The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1864-01-12

cost one cent the sum Of from forty 70 ty
dollars annually In addition 70 TINS s1ere are eSa
who have never performed an hours work
Let difference between the actual cost OF
done for under different system. Present cost Of the
Sanitary Department for salaries and contingencies,
Other estimates on liberal scale would be for sanitary
purposes, salaries and contingencies included $50 600
street cleaning allowing for increase Of pay TO men since
the completion Of estimate $3.50 00O Total $40 600
Difference favor OF the CITY, 1913 900, or $63 900
than sufficient carry all the legitimate operations Of
this department II the plans suggested by tho City In
spector TO be submitted 20 the Legislature should be
adopted this department will have the uncontrolled dis
bursement OF nearly million Of dollars annually
But aside from this waste OF the public money, still
greater injury Is inflicted upon the community through It's
influence upon our elections. The City Inspectors aud
the Street Commissioners departments have commands
by means OF patronage, controlling influence. as they
alege the votes or at least thousand persons
They claim as their own tho leading politicians Of every
ward OF the city and II Is only necessary that these de-
partments should combine and make known their choice
for Office to have their favortes nominated Tho honest
must for M SSs s y e.
to suffer tho usual penalty OF political macontens The
heads OF these departments having secured for them
selves by special act OF legislation last WINTER posses
sion OF their Offices for four years. there Is no power out
side OF the Legislature TO dspace them before the exp
as us 60
upon the community pecuniary and political. during
these years be estimated by the enormty OF
their acts committed since their assumption Of power.
A few items showing the manner In which the public
money expended in this department for political pur
poses during tho late election may not prove
on the llth Of last month At that time there
ployed twenty two distributors Of ordinances, twenty.
five notice distributors forty special inspectors and forty
additional foremen of street cleaning numbering in all
one hundred and twenty sevcn at two dollars per day.
or nnetytw0 thousand hundred and ten dollars
per annum for which the city does not in return
the amount OF mans work for single week in tho
whole year. This was less than half Of the actual number
OF men similarly employed. but without definite position
In the department, and paid from the city Treasury.
Whether these men are still under pay am una.
Bile 70 answer, every avenue to further Information
has been closed me. when by law and ordinance
reverse should have been the case In my bureau
(sauary) there are forty four health ana assistant
health wardens at cost TO the city OF forty eight thou
sand hundred and eighty dollars per annum. Ten
active intelligent men, with the city properly dstricted
would be Asufcient for the work, and saving the
city thirty eight thousand dollars find by the pay
rolls before that the cost for cleaning the streets
fraction OF twentysx thousand dollars, six hundred
and seventysx thousand dollars a-year should only
weaken the Importance Of this statement by adding to
any statements Of my / mention these eases as
instances Of what may be pracsed under the present
unchecked mode OF transsctng business There is enough
OF what s known to have been practsed to the
conclusion that the unlimited license thus allowed this
office has had It's necessary results disburse
mens Of funds for purposes intended aud ex
be difficult TO ascertain either the the objects
which they have been appropriated Could examination
into the affairs or this department be made the waste OF
Tic public money sCT personal and political purposes
would BIO found TO exceed in enority anything Of tho
KlnQ ever OcIOr0 known In history OF OF any
other civilized city Of the world Under The present
system the City Inspector s invested with tho double
duties Of preparing the monthly pay rolls of his de-
capacity or pay master He has thus unbounded dscre
ton in making out his own pay rolls and equally
limited means at his command 70 make such
leaving single check upon his disbursements hold
ing him liable 20 account for any abuse OF his trust
resolution permitting the City Inspector 70 act In the
double capacity OF and diSburser Of public
moneys was passed In the Common Council few days
before the present incumbent went into Office and thus
granted any other department Of the city gov
but practically ignoring the existence OF the
to pay over to the City Inspector on his
orr, any sums be might demand TO be paid. Why, the
rule In the City Department correct the same
would not be equally correct other city departments
would be difficult 70 distinguish The practice ad
mitted every check upon these departments in the
away with, and the Comptroler's office would be q
mere clerkshp as In this instance II has practi
cay become SO far as the City Inspectors Department
is concerned Let US look at such results may
under INSCRIPTIONS administration OF the Office. The
City Inspector makes out his semi.monthy pay rolls,
employees, transmits tho to the Comptroller and
demands hts draft for that amount The Comptroller
may nave ne % 81 t1 s psy
himself But the City Inspector, has been thu case
under The present exhibits the newly adopted
part OF the Comptroller insisted upon as unavoidable
The pay roll being In its form all that the law requires s
the asucent authority 70 receive the gross sum which
And now word as 70 what may DO done with almost
entire mpuny under the operation 2, the resolution
onethat out OF the thousand men returned on the
pay rolls 10 the Comptroller only five hundred are honest
" entitled to pay. There Is present check or nin
to the appropriation OF the balance any to
which the City Inspector may think t to put Il Even
reducing the proportion TO less amount the conclusion
is not less Inevitable that the power appropratng the
public funds without check limitation Is the result or
such resolution as the one referred TO- Even should the
Comptroller send for voucners-as has been the case
they are az hand, thor face showing distinction
between payments truly falsely made.
The plea that this mode OF payment convenience
to the City Inspectors Department in facilitating ito
business simply absurdity for the plain reason that
Il the assumption OF additional duties with additional
City Inspectors Department from such supererogatory
duties. while, at the same time, stood as cheSks9
offended sia EXPRESSED by the charteragspst any a.
tsmp At fraudulent connvanCes on the part Of the City
The repeal Of the resolution giving this additional un.
restricted power TO the City Inspector is mpsrstively
called for; for whether abuses may may not have
been practised under IT, It opens the door for such
= i've ~ Of
governments. This department being now without pecu.
MARY means TO carry on the work Of street cleaning the
City Inspector has pettioned the Common Council 70
issue city bonds which will again place him In the pos
session Of funds to be used by him o. bis discretion
q u s U s
coming Common Council, the least that be asked
from that body s that the amount so authorized be
issued eLal be limited 10 the absolute wants OF the de-
partment.
Among the early measures Of the Legislature should
be the passage OF an act TO take from this department
the whole machinery OF street cleaning, and
transfer to the Police Department, where It properly
belongs. The Commissioners should be empowered 70
advertise for proposals 10 clean the city, the
same 70 be divided pinto districts Of not less
than I've than seven and no contractor be al
lowed 10 contract for more district the whole
be under the supervision Of the Police Commissioners
The police acting street inspectors would relieve the
city OF $40 0OO present cost for inspectors and the
work would be efficiently done than before, TO
say nothing Of the immense saving 10 the city The pro-
posals should bo made TO include the manure OF the
streets which might be estimated for by the contractor
and become his property In part payment for she dis
charge Of bis duties. The OF this city, prop
ery cared for and disposed Of would bring 10 the city
Treasury q least 900 per annum and yet for
the aggregate has been sold for lees than 00
In London the expense Of cleaning the streets and ash
bins balanced by the sale or ashes and dirt In Edn
burg the daily cleaning Of the city, m courts and Closes
costs but $4,000 In Aberdeen the work done daily
profit 10 the city OF about 5000 N Hull the refuse
from the houses Is readily disposed q 81 pront 70 small
farmers
Thsse necessary details being attended TO- the depart
"a. su.s&