The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-09-22

ahu III Cdu Hep III tNey VIII not DE deprived OF
ment" '
,,, 1T WIN require quite large amount, should
thinK Mr.. Sweeny, TO pay the men ~
YES, 1t Will. l WIN have them paid, however;
ond .ns sn + limit to everything II the Comp
iroM me Department OF Parks the men at work Will
nave ther to be suspended or discharged"
~ VIII be seen by the order above quoted that the
determination OF "the Squire" to have the men paid
against all odds was carried out in way that I'M
| borers.
The rumor prevailed yesterday that the Acting
Comptroller was about to take hold OF the Depart,
ment OF Parks to see If he couldn't find something
wrong about 1t. Indeed 1t was given on. in one OF
TO examine its books and papers HERALD re.
| porter, at loss to know what authority the Comp
cs MY and RaRef the By
partnent OF Public Works lthe only department
vouchers pass through the City Chamberlains
1iiee called upon Judge Hilton to satisfy himself on
"rhey say the Comptroller is about to investigate
tne affairs OF me Park Department, Judge" The
''The Comptroller has nothing TO do with this de-
partment as iar as any authority over 1t IS con-
Gerned; but II any one of the committees would
like 10 look into our affairs we would be only too
| glad to accommodate II. Ir they find anything
wrong then there is nothing right in the world"
partment?'
"why, certainly not. This department. is an en-
| Fire and the Commissioners or Charities and Cor
| rectl0n. Each draws its own checks and
|
me only thing the Comptroller has TO do with either
Is this:-When either wants certain sum of money
the Comptroller, ana he places the necessary amount
10 ts credit in whatever bank the department desg
ne hank sends !" IN. ors csrtan sum TO- certain
1 S!ea receipt a'f from the these bank NIX
for me amount. That's the voucher the Comptroller
ends all transactions between him and the nd de ,ee
ment. Each OF these departments have mentioned
ment Of Public Works are al the ComptSolers oice
II being the only department outside the Finance
City Chamberlain ~
you say the Department Of Parks courts investI.
gatIon'"..
us THE SYSTEM PAYING CHECKS
| distributing the labor gangs and taying the work
done such be considered proof against fraud ~
"Itts. 10 Is so complete that no man who does
more time No one who doesn't work Gets any any" pay
rom the department.. Our clerks are kept busy
Gay the exact lime Or the hours Of
employed, and two nights every two weeks
they are up 70 midnight making out the pay rolls
and examining the vouchers see certain paper
says great deal of work Gone by our employees IS
waste | leave that for any fair minded man to
oughlY our work In all our various departments
under TINS department Is done. would like some
they have any doubt about It,
'How about the general working OF the depart
ment, as to the clerks, against lrauds'
''Well, after entering upon the duties OF
Treasurer OF the department., finding myself called
upon to sign cheeks Tor bills and accounts which
had no personal knowledge, and as to which was
wholly dependent upon the certificates OF others in
the department., determined to carefully investi
gate the method OF Keeping
THE DEPARTMENT ACCOUNTS,
and II possible devise checks and methods which
would, in all PROBABILITY, preclude my being misied
or imposed upon. must here remark, however
that the various heads OF bureaus and clerks in
the department. had at that Time my fullest
eSnSence am neas asr q, nespy
a upI md
Without reverting to the past unnecessarily,
will but say respecting II that found the old sys
beed made. 1t became quite obvious to me that That
have been added, ana to which experience has
convinced me they go far towards making the sys-
in detail and accurate in results. After having thus
perfected the system, as supposed then and as a
q well known expert accountant TO investigate the
method upon which the accounts are kept. Alter a
full and careful scrutiny he mas made to me report
OF his conclusions"
"What did he repOrt9"
at gives me pleasure to say that he fully approves
Of the system now IN use and declares it capable Of
producing the results desired. In the first place,
Classes required 6y the depat%ent in the proseea
ton OF the works under It's charge, you see this
THE CLERICAL FORCE
the chiefs OF the several bureaus aud the clerks and
time pooR ke IN each brs the
Der OF hours work performed by each clerk Is en-
tered, and upon the following morning time GER
Of the bureau ana to the Comptroller
OF OF, the department, showing the name Of each
whether he worked the full day required by the de.
partment, and If not, the reason Tor his absence.
This certificate, signed by the chef Of the bureau
filed in the Comptroler's Office and entered In the
books Of the department. and from which the clerks
"What about the aboring fOrcef"
Each person appointed TO this force must present
his ticket OF appointment to the bureau OF the super
ntendent OF Central Park, who by It's authority as
signs the person named TO such gang of workmen
authority OF the foreman OF the gang TO accept the
man upon the works is ticket signed by The Super
intendent on receiving which the person named Is
entered The roll OF the gang IN the time book OF
the foreman and at the close of each day all sucn |
master, who enters uDon his books the of the |
cmplOye and the time shown by the ioreman's book |
that he has performed labor This ticket mus re- |
turned is then attached to the original ticket Of APP
pointment obtained from the Superintendents |
master for enlerlng the name of the laborer as
workman upon the labor book and pay roll Of the
book entry also sends to the IompirOller's bureau
a daily return giving classification The WORK
done by his gang, together with the number Of
HOURS WORK PERFORMED
upon each class of work. This return passes through
Tue hands 81 Of the enslneer,ln,c who examines,
ollce OF the Comptroller"
ais there any further cheek"
''Yes. As IA further cheek each day as the time |
books pass through the office OF the Superlnt
Of the Central Park to be delivered by his messen.
enters in books Kept for the purpose the time or
work appearing oy each time book 10 nave been
performed by every person who has been
assigned TO work by the superintendent. IL
may be mentioned that each foreman has
two time books, for every alternate day, so
that when the messengers deliver the time books on
the afternoon OF each day for the day following they
take up and return to the superintendent the time
books they receive, and from which the entries re-
ferred to are made.r
''How are the pay rolls made upS"
Every two weeks the labor pay roll is made up
by thc dlsbursng clerk or paymasier and brought
to the Comptroller's Office where its various aulho-
rzed rates OF pay. extensions and additions are
examined bv the general bOOkkeeper and the time
shown compared with the daily returns of the FORE
man to the Office OF the Comptroller, and this coll
sttues the audit OF that ONCE. Upon being pre-.
scented thus, audited and allowed TO the treasurer
for payment it has upon 1t. in addition to
THE CERTIFICATE or AuDIF
the certificates OF the paymaster ana the chief book
keeper OF the department.. III 1t Is then found by
the treasurer TO agree with the returns from the
Superlntendent's Office he signs q cneck for the
amount To The order of the naYmaster. which ia