The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-02-26
The Judgments Against the City
The COmptroller's Measurements.

me SOmptrOllcfN8 mISSt0Lcment4s
Evidence is gradually accommodating to prove
that the recent statement made by Comp
troller Green to the Board of Aldermen, and
purporting to be correct official exhibit of
the actual financial condition of the city, is
fraudulent from beginning to end We have
already exposed the scandalous jugglery by
which Mr.. Green endeavored to misrepresent
the increase in the city debt during his term
of Office, and have shown the evident unre-
liability of his report OF the ''unadjusted
claims outstanding against the city. The
proceedings before the investigating Law
Committee of the Boarl of Aldermen prove
that Mr.. Green has incorrectly stated the
amount of judgments obtained against the
city since September, 1871, and the costs en-
tailed upon the city. The total amount of
judgments between September 16, 1871, and
December 81, 1874, is alleged by the Comp
troller to be 81, 935, 389 and the costs to the
city s66, O82. The report prepared at the County
Clerks Office shows that the total amount of
judgments recorded in that Office from Octo-
Der 1, 1871, up to the present time, is
judgments docketed since January l. 1875,
thus leaving the amount up to December 81
81, 557, 794. The costs taxed to the city in the
Supreme Court alone, on these judgments,
amounted to $50 755. The County Clerk is
unable to tell the amount of costs in judg-
ments obtained in the other courts, because
they are not separately set forth. The interest
imposed on the city on these judgments up
to The present time is SOB, 1853. Mr.. Green
has thus misrepresented the amount of judg-
ments and COSTS But apart from this there
are thousands Of cases which are factiously
with costs, before judgment is docketed.
None of these suits are included or noticed in
MIR. Green's report, although the object of the
Aldermen is well known to have been the dis
covery of the amount of money wasted by MIR.
Green in factious litigation.
We have repeatedly said that no correct in
formation in regard to the financial condition
of the city government can be obtained until
it is dragged forth from the recesses of
the department, in spite of the Comptroller's
opposition. Concealment and deception are
inconsistent with the honest management of
finances hence the necessity for an investi-
cation thorough enough to go to the bottom
of all the transactions of the department A
bookkeeper who should lock up his employers
ledgers, bills, vouchers and cash book, and
refuse to allow the principals of the firm to
examine them OF to ascertain their contents,
would be dealt with summarily. He would
be turned out Of the counting room, his
drawers would be forced open and his &C.
counts overhauled. Mr.. Green stands ex-
acuy in this position in relation to his en-
ployers. The people do not know the condi-
ton Of their accounts the amount of their
liabilities or any of the details of their fnan-
cial business. They can obtain no truthful
statements from the Comptroller. and it is
time that the authority Of the courts should
be exerted for their protection if the Mayor is
powerless to act