The New York herald., 1874-07-21

the COmullSSlO0erS' ONCE you stated IN your eSt-
mate to be as follOws:-
II. Stebbns, Presidenh 500
D. B. Williamson treasurer a,NU
Isaac Evans Assistant secretary.... 1000
John Watkins, anitor. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS s. D. per day
These salaries the Comptroller paid uwo.thrds
from the proceeds of bonds of the city issued at
long dates and the remaining One-third from the
appropriation from taxation. In the same manner
the Comptroller paid, twO-thlrds IRON the pro-
ceeds or bonds and One-third hom the appropra-
tion from taxation, the salaries OF the Superin-
tendent OF the Parks and his assistants amount
ing to IS2s; the salaries of the Discussing
Clerks office, consisting OF Disbursing Clerk at
$1,000, one clerk at salary of S. 500, another at
salary OF 200 and two messengers eacn at
salary Of e. per day & maslns total annual
Clerk, $4,000.
Tne salaries of the Landscape Architects ONCE,
amounting to $e,CS2, were paid by the Com ptroler,
in the proportion OF three-quarters IRON tne pro-
ceeds of bonds and only one-quarter from the ap-
the Supervising Architect's onice-reguar EN-.
ployes OF the department-amounrlng to S., 439
(which is exclusive OF the salary OF the Architect
IN Chlei, Mr.. Naux who is paid by a liberal COM
mlssiOn) and the salaries OF the Engineers Offices
also regular employees OF the department, amount
ing to $13320 exclusive OF the corps OF civil and
Typographical engineers, whose salaries amount
to d,22s) are paid wholly from the proceeds of
bonds.
We considered this action on the part Of the
Comptroller IN paying your salary and the salaries
OF tue subOrdinates IN the commissioners Office.
and the active ordinary employees OF the depart
ment, either IN whole or in part, out OF the pro-
ceeds OF bonds, TO be most Objectionable in prnci.
pie, and since the passage or the charter wholly
without warrant In law.
MIR. Williamson, one of your Board you state in
the estimate OF your depaI Itment is paid q salary
OF SO, ,OOO although the charter, section l16, ex-
pressly declares that no commissioner except the
President shall receive any salary or compensa.
tion for MS services In any capacity whatever.
The payment of the salary to Mr. VIII
hanson Is the more surprising as all
the moneys PAID TO tine employees Oh or for sup
niles made to yOur department Maid
through the Treasurer OF your Board, but by the
Finance Department., and this fact suggests that
the duties OF your Disbursing Clerk who receives
81 900 year with his tour assistant clerks and his
two messengers, cannot be very onerOus. With
the other members OF the Board, the estimate OF
your department., determined that from the ap-
nance aDd government oil the parks, the salaries
provided in the charter OF the 0nlcers clerks and
subordlnates of the department, should be wholly
paid. We excepted the wages Of loremen and
laborers. In reference to other exceptions there
Is no ambiguity. Works OF construction In the
Park are, we regret to say proceeded with by
days labor-a mode OF empoyment we have
never heard the Comptroller object to IN the
Department OF Parks; and in connection with the
law, aborers have to be employed, and
when there are laborers at work there must be
execution. The wages OF each lab0rer and fore.
man are OF course, payable u fr9m tas Mhqs au; u,
quired and used, being thus provided for, We
properly excepted the same from the appropria-
ton made for salaries out OF taxation. IL was and
Is unnecessary for us to refer to the corps OF
engineers, &C., employed In surveying and laying
out the upper part OF the city, For the temporary
employment OF these parties-they form no part OF
the ordinary employees oi the department-provls.
ion has been specially made BY chapter 6o4 OF the
LAWS Of 1874, and our duty IN reference TO such
parties was fully performed when the Board of
Estimate and Apportlonment adopted and passed
the resolution which you will find set forth in its
minutes, under date Of June "a last, directing the
Comptroller to issue OF the bonds authorized by
said statute the amount OF $600C0. II these bonds
have not been issued and the proceeds applied as
the law directs the Comptroller is alone to blame.
With the exceptions above stated II was our in
tentiOn-and we consider that this intention Is
clearly expressed in the resolution Of the Board Of
Estimate and Apportionment-thatt the salaries of
your department should be paid wholly from tax.
alton, and we deem 1t our duty to see that tins
resolution is duly observed by your department..
Respectfully SAMUEL Il. II. VANCE,
President Of the Board OF Aldermen.
JOHN WHEELER,
President Of the Department OF Taxes and Assess
ments.
Legal Reply on u Local subject-The
Powers of tho Board of Estimate and
Apportionmcnt.
Mr.. George p. Andrews, Assistant Counsel to the
Corporation, completed yesterday an elaborate
opinion on the powers OF the Board Of Estimate
and Apport0nment In answer to a communication
from Colonel Stebbins, President of the Park Com
mission. The main points of the opinion are as
follows:-
Hon. HENRY G. SrEBBINs, President OF the Depart
menf of Public Parks:-
sIR.-Your letter OF the 9th inst. to the Counsel
| to the Corporation was duly received. You state
that at meeting OF the Board OF Estimate and
Apportionment, held June 20, 1874, the estimates
| Tor the main tenance OF parks ana places, which
| had been fixed on the 18th OF September last Tor
! The year. were considered and reduced, and the