The New York herald., 1870-01-04
WI not allow the matter to be unreasonably de-


position. II we are to oscane serious and not dis
taat emnarrassnents the Legislature must cease TO
pass laws compelling tho Is 40 Of bonds Dy this nu-
During the past year the Board OF Assessors made
an arbitrary addition OF twcntynve per cent to our
taxable valuation, SO tnat now IN many Instances.
property " vained ior taxation nearly hign
sum as it would fetch In the market. rne Oh ga-
lions alreadv incurred by our city amount 10 mort
gage OF fifteen cents every dollar the valuation
thus enhanced. Excuse might be offered for adding
sr further To this oppressive volume oI debt II
current expenses were 0eiiix reduced or remaining
stationary 30 as To give prospect Of our beng here
reierence 70 the records OF Il the civ VIII SHOW Thar
while on tue one hand have been increasln. our
debt, on the other We nave also Increased annual
current expenditure, and Ia both respects tine
crease has oeen relative as well as actual. In hex
words man for man or dollar for dollar, we pay
more taxes every year than we formerly paid and
Still every year eacn lnhGbant OF BcoO& .yn owes
more after having paid more and has run deeper
deDt, IN addition 10 having Dorne greater indl-
yidnal Darden or tayai0a. Ihs IN growing and
prosperous city oasht not 90 be. the Increased
value should Keep pace with Inc increase OF taxes
and Indebtedness II not, either tae CITY i famg
bennd proper rate VI progress or It's public aiars
ana IMPROVEMENTS arc beng carried Oh LOO cSpen-
siyey and In either view 1t Is necessary 10 soivency
t0at we shouid lessen our expenditure and on no
pfetenee Whatever contract new iaacoteaaess aaih
tue present deb. ID largely reduced
COST or sraEgr IIUarfNG.
10 explain some oI Tie causes Of the increase OF
current expenses wti call lne agtenlion of your
honorable Doiy 10 some nems OF expenditure and
oy contrast Snow how the Increase can rea1iiy be
accounted iOr The nrs,-a iatlsr unpopular one 10
cJmpiain oi-is the amouns expcnlei ior iigutia9
streets. In 1855. during sDe ualnnislr ration ).
Powell sIo,ooo Was Iaiseu for TIA, purpose On
property valuation or sl0Jo,o0o. llis proved
sufficient ia 1868, under my administration,
on saoo 900 props yo,sc yaaaaa aaa tose sSt.os
cheney account OF sioo,Uoo in other words
we eXpend now 40 per cent more tnan
formerly, with an Increased ability to pay OF only
iity per cent. | have often called the attention of
the Board OF Auernen 10 TINS subject, oaC no notce
ass as yet eeen Iksn q my COMMUNICATIONS ine
year IA tue Scyentn ward alone i i,2iy. Had IL re-
qured such an aaatson Tor newly openel streets no
great objection could be made, DuC most OF tacse
were placed on streets where lamps nal been
erected, and for years past had proved suicienr IN
nulnDer. they have been rep.accu III SOME In
stances at . distance OF not more than uity feet
apart. deem this an unnecessary oaeay OF money;
some remedy have 6, be provided Tor Jnis abuse
and therefore suggest tnaS the SUBJECT receive
your prompt attention..
COST or FIRE DEPARTMENT..
Further explanation of the rapid increase in the
afnoanJ of lakes IS aioldeu W tile enormous
Increase Ia the expenditures Tor Lae maintenance
Inc FIRE Department. Tns also mas riseu III iour
Ioid ratio 10 The increaSsu valuation 0! property IL
nly Information Is correc. ana II can rely upon
written sta.etneDI maze " me ny gentieuian VINO
now nod u prominent position IN the New York
paid fife Department. IL appears mat IN 1867 the
expense ui maintaining tue rire DepartnleGb IN phll-
adelphia III eiiecLve conltion was l40o1; and 1t
was cUncusiveiy shown thai SI20,000 Tor The nest
year, ana probable reduction thereafter, wQdld
give rs eilGieaL department Tor Brooklyn. TINS
uexIs so can scanO reason, EXCEPT tor tile purpose
OF MAINTAINING. III the customary costly scale of sacn
0oues, auo.ncr Irresponsible commission, why We
are caiied upon 10 raise $50 90 per annum nom
our already oveftaaed citizens.
TIE BUILDING LAW.
