necessary aad inspectors This immense and varied
busne involving sn expenditure Of about three
millions OF dolESs-anectsng, as II does, nearly every
interest the city, aud being intimately connected with
oeher departments and largely dependent upon prompt
action Of the Common Councrequires to be conducted
with method ana system, well strict adherence To
INV. On the Goth April last, at the time Mr. Edward
Cooper took charge OF the Department. the Business
IN state OF confusion disorder bordering chaos
The result, in part, Of defective laws, of ignorance
end neglect, aud Of designing fraud; and In part
n1Q M da,aOt IN he fact aix tha
Or more there had been recognized Street Com
miss ioner, and consequently very very little business
done regularly by the department during that time The
amount Of Office entirely inadequate, and seve
raj of the Superintendent had Offices and records
q their business Notwithstanding the fact that there
we're separate bureaus in this department. hundreds
a. applications reference 10 details Of unm portant
time business properly belonging TO the different bureaus
we're brought ssay direct to the Street Commissioner
Amongst other things large number OF bills for
work supplies furnished during the time that the
Office contested nearly all of which irregular,
md some fraudulent-the whole amounting to than
enc hundred and atty thousand dollars Most Of these
claimants, we'll other persons having business with
the department. insisted upon seeing the Street Comms-
soner, and discussing day after day their especial
grievances There something like one hundred aud
nfty contracts for street mprovements involving large
ineress 10 property holders, contractors and the city
the Corporation acting Justice with limited powers
These with exception, we're found
b. irregular, very many OF them Illegal and raudu-
lens The routine business mad been part, allowed to
Se over, and cfowdng into the edce. In this
dion of things Mr. Edward Cooper ct once recognized
he necessity radical change 10 the whole
(See circua address 10 heads OF bureaus jane 10
1853 as to the future organization OF business appendix
marked d. and transmit ed herewith He aiooted sys
ten Of accounts Tor ths transaction OF all business of
M office, and at the same time commenced collecting
information from every available in reference 20
Me exiting cortiton OF work and accounts BY contract
other wise, ~hch had been for years progress and
still lying unsettled. New ordinances for the
government OF the department prepared fee pro-
eeefipg Of the Board OF Councimen Dec D. 1858 and
every effort made 10 establish the whole business
upon proper basis. Much he'd beea done towards the
acoompls OF this purpose before Mr. Cooper re-
tred from the Office but this ohe a has yet been fully
attained, nor can be until certain important change
made in the city charter and laws. The system
adopted for the transaction Of business, gau crcu
lar ~ the keeping OF accounts and making payments
hisThe Superintendent OF the Bureau having charge OF
. particular kind Of work the furnishing of supplies
makes the Commissioner written report set
tDg forth the facts in the case and his recommeudaton
sbereupon II approved the Street Commissioner or
Deputy cedes 70 the necessity of the expenditure
qureo by the char ter, orders the work be done
or the supplies TO be furnished. The superintendent
after the execution Of the work the delivery Of the
articles, examines the bill rendered to him, and il ia
found correct he has trpiicae vouchers made out ia
regular printed form (see appendix marked c. transmit
Tue original bill is fled in his otce and the tripcate
vouchers, certified by him, transmitted to this Office
~ approved they are certified by the Street Commits
lequisiion upon the Comptroller drawn by the
Street Commissioner for the amount Of the voucher The
requstiop, with tipcate vouchers appended Is then
sent, with iclier Of !raasu,tal to the Comptroller,
~ whom warrant upon the treasury is drawn /,
Y iayor Of the party TO whom the money is |
nm signing receipt for the amount upon
Zach oil tie iyscate Vouchers The Comptroller retains
the eceped vouchers aud sends the other two TO
This Office one OF which IL fled here aud the other Is
transmitted to the Office Of the bureau under which the
incurred. TOese ipicate vouchers form
shs basis the whole system q payments and accounts
lions Of the department, OF which there Is complete Gle
Of original papers III the Office OF the Comptroller 10 this
Office and IN that Of the bureau winch the work
done TN appendix marked G, transmitted herewith th,
whole system of accounts, with tfplicate vouchers &C.
viii be found fully discussed, and It's advantages, as
saeguad 10 the city, explained, in report by me-
then Deputy Street Commissioner to Nc yard Cooper
and by him laid before Messrs A. c. Fiagg and r. De.
forrest, In Ih.r capacity Committee Accounts II
will be by this that pay male by this
department Neither the Street Commissioner nor oher
officer tho department handles any of the pnbc money
ether than their saaries-wh the exception OF the
chief clerk, who has small account for postage, &C.
into possession of this Office the made
10 book d printed FORMS the blanks left for pric being
red in with figures only instead OF being written ia
been nered aud In case years back were
any Of the contracts signed By the Street Commissioner
The contractors Is understood not furnished
copies 81 TIER contracts, and IN sone cases, IN
formed, tLey signed n the book they told do
Without knowing what instrument they we're signing
Under the system amended, Goth Of April
iest all CONTACTS are now male in tripAcate, all |
prices aud amounts written ont 10 fun, and |
each Of the tripcstes rs signed both by
-c.sse Street Comuiss and eo5tractor Oae or
these original contracts Is then Transmitted 20 the
Comptroller, 70 form check upon his paymeus; one is
that he may always have before him terms and
specifications for his work. Certified copy also died
h the Office Of The bureau having immediate superntcn
dcnce Of the work.
g Charter Of 1857 requires tina, the OF
shall be settled by tie Corporation Counsel act or
preliminary specification TO the bid proposal The
rms h