The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-03-30
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS.

RECENT DISCHARGE OF wORKINGMEN-THE CON-
sTRUCTIoN FUND AND THAT BLUNDER IN BooK-
KEEPNG-THE COMMISSIONERS SIDE OF TH1
CASE.
The blunder of the clerk in the Department OF
Public Parks. by which large sum OF money was
transferred wrong ully from one 1und to another
some time ago, has created so much talk in poiti.
cal circles that the Park Commissioners them
selves are not q little alarmed. In view OF ~
fact that the Commissioners OF Accounts are, under
Aldermanic order, to investigate the accounts oil
the department in @ lew days the following STATE
ment made by the Commissioners will be found Of
interest. Their side Of the 'blunder" story Is a.
foilows:-
The dismissal suspension by this department Of 1877
men on the 2ih Of aarch who were EMPLOYED in con.
moneys APPROPRIATED Tor construction purposes has
been the Of charge OF Of the
those for which they were made
men ns's the moneys Of the department hav. been
held and strictly used for the purposes to which they
hat IL:
from clerical error. he error not in the books
record 6oos Which IS not Of the regular d
account but special book derived from them Kept By
the balances remaining hand Of the several
S by .s The
own 6anfs and department ma ie its disburss:
Clerical error the accounts stood IS iollows:-
z,a srAasnE nj , 81 THE ,Is 4 issS
iature appropriated to this depart
ment for construction. ..::......:.... $4,000
OF this the Comptroller paid to
i as, to Eth i April = $4,000
Leaving in the hands Of the Comp $500
troller and due 80 70 this department s7oo"
On ena ApT Sade iss CHARTER s Of syiIs ISIS hs
Ssa Ss Ds ct H Ds Tns
gys s$ss;sf 5 4: & & is5s " ssSS
Making a total Of .............. $4,000
been sent to the Comptroller payable
these funds as iolows:- 100000
lSI3... .eo6a 81!
To- March a. isi5 .... AIS sl2s24s,
Leaving to credit of the department.: S57,o*
The department has increased liabili-
ties chargeable 10 this balance - 1900
Merchandse deliverable on treas
ure-'s orders Observation-Disclosures. ,Ao-
Showing wing an excess Of liabilities over
Also salaries and wages chargeable TO
construction account tor The current
month OF March which may be esti 49,.
sat this is not an actual excess Tor there is sii
m@ ae q w sge ca te tha
the sums actually Que on them IN; account taken
WITH the the Of a I"
into % srs
fact there no discrepancy or irregaarty Whatever
This occurred in the manner of making up the
statements from the record book.
section ~ the charter of 1873 empowered the
Comptroller pre- the forms OF keeping books
&c Under his direction the record book
opened the purpose of showing independently the
pendures and the liabilities twas no part OF the system
of account books The bookkeeper in January, 1874
used the record show the rged against
the 81 00O appropria OF 1873 only and against
that 600 the 500 oil appropriation standing
over from 1872 taken together
the LIST of June l54 another clerk took charge OF
the books. He made his statements from the record
book showing the money charged against the appro
priation OF 1873 $lh0Uu including the balance
1872, $7U0Ol Total, $lO70OUl
doing this he made he added $7U000 to the
balance stated III the record book that Is the 2!th Of
November 1874 The balance available 800 <93 10
winch correct he added $7OOOU to it, carrying tor
ward s6 igs IS And this Of $l6O 4ys 76 including
the of $4,000, carried down from week z
week, these statements alone to the oath Of March