New-York tribune., 1869-04-02
THE CITY AND COUNTY TAX LEVIES.


In partial obedience to the law of last Win
ter our City authorities have sent to Albany
the proposed tax levies, though they are even
now about a fortnight later in reaching there
than the law requires. The Committee on
Municipal Affairs in the Senate has announced
that it will take them up this week and hear
argument from all who are disposed to appear
before them, and expect to report the bills
early next week. The Assembly Committee
have agreed to pursue the same course,
so we shall get what we have not had for
several years-a fair opportunity to examine
these vehicles of extravaganza and corruption
before they are passed. The levies, as sent to
Albany, amount in the aggregate to about two
and half millions less than those OF last year
as passed. If we could, therefore, hope that
they would not be increased, we should have
something to be thankful for. But the bills
sent up bear obvious marks of being intended
as mere skeletons, to be padded out at the
Capital. They contain no donations, save one
small one; they contain no individual appro-
priations or claims; in fact, they only contain
the ordinary routine appropriations, though
there is hardly an item of them which is not
too large. There is but small appropriation
to satisfy judgments, the Controller having
paid, it is reported, the large sum which Is
usually included under this head by the issue
of bonds for "adjusted claims as authorized
under an extraordinary provision OF the leyles
of last year. There is nothing for the New
Court House; but does any one in his widest
dreams imagine that the pledge given by Mr..
| Tweed last year is to be fulfilled, and that
nothing further is to asked for that pecuniary
| maelstromf The item of million dollars which
was in the levies of last year for assessments
for street openings finds no counterpart this
year, as the Church-st. and other improvements
were provided for in that. I.f.t
Of items increased in amount we find in the
County Levy of course, printin and advertising
contingencies nmost elastic of terms-and
salaries. The salaries in the Executive De-
"partmentn increased in 1858 from SlS6.OOO to
S2O7, 200, and now further increase to S24l $50
! is proposed. The salaries OF the Judiciary were
in 1867, $40O,J7O; in 1868, $54O,S8S; and in 1869
are stated at $609,685. Has any one seen any
proportiOnate increase in the quality of the
article firnishedl The CoroneTs managed in
! 1867 to form their wise conclusions on all cases
| of sudden death for $4,000; last year they got
S36 500: this year they want S5l,500, though they
II
now are at no expense for rent. This sum
amounts to something more than third OF the
total expense OF the Board of Health for the
entire Metropolitan District AS the inquests
even with all the stretching of the law which
prevails, amount to Only $780, and as there are
but four Coroners to divide the money among,
this strikes us as being close resemblance IN
kind to stealing coppers off dead mans eyes.
In the City Levy $4,000 is asked for the
Battery Improvement though $4,000 was
appropriated last year expressly for its " COM
"pletion.r Salaries here increase in the Legis-
lative Department from S13S,3O0 to $16O,616 IA
the sum being doubtless needed for new offices
created or salaries raised by the Common Coun-
Gil in violation of an express provision of law.
Other salaries remain unchanged, though in
the City Courts there is an apparent but not
real, decrease. is.J .aaI qsia,-' ~,
We shall watch. tho process of accretion