New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-01-17
fJoYsT COMMITTEE ON ACCOUNTS
FOR 1888


Sra: Section T. title ], part l. Of the ordinance or
e.n,sing tbs Departments Of the Municipal Govern
,.e,t ADOPTED Oct. %, 1919, declares that
Cont ,nistee ,haI hereafter BE- crested Or app
b csason SOsnc s1osp; Jon. C ss,s Who o.
three examine the soeoarts of The .sser,
.;n 20 Inc ooncn Couocii; and eIost Joint cso,oa
Asose Cona!'tse Of the COnnon Cod9sh 70 DC
xrs Groom AqOedus' Department in me
s.ess &C. eSaper J. srteI. title Of ,hs same oIdio.3os
the d Of se csDIoI I3 '9eS 90 1s D, A
coBls TO- their sxsn0ston, fui AID oe,s1sa s'e7e"
The .eesse q tss D. Psr%sT vouchers sb ns
TIE trainers If this ordinance never cCoh htNc suP
posed tina, tie Committee would ever nave Tue . 20
or incHuAtior even IL they hsd the ability 10 mHse
tboronOh exaopation of the accounts Of the ss'erN
Separtheris every three months, snd, "it1On au
exspin.fi ~, how could they discover ceHaque1cies
ana d.tect frauds Ii -, .; o. -,
~. The (omnoI Council, Il IL Noil written Tor bun
embe. but with a total disngsri for prscte j work
ings Nevertheless it is hg ny proper, nAy ,sbsoint
v neosssayy-if we take into consideration zoe ntnner
IN xl;oh our fn .nc al affairs have besD cOnd1cts T.
that fis OF special committee should, "a often as
once nor th-tgce would be- better, a psym-n's are
made teUi-mcnthl J-examine evoty ettry oi money
PAID and that proper voucher therefor Is on nie
An the Finance Department. | have yet to ses the
person @ho eau tell me when this has beer doae.
wss Impressed with its importance some two month:
tce, while looking over the distribotof' ~ books 81
Items charged under the head ~ legal expenses o
ID. ID. COboyer," amounting 70 fl3,SOJ. lrequest.d
the WsTALt Ckrk u show me the vouchers. hs
prOduced the pack ages Ia which tbey bei'Dgel, DIV
every voucher was Gissiog. Speaking d the circun'
staDfs awhile slterward, / heard ZONE enarEao'e
revelations coz cerpirg those paymebt-, etch IT ma1s
pubic, ~oui give 10 some prominent members Of the
Republican party an une wi 4ble lOtOile'y.
careful exanin alton Of the vouchers 10 the Con
trol RS tffice should b. made. We Can tlen know
how mar y are missing aUc bo~ many payments nave
been zoe without authority Of law
The Investigations of this Co oIDiftee naVe creite
q suspicion 10 10Y mud thet money has been retained
by Collectors snd used for toeir benefit and not de-
POSTED ia the Treasury for months aud psrtaPs yeirs
Recent developments have confirmed those tosp
and he rec ssi'y Of adopting plan by ~hco the
FinaBee Department can tell every evening the amount
of money paid ~ Collector every doy IL too great
to aomit cf delay. The plsu ] proposs is smple,
cheap, and perfect as human ingehuity eau oevse
IL sthis: duplicate bills sbOod be rendered for assefs
ID. Bts taxes wafer rents, aud Arrears OF the sane.
The payer must present both bills with the money 20
thu officer appointed to receive II. II the monsyis all
right, the Collector must put his private stamp on
each bill. beviry 10 u tne Gag of the montb-hke the
stamping Of railroad tickots. The payer mast then
take both bk to the head boOk.keeper In the COu-
troler flee. That officer, foding the foolngs alike,
retains one bill and puts BIS private -tfmp on the
Other which the p6yer takes 10 the Collector To be re-
cciptsd. Then the lien is removed, and not before.
The head bookkseper or bus assistant vii charge 10
the collectors the amount of the bils reiaoed.
Thus at the close of day he csn tell the amount
ps,d - each collector, and when they present the
Cham b<iLn's receipt, either daily weekly, It can
at be discovered whether they have deposited all
Of their collections
In ADDITION let the Legislature declare il INSIDE
meanoY punish able by imprisonment IN the State Pr
son. for any pubic officer TO make false returns OF
COLI ctiofs or to colude with others by withholding
information which II dvulged would detect pecdla9n
II this is done, the Taxpayers can sleep, not more
quietly, certainly securely than heretofore.
JAMES NJ. CROSS.