The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-03-22
The Demand for an investigation Of
Our City Financial Management.


Over one hundred of the leading business
men of New York, Including many presidents
of banks, insurance companies and trust CON-
panies, ask of the Legislature an investigation
into the condition and management of the
city finances. Their request is proper one
to be made, and should be promptly granted.
Charges of a serious character have been
made by responsible citizens against Comp
troller Green, and Mayor Hayemeyer, whose
official duty requires him to investigate them,
has neglected to do so, and treated those who
made them with contempt. The matter is too
serious to be thus cavalerly dismissed, and it
is the duty of the Legislature to investigate
the charges, and to r,dire also whether the
Mayor has, ~ his neglect committed an off,
cial malteteasance
When Mr. Green hired lawyer to repre-
sent him in the Albany lobby and paid his
agent one hundred dollars day fee and
twelve dollars day for hotel expenses out Of
the public treasury he violated the city char
ter, at all events for the period during which
the questionable services were rendered, under
the existing law. If, as alleged, he pays out
of the public treasury paymasters and others
who do the business Of the Chamberlain's
Office, and who ought to be paid out of the
thirty thousand dollars salary allowed the
Chamberlain, he violates the law. If he ham
dies the city moneys, pays warrants without
the Chamberlain's check, or in any manner
lnterieres with the public cash, he not only
FOL, 1ax 1,,k L.,
which are erected for the public protection,
and which are intended to keep the Comp
troller's and Chamberlains offices entirely
distinct and independent of each other. The
Legislature should inquire into these matters,
for they are all embraced in the charges the
business firms.
Besides, the fact is before us that the city
and county debt has increased nearly fifty
million dollars in less than three years, or
since January 1, 1871, while the taxation is
sixteen million dollars higher this year than it
was in 1871. We have, besides, liabilities in
the shape of claims, &C., called ''foating
debt" the amount of which Mr. Green persists
in concealing. The charter provides for COM
missioners Of accounts, and makes it their
duty to examine the condition Of the finances,
the management of that and other depart
ments, the amount of debt, &C., and to report
the same. Mr.. Green obstructs these commits
soners in the performance of their duties, and
gives them no information except such
as they can ferret out. They have found
his department under confused, unclerllly
and dangerously loose management. They
discover that the amount of the debt, as
stated by the Comptroller on December 81
last, is incorrect, and less than it ought to
have been. They find warrants and checks
drawn that have never been paid to claimants,
and we believe they have >unearthed cases of
double payment through incapacity and
want of system. They find the sinking fund
securities kept in loose and unsatisfactory
manner Yet we hear nothing from them, be-
cause, we presume, they hold their Offices at the
Mayor pleasure, and if they tell the truth in
these matters they anticipate sudden ter
mination of their official lives. This is why a
thorough investigation of the Finance De-
partment is needed. The people should
know how far their enormously increased bur-
dens are due to official incapacity.