New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-03-23
WHO is RESPONSIBILITY

IF, az Mr.. John Foley and the sO-called
"People's Reform Association" have discov-
cred, the aggregate of taxation and the aggre-
gate of indebtedness resting on the City and
County of New-YOrk are constantly increas-
ing, it is worth while to inquire into the causes
of such increase of debt and taxation and fix the
responsibility. Now the increase OF debt and
taxation is a fact, but it is not true that Con-
troller Green is responsible for the growth OF
the debt and the augmented weight OF the
taxes. If the reader will take the pains to
look over Controller Green's monthly financial
statements he will find that bonds are nego-
tiated necessarily for the Improvement OF
the Croton Aqueduct, the laying OF new
water pipes, the Improvement OF parks
avenues and boulevards, the Brooklyn bridge,
the repairing of sewers, the payment OF
vacated assessments, the building OF docks,
and a number of other purposes. The gross
annual increase Of the City and County debt
by reason of the issue of such bonds Is about
ten million dollars year.
In our opinion, the policy of building up
the City and County debt at this rate for such
purposes is utterly wrong; but what has the
Controller to do with it The laws author
ling the bonds are passed by the Legislature.
By far the greater part of the money Is ex-
pended under the direction of the Commits
sioner of Public Works, the Department OF
Parks, or the Dock CommissOners-all sepa-
rate and independent governments, under the
control neither of the Controller, nor OF the
Mayor, nor of the Board of Aldermen, nor OF
the people of this City and County. The
power to create these debts is obtained at
Albany. The expenditure of these millions
on millions is authorized by the Legislature
lust the same as under the old Tammany rule.
The laws providing for such expenditure are
worked through by skilful men, in the most
classic style OF the Albany lobbyists art
In the last hours of the session
YOU will find this class of bills push
ing and thrusting their way through
in company will all manner of jobs to empty
the State Treasury of funds and strip unsus-
pecting citizens of their property. What IN
deed, is the spectacle we have now for some
weeks had offered to us at the State Cap
itol Z A contest between the Commits
sioner of Public Works, the Department
of Parks, and the Board Of Aldermen,
as to which one of the three shall con-
troll large expenditure of money on River
eide-avenue. That expenditure, whenever it Is
made, Will undoubtedly figure in the City and
County debt; but what will the Controller
have had to do with it, except to sell the
bonds and pay the billsf Nothing what
ever. No doubt Mr.. Van Mort has unsur-
passed executive ability, but nobody appears
10 think that it costs, or will cost our
taxpayers handsome sum to keep MIR. Van
Mort fully employed until the end of his term.
We have nothing to say against the manner
in which Mr. Van Mort manages his business.
We do not accuse him of wasting dollar of
the millions which go through his hands. But
we submit that under the Briarean distribu
ton of that power which graduates the bur-
dens resting on our taxpayers, 1t is extremely
unfair to assume that Mr. Green is re-
sponsbe for the heaviness of those
burdens. Mr.. Green is simply Controller
and one of the four members of the Board of
Apportionment. He is not the Commissioner
of Public Works, or Legislative Committee
on Cities, or the Senate and Assembly, or the
Administration Republican General Committee
which provides charters and charter amend
ments for the Legislature. He has not in
herited the power of Tweed, nor has he any
great influence with the Albany lobby. If any
one rests under the delusion that Controller
Green can cut down taxes and keep the debt
from increasing, he is proper person to be
o member of Mr.. Foley's Peoples Reform