In ls6S the Legislature passed law creating
bureau, &c, Tor :ue prevention of ares and regu!a
iiua OF buildings, which Law was subsequently
anienued. Inc duties 10 be performed by Lle ap-
po,necs unurr me act were simiiar to Those for
merry discharged ny The fre wardens Ia tact the
bureau Was sinpiy created lOr the Western aisirict
instead oi Tor the whoe city showing evidently that
IL was not a necessary insuutiun ior the city. Tne
HHca cotccIed Tor Violations OF law NY tue Supern-
tsndent are paid over 10 what, since the aDc,lsn-
nenb oi tlie Soiunseer ire department nss become
close corporation The trustees OF the WILLOWS and
OrpaaI.3' rand. ms misnt have been eXcdsaDle
Waiie the 1renep performed duty without co,n-
pensatoh, but under the rreseab stare OF aliairs
~ cah haidy he Justified. ihe duties should be
performed a. a less cost to tie cfy, the salaries
paid out OF the amount rea.Ized from the lines
from mat raised lOr Fire Departments purposes A
careiul ieaaing OF Ike laW will convince any one
tnat sie powers conieired by II upon the supelin-
GER lie 50 used as 10 create The gcatesJ lacnlne tor
ulaeKnauips ever concocled The aw Aas lioFe-
over proved to be detective VI not giving sufficient
power either III tue department. ClCsSed under 1t
elsewhere, 70 ptoVas agaiAst caiamisies sach as
nave occurred recently in turinaG street. am
formed there are several buildings unuer the Heights
IA an uns3ie Condition ana woI.n therefore suggest
tlas your !uaorapic BODY cause this matter 10
vestisasei ~ orer that IT, aler thorough inquiry IL
had it should De dee ned necessary tu ootaiu Jegls
iaLve aid II inay az ollcc be applied Ior lii order
guard agaist the recurrence OF another catastrophe
ISsPaGIuRs Or CONTRACTS.
Tbe law cream. the Board of CJutracts provided
Tor Tie appointment vi tnlee Inspectors Tue services
oi whom we're found necessary. When lnat BOARD
was abolished ana the powers exercised by them
transferred 10 the Common Council necessity Tor
retaining these Inspectors III Office manifest
Ihc powers have since been Iaksn away from the
Common Council and vesseu III COMMISSIONS, 70
sn an extent as 10 rendef te services OF these in
spectofs uanecessarJ. therefore suggest tnclr uis
mssa, 10 save TIE Guy over $4,000 annually whica
1T teNpendh wihoui receiving Dencnts sufficient 10
warrant lue outlay.
pIsusED PROPERLY.
In CONSCIENCE OF the receat Changes made In the
fire Dcpal tnent, many OF the D4dmgs formerly
occupied Tor Eire Department purposes have tc-
4
commend Lnat al these, also any other premises
owned and mol useu by the city, be sod ANA the
avails PAID into the SINKING fund. No now
tahea vi this property ana IL is growing day less
vainaDe, hence ths subject snond receye eariy at
tention. ~ would not De a!niss " some accounting
was had o. al the lire apparatus wncll in conse-
auenos Of tue change Of the deparsmens s no ouscr
used.
FlEas AND wHAsyEs.
Another subject which has been somewhat lost
sight OF Is tne piers ana wnarges oetonsing the
Guy. Ii Immaculate steps taken tu them
af aucti0n 10 tile aiyhcst bidder donbs hot Lnc CITY
would derive very respectrDie incone IRON tlaL
source; whereas, AZ at present managed, they in-
yoiye the cisy IN large expenditure Ior keeping
them In repair, whie we are scaccey receiving amy
revenue therelroui. Tie amount pad into the Iren
sury during tile pasl two years not averaged
more thah Si4J per annuIn. Inis subject assumes
the more importance now 1ro.n Inc recent compile
ton OF the docks ana basins at the foot Washing
ton avenue. The Wal!about Improvement has cost
LIE CITY over three-quarcrs OF milton dollars, Ill
return for which We derive not only shorter access
between lhe Eastern and Nesern districts, which
mas long been aesideratum city trayel, bat the
pOSssSsiOD Oi SphCkOun wafer ff0ul ana COCK pro
perIy The East river che OF which, IL wiscly
regulated, may BECOME largely productive oi reye-
nue TO the city aud tend to facilitate the improve
ment or tract OF adjacent property which hitherto
has renamed vacant.
JUsTlcEs corR1s.
The expense OF maintaining our Justices courts
keeps more than pace witn the growth oi the cy
the Increase vi crime Ii now costs the city an
nuly about S5cc.O against Oncthird OF that amount
but Il few years ago. see 10 good reason why the
Justices should not rely tor their remuneration upon
the fees IMPOSED upon the parties bringing suits
before them, as Is the case other parts OF the
state. The dnes collected by the Justlces are not
always paid oyer TO the CITY. 40 REQUIRED by law,
is iist furnished the Common Council containing
the names OF the parEies fined and the amounts or
tae iines imposed. / have receuly been furnished
win very strong presurnptive evidence oil the fact
that one or the Justices wno mas uRy returned about
twenty dollars since his induction Office In 1865
must have received lines amounting TO over SLvo
durlnS last year.
DANGER or INSOLVENCY.
1t II O disheartenng and invidiOus task 10 criti-
else the errors OF Legislation aud the consequent
financial conditon OF our city with the severity
which the facts demand. But am compensated Tor
whatever dispeasure such course iGay arouse In
tpA rtar nv nm cnn Nflnn nat uII gvh,