The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-01-20

public affairs. When we remember that Ser
century we have the less difficulty in under
standing why he has no longer any strong de-
sire to enter the stormy arena of politics.
The Department. or Parks-why Mr.
Green's Place Should Be Filled.
Mayor Havemeyer in his recent Message
directed public attention to the evident i'm
propriety of allowing Commissioner of
Municipal Department to act as q member Of
the Board of Apportionment and in the latter
capacity to pass upon the estimates for his
own Department. AS Comptroller Green
holds two important offices under the city gov
ernment-the head of the Finance Department
and the Vice Presidency of the Department OF
Parks, and is also member of the Auditing
Board-he not only passes upon the estimates
he himself makes for those two Departments,
but, as Comptroller, he audits and pays all his
own bills as Park Commissioner. The HERALD
approved Mayor Havemeysr's condemnation
of this old Tammany practice, and insisted
that Comptroller Green should relinquish
double Office holding and withdraw from the
Park Commission, as matter of consistency
under reform government. Mr.. Green there
upon rendered his resignation as Park Commits
sioner but Mayor Havemeyer has not acted
upon it and filed the position. We insist
that he should do SO at once, and we are pre-
pared to give reasons for the demand, aside
from the reproach of ''reform" city officer
holding plurality of valuable Offices, after
the fashion of Tweed and his associates of the
old Tammany Ring.
A provision Of chapter 5S3 of the laws Of
1871 says, ''No liability for any purpose
whatsoever shall be hereafter incurred by any
department Of the city Of New York exceed
ing in amount the appropriations made for
such purpose nor shall the city or county of
New York be held liable for any indebtedness
so incurred" Comptroller Green has this
extract from the Board of Apportionment act
printed on the weekly statement of the condi-
ton Of the appropriations for the several de-
partments and he very properly holds them
all strictly to it. But we understand that the
law has been disregarded in the Department.
of Parks that in that Department the appro-
priation has been exhausted, and that sum
of eighty thousand dollars, or Whereabouts,
has been illegally taken from trust
funds and discussed on the mainten-
ance of the Parks over and above
the appropriation. We also observe that
while all the other city departments have
reduced their expenditures and estimates for
1873 the Park Department alone asks for and
receives an increased appropriation over 1872.
We do not charge that this money is improp-
erly or unwisely spent but we do insist that
it is remarkable Illustration of the evil to
which Mayor Havemeyer alluded in his
Message, and shows how undesirable it is
that the Commissioner and Vice President Of
the Park Department should pass upon his
own estimates as the principal member of the
Board of Apportionment and pay his own
bills as Comptroller. We do not suppose
that Mayor Havemeyer is in favor of reform
only in the case of his political opponents,
and hence we expect that he will appoint
Park Commissioner in place of Comptroller
Green without further delay, and put stop to
the unpleasant rumors of a 'job'' now too cur
rent in the city.