The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-09-23
No Vouchers, No Financial Statement, No Tax
Levy and No Responsibility the City
II Being Loaded with Debt-Inter-
Wow with Mr.. Leon Albeit.

none. This epgendered q very uneasy feeling
among the taxpayers, several OF whom waited upon
Mr.. ALBEIT and requested him to institute
SEARCH FOR TIE VOUCHERS,
and II he could not succeed In this to prepare a
statement of the expenditures made by the present
administration as far as the same could be CLEANED
from authentic sources.
HERALD reporter waited on Mr. Albeit yester-
day and learned the result Of his laSors thus far.
He was absorbed in several follos OF figures.
study Of which, incomplete ana irregular as they
were, being obtained from several sources wholly
independent OF each other, was work requiring
more than ordinary mental power. "You see,n
said MI. Albeit, I'VE have no longer tax levy
published, so that we are
LEFT TO GROPE IN DARKNESS.
The publication OF the tax levy according to the
time honored custom would be check upon extra
vagance and would invite public criticism OIL ex-
cessive expenditures. SO the new comm ssiOn,
under the Bumsted charter, resolved to transact
their business quietly without beng subjected 10
any annoyance from grumblIng taxpayers"
REPoRTER-BuC do you mean that no financial
statement has been submitted to the people since
these commissions came into pOwer2
Mr.. ABDETT-I do. AresOluton was passed by the
Board Of Finance on the Sd of last June that COM
plete financial statement be prepared by the Comp
troller for publication No such statement has ever
since appeared, because these men were
AFRAID TO LET THE LIGHT IN
upOn their transactions. cannot obtain access TO
n e cy be- NOT an exercise OF 81
power by commission when was not created by
the people and Is not responsible to the people I
RBroRTER-But have You obtained any figures on
which you can rely IN this business
Mr.. ABDElT-Oh, yes With all their vigilance and
caution managed to secure some documents which
Will assist me very materially 10 the work before
me. In the nrSt place let me tell you they have
so that there Is no longer any money TO the credit
OF that account. Under cur old system OF dve-vear
bonds all the bonds we issued would redeemed by
the assessments paid IN within the five yearsso tnat
we could start anew with clear hands. One section
to issue twenty bonds for the purpose Of meet
Ing the expense Of any Improvement Heretofore
confine themselves to Inc raising Of money for the
purpose specified In the charter. They raise 1t Tor
other purposes on the long bond account thus
but III reality Baddling the city with
LOAD OF DEBT.
The difference between the Old five year bonds
and the twentY-year bonds now issued will amount
at the END Of twenty years to So 600 according to
perpetual mortgage OF sI7O on every piece of pro.
perry worth $5,00O. This - not very cheering news
Z, 70. inc poor man VINO Is to aesnmuae
REPORTER-what about the salaries
MI. ABBEIT-l have prepared Inst OF all the sala-
subOrdinates The salaries Will amount In the ag.
gregate to $2oO,ooo Every man employed under
salary towards the iund Tor liquidang the expenses
incurred In passing the charter and sustaining
REPoRTER-Does your estimate cover all the Off.
ciais drawing pay under the city governments
ors and engineers account which will amount to
$4,000 per annum, against $4,000 under the old
government. And so extravaganza was the latter
amount deemed by the people t!lat they drove IRON
power the party that permitted such extravaganza.
What VIII the people say now9 Within I'VE months
the sum Of 600 has been paid to the surveyors.
The Engineering Department, which Is a new Tea.
ture in our charter. has cost us 200 already.
Mr XnnErri Sd Iar The sum Of S' s is eS has
been paid for printing and stationery within five
months, or at the rate OF $40 600 per annuIn. The
people raised y great outcry against the Old city
government because the printing and stationery
bill amounted to $32 900.
part OF the taxpayers 10 ascertain the amount spent
at The water works. Have you obtaued any figures
mir. ASDE,r-My figures are incomplete. pass
over the new reservoir for the present. On the 90
OF May last resolution was passed authorizing the
$4,000 for the erection Of casing around the stand
pipe. On tho 2,th OF June following con
erection Of owes and in July tie Board Of Pubic bic
Works advertised for proposals Tor standppe.
You see The great TS discrepancy between these
ton OF extravaganza. There is one point TO which
would direct your special attention, and that ~
10 contractors are
NEVER MADE UNDER OATH.
$40 loads OF sand to put on the streets at 81 II
load, suppose these loads were carted 10 one day
they would stretch distance Of eighteen miles, the
carts being twenty feet apart In another place l
ma That Library Hall is rented TO the city Tor 5000
more per annum than was paid BY the preceding
have been made in the police department..
REroRrEI-There seems to be quite an anicable
understanding between the banks ana the commits
sionsS
Mr.. ABBgTT-So there ought 10 be, for
TIE BANKS HAVE REAPED A RICH HARVEST
National n
nuai dividend Of seven and haf per cent and the
Hudson County Bank dividend vi six per cent, a
thing unprecedented In the history OF these instit;i
TONS They can well afford II on account OF their
profits in the long bond transactions. Just see how
the people are neeced by the arrangement between
the banks and The commissions. The city draws q
temporary loan OF 500 0O0, for which interest Il
pad 10 tne 1aS wh hn inc SahH pays tse by sell
taxation. The people pay taxes ON their bonds, hut
REPOITER-hlyc yon arrived at an estimate on
the pavement quest 5Sii ~ '"
sr. .sBBIrT--No; the investigation into this mat
ter is be sci with many difficulties. We cannot asce-
CD the paving of streets. But have detected few
flaws In the street department which may furnish
some IDEA OF The method OF doing business. The
cobble stones taken from o street about To be paved
with Nicoson pavement were used as ballast on o
nevertheless charged $1,000 for the material
Then take the fire MIGRANTS. find lot OF
these purchased at an increased price or s. each.
the new administration has been in power than in q
year and hall previously. But then, YOU see. II IL
q patent rTitcomb believe they call it, and our
Commissioners are
FOND OF PATENTS.
don't know the names OF half the patents intro
luced into The pubic service here, bus there are
some the people will nor be likely 10 forget. For
patent burners III the street lamps we pay - each.
why, -s'~-' go
TAMMASY Is NOWHERE,
when you consider that. Then VIC are taxed to the
could have Cornish engines for 500, 900. But |
could 90 on for nous In this business. SEQ now the
Board OF Public Works paid $1,000 for three lots on
winch to erect stable In Wayne street, when they
could have three lots In TIE spe block for $1,000,
rs stated In Mayor ONeill's VETO. =
THE LAMP lost swINDLE
was passcj over the Mayors veto also. The con-
tact for the Improvement OF Newark avenue from
the foot OF the ill 10 the Five Corners was awarded
to Joseph Gilmore, whrc George Clark's bid was
$Il, 500 less But Clark was H0b0ken man, and he
was not IN the "Ring." The contract FOR the I'M
provement OF Montgomery street was awarded 10
Dents Burns. while the bid OF Richard Tibbetts was
81 900 less. Mr.. Clark sent IN proposals four times