The New York herald., 1874-12-31
THE CITY FINANCES.

An adjourned meeting OF the Board OF Esti-
mates and portionment was neld ,esterday al
ternoon lor the purpose OF considering a res0lu-
tioa offered by the Comptroller 10 the effect That
the transfer OF the surplus OF the sum approprl-
ated To pay the interest ou city debt 1873 to
the appropriation Tor the same purpose for the
year 1874 be declared the unan actlon VI ne
Board ON the preceding day, when comptroller
Green introduced the resolution, lie took occas ion
to observe that although the law authorized the
transfer mentioned he deemed II requisite lest
any question should arise, that the lact should be
formally entered upon the minutes Mr..
Wheeler, IL may be stated expressed
his desire that the resoiu Ion should be
held over, in order that the matter
might be fully considered, and accordingly ac'lon
was postponed until yesterday. The meeting was
called Tor two O'Clock but 1t was not until
hour later that the members oil the Board pu In
an appearance. Mayor Vance presided, the other
members present being Comptroller Green ana
Messrs Flanagan and Wheeler.
Tue minutes OF the previous meeting having
been read and approved, Comptroller Green's reso-
luton called up Tor action.
Mr. WHEELER said he could not vote for II, and
moved that the resolution be Land on the ia lie,
motion which was adopted by vote OF to j,
Comptroller Green voting in the negative.
THE REASONS, PRO AND CON.
Mr.. WHEELER tnen moved the following pream-
BILE and resolution: =
Whereas the minutes of this Board are evidence OF
the repeated efforts made by members OF the Board to
OBTAIN information in references the puDc funas and
which INFO rmaron was not furnlsnei BY Comptro
s nn ~ & s o e Ga s p
iic deo. 1874 o,0 o aud sa,sequsn ~
ter of ans
comptrolier that has paid interest about $5aWo
/ IN excess OF the Appropriation made,
acton o. the Comptroller using the iunis in he
% pose with authority board an
this Board cannot SANCTION or approve
Comptro ler GREBs-That contains statements
that are untrue. The Comptroller presented
statement.
Mr.. WHEELRR-The minutes OF this Board show
repeated requests which have never been COM
! pied with. The Board In the revised estimate for
1874 appropriated $s,3 ,30O, 900 lor interest payable
from taxation up TO the 31st day OF Decemoer,
1874 The Comptroller approved Of this appro-
priation Tor the purpose stated. Subsequent to
the date upon which tDis approp iation was made
the ComptI oer submitted to the Board resolu-
ton to transfer from an appropriation of . pre-
vious year $4,000 which, he stated. might be
required in addition to the amount Included
IN the estimate to meet tne interest Tor the
interest rom taxation 1or 1874 $3.50 900:
ss5d o the osIS on sas
any sum IN excess OF S. 39O, 900 was required
meet interest," payaDe rom taxation, up to the
3lst December 1874, ana with t7is basis from
which to Judge, l hesitate TO accept the theory
that possible contingencies might aise 10 1875 10
that the Interest required ~ meet The increase
woulo De 1,0O0,00O ON the earnest Representa-
tlon OF the Comptroller agreed o waive my we VS.
and adj pit his theories. and therefore voted
provisional estimate Tor the aniou.t asked Dy nim.
ACCEPTING the correctness OF the basis nave ex.
planned, was not justlhed IN Allowing the amount
OF interest contained In me p DIVISIONAL estimate.
and | IN consequence recorded my vote that the
amount ne reduced Dy $3.50. OO0 The comptroller
now states that instead OF ss.3so,ooo being the
amount required for interest rom taxation in
1874, he has already PAID In excess OF this appro-
priAtion, upwards OF $500.O
/ Comptroller GREEf-fnen you must have voted
very loosely and wildly when you y0ted for ali APP
preparation OF ssooo.ooo Tor the interest on the
Mr.. WHEELER-Perhaps we did, but we never
Obtained the Information asked Ior.
| The COMPTROLLER commended tnat the required
! Information nad Deen laid before the Board
Mr. WHEELER SAID tnat as secretary OF the
I Board. he mao never seen any statement.
Mayor VANCE-Ihe question Is on the adoption
I OF the resolution.
/ comptroler GRKEN-I have sent fF the papers
to snow that the matter Has placed before the
board.
Mr.. oroRRs, of the Comptroner's ONCE, here re-
turne1 win a statement, and, in res ronse to An
inquiry. stated that II had Oeel maize out lor the
Information OF the Board.
Comptroller GREEN said he still believed that
the papers required had been presented TO
1 the Board. They might not nave been included
! In minutes, but they were presented the
! Information OF those desiring It, mat statement
gave tue particulars OF the deDt, when required an
appropriation ol s., 2oo,voo or 1914 Ine interest
wnie the interest on f33 3o58, 6y7 u lor the Dal-
ance amounted 10 $4,o4s,T27 50. mat statement
Was given iD reply 10 the request made and handed
BY MIN ttne Comp,roller) to the tnen President OF
tue Board OF Aldermen at TINS Boaru. But that
was matter oil recollection. Inc late Mayor had
passed away and his memoy could not, there
\ fore. be Appeared 30. Inc statement sho sed the
interest required amounting TO ss.754 l42 "a How
any gentleman who lad voted tue original es-
tiate Tor 49, ooo coo could nave supposed fnat the
interest on the dept could have been reduced
without knowing aDout II seemed TO him incom-
pfehensiole lie the Comptroder) was bound TO
take the statement of the gentlemen. IL might be
as was stated Ii was a matter OF recollection,
but tne SIMPLE question was should they raise IN
1874 by taxation $500, 900 more necessary,
or should the surplus OF 100000 be transferred 20
reheve the taxation ot1s74 lhe law was adequate
tnat surplus. The law set iortn that II 1t
was found at the time wnen tnis estimate
| Was made OF The expenses OF conducting the
| pubic business OF the city for the next succeed
ing fiscal year tnat there would De a surplus or
| balance remaining uneXDended OF any approprla-
ton then existing the end OF the current nscal
year, sucn surplus may be applied TO ike pur-
stance the surplus was applied. lie had simply
done bis duty IN the matter, and If the Board
tabled his resolution they could DO 80. Tne bal
ance OF the appropriation Of 1873 Was used to pay
tue interest on the debt OF 1874 ami the simple
question was whether they would increase the
taxation OF 1874 or make the transfer OF sur
Plus OF TIE appropriation OF 1873 He thought tue
transfer proper one. The interest had to be
pald. IL was, perhaps, question OF regularity as
TO whether the transfer had been placed on the
| minutes, and IL the Board dld not cnOose TO pass
! the vote he could only say he mad done MS duty
/ In the premises
! Mr.. WHEELER contended that repeated efforts
had Deen mAde to obtain Information on the sup.
| tect, but had been received. In June the
President OF the Board Of Aldermen offered a reso-
! luton asking lor statement showing the par
tculars OF the debt which require spproprla-
ron Of Ss 10000 FOR 1874: llsI VI the judgments
paid from the appropriation OF 500. 900, and the
reason wny these Juogmen u, II aAy were not paid
I fiOm tue departmental appropriation made 10
meet the claims incufied; tne amount paid up 10
TINS aase nom appropr at,on IA Bureau 0l MnUici-
pal corrections: the liabinftes incurred during the
I year for cleaning markets: explaining h9w the
Y various tegIMeuts ~ the NauG~al suat3 are 70 pe