The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-06-01


THE CoxrTRoLLER's ANNUAL REpoRr--Ex.
pENsEs OF TIE CRY GOVERNMENT The Comp
troller, In furnishing bis report for the year
1859 to the Board Of Aldermen, as required by
law, has varied from the usual practice Of EN-.
bodyipg the receipts and expenditures OF the
city and county Of New York, ard has confined
himself to report of the financial affairs Of the
city only, having presented report of the
county finances to the Board Of Supervisors on
q previous occasion. Hence the cost Of the
municipal government appears, according to
the report presented to the Aldermen on Mon
day, to rate at figure considerably lower than
the tables Of former years represented, or than
the expenses Of our government really are--ths
sum expended, as there shown, being short Of
seven millions-w whereas I. in fact amounts to
over ten millions, inasmuch as the county EN-.
braces only Manhattan Island, and nothing
more, which comprises the city within lis
limits. In this way the Comptroller's late re-
port may be deceptive to many people, by i'm
pressing them with the idea that the drain
upon their pockets Is smaller than It really Is
Ore thing, however, is made manifest by the
report referred to, aud that Is, that the financial
affairs Of the city, and the system by which
they are presumed to be kept in order, are In
a most undesirable state OF confusion. and
require the utmost exercise Of eaergy and die.
cipline to set them right With all the clear
ness Of Mr.. Haws, we hardly think ths. one
person in hundred can distinctly understand
the condition OF our city finances from his last
report; and, indeed, he admits that everything
In bis depar.ment-whichi Is the most important
one in the whole municipal governnent-is
il mixed up and confused state He has, IN
douhtedly, Inherited q most complicated and
uncomfortable legacy from bis predecessors,
ard IL will demand all his known energy and
busiuess talent To bring order ont of chaos.
Mr.. Haws has repeatedly urged the adoption
Ct several reforms Ia the Finance Department
and ia his late report he shows that the errors
growing out Of the mode Of assessing property
and the collection Of taxes, cost the city over
$4,000 year, and that the loss arising from
discounts allowed for prompt payment Of taxes
amounts to some s25. 900 year. The remedy
for these evils which The Comptroller proposes
Is The charge Of TIE Law fixing the time for
making the assessments for taxes, and com
neneirg their collection earlier In the year,
and so graduating the penalty for non payuen.
as to prevent the rush iu the Receivers Office,
which causessc much confusion that errors be.
come almost inevitable. A lay 10 this effect
hss been prepared for the Supervisors; but Il
seems that II has not been acted upon In time
for The Legislature to pass upon It, Another
reform suggested by Mr.. HsTs was TO change
the commencement, Of the fiscal year from the
lat CT June to an earlier period, Ia order that
the Legislature might be enabled to psss the
tax levy In advance Of the time when tbs ap.
preparations are needed. and thus relieve the
Comptroller from serious embarrassmsnt
The Finance Department Of the city has eee1
for years IN abopelessiy complicated state aud
although Mr. Hsrs has dOue q good deal to
restore |, g seine orderly shape, II Is evi
dent tat great deal more remains 10 be &C
rcnplished before Il is placed In that condition
rhich The Interests Of this vast city require
lfitc fnsrcisl sfsirs Of az large msresatil'