The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-04-04
THE CITY FINANCES
The Mysterious Report Of the
Commissioners Of Accounts.
A ROW In THE CITY HALL.
Comptroller Green and Acting Chamberlain
WhittemOre on the Rampage.
The commissioners Report Elk
anined by Green and
Whittemore.
Singular Action Of
the Mayor.
JOHN WHEELER en- HIS MUSCLE.
The Commissioners Of Accounts Coerced
Into "Dootoring" Their Report.
ANOTHER uNTRuTAFyL STATEMENT.

For several days past the City Hall politicians
and the press have been in furry OF excitement
over the rumor that report had been made and
was about to be published by the Commissioners OF
Accounts, setting forth the correct condition or
the city and county debt the 31st day OF Decem-
Der, 1879. The fact that the Mayor in his annual
message, had put forth an incorrect statement and
lad published an Official exhibit so doctored
aud fasided as to make IL appear that
the entire increase OF the city debt during
the present Comptroller's term OF ONCE had
been only s4, 9a4, 7l2, wnile in his reply to John
Foley's famous memorial, he had convicted him
self OF misrepresentation by putting the amount
OF increase at $22652. S62, gave piquancy to this
anticipated statement OF the commissioners OF
Accounts Indeed, as the result Of the examina-
hon had already been ascertained by the HERALD
and published extensively these columns, it was
very well known that the Commissioners close
and careful investigation had exposed the incor
rectness Of both the statements put forth by the
Mayor.
THE DUTY OF THE COMMISSIONERS OF ACCOUNTS.
The Commissioners OF Accounts are appointed
and their duties defined under the following Sec
lion OF the city charter
SECTION 1O6-The Mayor SHALL from time to time,
appoint and remove at pleasure two persons, who
together vita the President OF the Department OF
Taxes and Assessments, shall be Commissioners
OF Accounts. 1t shall be their duty, once IN three
months and oitener If they deem 1t proper, to ex
anime all vouchers and accounts IN the Offices OF
the Comptroller and Chamberlain, and to make
aud publish In the City Record a detailed state
ment OF the financial condition OF the city, show
ing the amount OF its funded and noatlng
debt, the amount received and expended
ton OF the sources OF revenue and expendi-
lure, and such other information as they shall
OF he Of the seVera dee
partments and officers, and make such recon-
mendatlons to the Board Of Apportonment and
other officers with reference thereto, and particu-
larry with reference to salaries and duties. they
deem advisable. Any one OF such Commissioners
shall have authority at any time TO make any such
examination, and such two appointed Commission
ers shall be paid reasonable compensation, to be
fixed as other expenditures by the Board OF APP
portionment, not exceeding $4,000 each annually.
Their duty under the law, after making their ex-
animation, was to publish their report in the city
Record. Instead OF doing this, either by the ex-
press command OF the Mayor OF their own
votion, they disregarded the law and placed their
report in the hands OF Mayor Havemeyer. That
venerable Official received the report a week ago
yesterday and 1t has been held IN his hands from
that day up to yesterday, when it was placed in
possession OF the Supervisor of the Cuv Record
For week the reporters OF the daily journals have
been pressing the Mayor for sight OF the long
looked-lor document, but His Honor has held close
guard over it and has not suffered it to be seen,
although Mr.. Green endeavored 10 break the force
OF its exposures, IN case 1t should be published III
its original form, by supplying editorials TO his city
organ, based upon the Commissioners figures
THE SECRET OF HAyEMEYER's DELAY.
The secret OF the delay IN the publication OF the
that the debt statement to December 81 1873, put
tortn In January last by the Mayor and Comptrol-
Ter IN the annual message OF the former was
s665, 900 less than 1t ought to have been and that
the amount OF revenue bonds outstanding at that
date was s10 440sI9 instead OF as falsely
alleged by the Mayor and Comptroller. rhe Mayor,
having absolute power over the Commissioners of
Accounts, who can be removed by him at his
pleasure, appears 10 have made up his mind that
the Commissioners report should not be published
III the form in which 1t reached his hands, and the
delay winch has occurred was occasioned by the
Efforts TO coerce the commissioners into altering
their figures or at least SO modifying them as 70
allow the Mayor and the Comptroller TO shelter
themselves behind special plea aud ind an ex-
cuse ior the incorrect debt statement OF January
last.
GREEN AND wHITTEMoRE INVESTIGATING THEIR
OWN INVESTIGATORS.
Accordingly, Comptroller Green and Acting
Chamberlain WhltteInore were called in on Friday
oi last week to the Mayors ONCE and the report,
which was an examination into the correctness
their hands by the Mayor. They were, OF course,
in a towering rage against the Commissioners, and
MIR. l.. l. Howe, one OF the commissioners ap-
pointed by the Mayor was assailed by Chamber
lam Whittemore and accused OF making an incor-
rect statement to inJure the Comptroller. This
Mr. Howe denied, and, asserting the correctness of
the commissioners figures, reused to make make any
Comptroller aud Acting Chamberlain.
THE ATTEMPT TO coERcE THE COMMISSIONERS INSJ
AN ALTERATION OF THE REPORT.
Acting chamberlain Whittemore TOOK the ground
That so55, 900, which was included III the Comlnis-
sioners' report, was covered Ivy warrants drawn
Tor certain ponds due in December, and should be
deducted rom the debt statement that month.
Commiss oner Howell ia true the warrants
were drawn, but they had not been delivered.
The bonds mad not been paid.
Acting Chamberlain WHTTENoRE-rhat Is not
for you 10 know or inquire. the warrants were
drawn and the amounts credited on the books,
and IL the warrants had not been called Tor 1t was
not the Comptroers lault.
Unt ~
warrants were not called for because an arrange
ment had been made by the Comptroller With the
banks holding the warrants to extend them until
January or February. The interest paid on the
bonds by the city was sil running on, and was
paid IN full up 60 the dates at when the warrants
were really paid IN January and February. Hence
the $685. 900 was on December 81 part OF the city
deot, drawing interest at tnat time, aud not paid
This was the substance OF the controversy be-
tween Mr.. Green's representative, the Acting
Chamberlain. and Commissioner Howe, and 1t was
evident that the Commissioner had the best OF the
= coscEssroS BY THE COMMISSIONER or ACCOUNTS.
Last saturday the fight between the Commits
sioners on one side, and the Mayor, Comptroler
and Acting Chamberlain on the other side, was
continued, and alter much pressure and violent al
tercation the Commissioners at last consented that
they would add note at the loot OF their debt
amount OF 1896, 600 had been drawn In December
and were outstanding at that date
MORE TAMpERING WITH TIE REPORT.
After this concession had been wrung rom the
Commissioners-a concession which was simply
record OF a fact-further demands were made upon
them by the Mayor and his financial allies They
were ne xt required TO strike out from the Rev
,nue bondv statement over $s0o0,o0o, and
Place il under the head OF 'funded
debt This demand the Commissioners sue
cessfuy resisted, refusing to stultify themselves
by such a gross and seIfevident deception Alter
a uil in the storm the Commissioners were again
summoned to the presence, and then came the
principal and final demand for an
ALTERATION or THE TOTAL
OF their figures. The Comptroller and Acting
chamberlain desired that the SECS, 900 should DC
actually deducted by the Commissioners OF Ac-
counts in the "recapituationr OF the figures at