The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-01-20

The charter makes it the duty Of the Mayor
TO communicate to the Common Council at
least once year general statement of the
finances. government and improvements of
the city, and to recommend such measures Is
he shall deem expedient Mayor Havemeyer's
Message. which we publish to-day, has been
issued in accordance with this provision of
the Law. It is q singular document, almost as
full of lamentations as the Book of Jeremiah,
containing some good suggestions. some anti
quated notions belonging to the last genera
ton. some errors and contradictions, and
much of the claptrap of the small politician.
Like the well-knOwn MIR. Jarndyce. the Mayor
finds the wind in the east the greater portion
of the time. He complains of his lack of
power over the subordinate departments;
complains that any of the heads should have
been kept in Office when the new charter was
passed: complains that the Governor is
given . voice in removals; complains
that the public schools cost too much;
that too many ornamental branches are
taught and that too much money is expended
on books complains of legislative meddling
in local affairs complains Of the annexation
Of the Westchester towns az q ''danger to the
future of municipal liberty" and complains
that the powers of the Common Council are
not greater than they are, although some of
the Mayors experience with the Aldermen
would not seem calculated TO inspire him with
much confidence in that body. 1t is no doubt
true that much of the legislation for the city
of New York has been Sin the interests of
political intriguers, of departmental schemes
and of so-called party necessities" but we
fear that the principal offenders in this direc
ton may be looked for in the ranks of those
political reformers Of whom Mayor Havemeyer
was once the honored head, and among the
officials who now find the most favor in the
Executive chamber.
We can approve those suggestions of the
Mayor which urge economy on all the depart
ments and on the State Legislature in the
laws it may pass relating to the city of New
York. Our present financial condition is by
no means encouraging, and unless the system
we are now pursuing shall be speedily changed
our credit is likely to become seriously
impaired The gravity of the situation makes
us regret that the Mayor has been induced to
put forward deceptive and untruthful ex-
hibit of our financial management-an ex-
hibit which, while giving figures correctly,
makes grossly false deductions and seeks to
mislead the people for the sake of covering up
the blunders and incompetency of the Finance
Department We are informed by the Mayor
that the total increase of the city and county
debt in 1878 over 1871 has been a little under
fourteen and half millions, and we are sup
piled with an array Of figures which seem to
corroborate that statement. Seven per cent in
terest on the amount of the pretended increase
would be 81, O15, O0O But further on in the
Message, as an excuse for the increased taxa
ton to which we are subjected this year, we
are told that s'three millions more are required
to pay the interest on the debt" in the present
year than was required in 1871. In COM
menting on our previous misgovernment the
Mayor states this increase in interest more
specifically. ''No better index, he says. ''of
the ruinous financial policy of swindling
administration could be found than in the
fact that, while in 1869 the amount which
it was required to raise by tax for the
payment Of interest on the city and county
debt was 50. SO5, 1926 &c, in 1871 it had risen to
of past Improvement are beginning to come
to light the amount required for interest
is 50, 120,513 86.' Now, nothing can be
palmer than the fact that if our debt had only
increased fourteen and q half millions our
interest account could not have increased
three millions, for we can pay interest only on
debt, and three millions interest represents an
increased debt Of about forty three million
dollars. We shall examine hereafter the de-
ceptive exhibits to which the Mayor has been
induced to give the sanction of his name. It
is sufficient now to say that there has been
studied attempt on the part of the Finance
Department to conceal the real condition of
our finances from the people. Even up to
the present time the Commissioners of Ac-
counts, whose examinations have been en-
barrassed at every step in the Comptrol-
ler's Office, have failed to ascertain the
Mayor should have mado candid
and truthful statement Of the worst, so that
the evils which threaten us might have been
provided against and averted. Our city bonds
go begging; hut little of our indebtedness is
paid; an extension of credit is the only way
out of our difficulties that can be discovered
by our presept financial managers; our debt
is increasing; our taxes are growing larger
every year. There has been more jumbled
and contradictory legislation in regard to our
finances in the last two years than in the pre-
ceding ten years, and our whole financial
policy has been one of patching and tinker
ing. It would have been more satisfactory
and more beneficial to the city's failing credit
if the Mayor had told the taxpayers bluntly
their exact condition: the total amount of orr