New-York daily tribune., 1861-01-21
OFFICIAL CORRUPTToMs.
LETTER FROM THE .EX-PAYMASTER OF
THF cPry


SIR; Observing my name corpected With Alderman
Dayton projected suppression OF fraudulent payments
from the City Treasury perpeta.ed under sanction Of
nominal services, permit % Assure you that brief
experience as City Paymaser has convinced me that
official integrity is virtue unknown 70 oar municipal
authorities By way Of encouragement TO Alderman
Dayton allow me to assure BIN that above onehird Of
the present army Of oicehode can be disbanded and
greater amount Of labor properly done. be gnaran-
teed fo the remainder. The fact TO- those who really
do perform their allotted work are underpaid while the
foaiiDg crowd Of political oecies, drawing pay at
heavy rates for services intellectually impossible 70
those Of their class present picture Of depravity sad
dening to contemplate Men who, n every other posi.
ton in life, would conceive themselves wroneed by
imrutaons of frand not only loan themselves tO tina
indirect robbery Of the Treasury but absolutely
ioice in system Of pecuiation eqnaly pernicous 10
The moral with the commission Of felony These
rauds lave been ccgnizant Of In my official capacity,
aud when demonstrated with even reputable dignita-
ries on b,ir permission woe smply told that "pof-
ial friends had 10 he provided for In some wsy OF
other" Unfortunately, the City Paymaster has no
power Of revision; be is a mere Disturbing agent,
directed to pay omovnis 10 parties specified on gen.
eral gro.Bd Of labor done. .af
The Board OF Aldermen viii naturally attempt to
sthe every inquiry into matters Of pay rolls for they
present City Fathers an III Dorado incxhaastible
when properly and dexterously managed. To iunnin-
ate AID Dayton as 70 the personal interest experienced
by Lie brethren, / will hint to him that one member
Of the Board last year drew 81 600 az Councilman
very the same amount as city Inspector while he
managed 10 sustain economical arrangement 10 the
matter OHIO, seeed byeonyertng his groom INTO DIS
tribuor of Corporation odinanoes at twelve shilings
per diem. And parentbe,ically, let entreat Aid.
Dayton to equaize the scale Of payment 70 these dis
tribuors of Corporation ordinances They are about
twenty -fOur in number twelve drawing ~ per dem
and the 9th, but twelve shlings The disparity IN
pay cannot be decided any principle Of labor done,
for rot one solitary on that roll ever distributed
TIE fr1gmeDiary portion OF an ordnance aitnongh the
City Inspector to secRre them pay ment, eeFtes THAI
the labor actually done, and the price charged
reasonable one.
Sufter me 10 call Mr. Alderman Dayton's further
attention 10 the improperly If disturbing these roI,
otherwise orr civic fathers will ne either peceetated
to provide II cir poor relatives with new asyium or
consgn their bodies to igBominious aims house.
Az they now stand they are saecti9nate memorials on
the attach Of friends and jependant 10 the career
of some bright and shining municipal light. They
afford noble of Aldermaric patronage species
Of honorary peDsOning Of our rulers less smhrions
relatives WHO are content 10 live at their ease 10 the
obscury Of private Efe by drppings from the great
fountain q. the public till
There died in the town Of Stamford, Connecticut,
come months ago. one Sahan Peek, venerable
gentleman, whose obituary announced 70 the world
the remaI ka le facts that he recently celebrated hs
golden wedding md was the father Of Alderman
William j. Peck he obituary, however, forgot an
eqmIly interesting featurethat ths venerable genie
man had for YEAR, past drawn from our treasnry two
dollars day inspector Of street improvements,
although nonresident Of city, county, and State.
And singular 20 relate even after Nathan Peeks
untimely decease have had the pleasure Of soothing
the sfctions Of his bereaved SON by handing him soe
two hundred and odd dollars of the city funds, pre-
sumptivey esrned by bsdeparted parent m his capacity
as inspector OF fireet improvements aforesaid. And
still Alderm, Peck, recipient of this involuntary
donation of payers, received oB New. Years Day
testimonial of silver plate 10 bazon public appreciation
of his INTEGRITY and official honesty. This b bnt
he k.f yxhio
our CITY Treasury two thousand dollars monthly.
And there are hundreds Of other instances where
receive pay for work said to be done IN capacities
foreign 70 their everyday habits. .
That these pay.rols are gigantic frauds is mehn-
choly fact but that they are 30 guarded as to einde
possibility Of detection Ii more melancholy one,
combining as they do a inll series Of fHia les,
whose reocenrrence serves 20 dspsfe Suspicion as 70
the integrity OF the documents. Every ray-roil NJ
either certified By the chief of the bureau issuing II,
eorptersgned by the head Of the department., or
sworn by AFFIDAVIT. Of the employing foreman as
being for services actually rendered, and that the
compensation is fr and reasonable" They are thea
audited in the Controllers Office by gentleman re-
Ceiyng the uodest salary of $3.50 yer annam to de-
tect falsehoojs trsnsarent small boy at 10 cents
week After undergoing this surerfaols operation,
hey trasmtted 90 the paymasier at the Chamber
aims Office. who has 10 pay them according 60 their
express tenor, and Who ne De an homes, man. nnas
Alderman Dayton's colleagues will never permit
him 10 disclose the epoty of frauds disnised under
deparpepial hends of Salaries and " contingen-
sits' Ii be be In earnest and the public desire relief
7 suggest as Az eiEectnal remedy demand for. and
publication Of, ,very pay roll in specific detail wsl
as resume q warrants drawn IN payment Of salaries
or for services rendered The Of this evil rsts
not with the receivers Of this money, but with the
fnarcial officers Of our municipality who pay claims
which every other man In the community knows 70 be
fraudulent.
The Cont n'roll re Office for example, needs perect
oyerhanling by compeIert hands, for as practical
banker Of considerable experience will say chat its
entire mapas en- ent is outrageous imposition, and
were any iOntsOck association be ce8dncted 10 an
equally cof,ly and diegraeefnl manner, II would oe
bankrupt in }, ~ than twelvemonth. The en'lre
trsasury Of New-York Requires reorganization, and
should be place in the haais OF bankers not poi-
clans. Instead Of the ChamberEincy being subordi-
nate 10 the Controller "a ID now nifrtunateiy tee
case II should be rendered coordinate department.
serving az che, K 10 the Controllers issas OF war
rants The pawn sser shoud be rendered independent
Of both End no i'll should be paid for saisres labor
or services rendered unless subjected TO his super
yision.
II the taxpayers of New York desire TO secure re-
trenchnet In "a eess expenditures they viii find it sd
vsabie faIm the collection and Disbursements OF
the revenue 10 reputable banking honse, VINO
would undertake not only the custody of the City
funds but the control Of all collateral financial mat
ters In this wise the entire expense OF the hnancisi
departments at present organized can be saved the
City, and their energy and efficiency secured upon
a proper banking bass. ,,,
RespectlOly yoers, THOMAS riCfOS,