The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-05-07
THE CoMPTROLLER'S SPITE.

THE TROUBLE OVER THE SIGNING or THE FIRE
MEMS wARRANTs-How MR.. GREEN MANAGES
TO DO HIS SHARE OF THE SIGNING WORK IN
TIME TO BE ANNOYING TO THE MAYoR-A
JUDICIAL INTERVENTION PROBABLE.
The Comptroller has not seen ut, up to a late
hour yesterday, to return TO the Mayor the fire.
mems warrants, made out as the Mayor requires
they should be- Among those who know anything
al all about the way affairs conducted at the
Comptroers onlce, his statement made on
Wednesday that the labor or signing warrants Ia
as great for MIN as for the Mayor created consid-
cradle amusement. The fact OF the matter is, the
Comptroller has the entire month to sign the war
rants, while by the trick he has tried TO play the
Mayor IN the matter OF the nremens warrants he
keeps il in his power compel the Mayor 90 the
whole work OF eounlersigning in one or two days.
II needs no argument to prove that the Comp
troller has all the time lie wants, but the general
public VINO only hear of
THE PERIODICAL ROWS
over the way the warrants are made out are not
quite familiar with the situation rs 1t really i.
MIR. Green mas the same payrolls to-day IN his
Office for the hremen and other city employees
that he mad Two months ago, and, of course, the
few changes that may have been made 10y the
oeatn, dismissal or resignation OF some OF those
whose names were tnen on them. TAKE the fire.
mems warrants, lor instance, for the month OF
April. Mr.. Green had all the month OF April to
make them out from the payrolls Of March, and TO
send them to the Mayor, aud what easier when
the payrolls for April were handed than TO
cancel the lew warrants that m " have been made
out Ia fun 10 men dismissed, SO as TO have the
men paid regularly on the LIST OF May. But Mr..
Green, as is wen known, has been In the habit,
after signing the variants OF city employees, OF
keeping them IN his oflce till they amounted 10
hundreds, and then OF sending them to the
Mayor IN pie. He can take his own
so on any one day. The 1000 warrants Tor the
1remen now Ia question Is an illustration OF this
or less ever since tue Mayor took HIM TO task FOR
the PAY OF CRY EMPLOYEES
mere qulDoles and tecnnicalltes This time
ne waited until the 4tn of the month, when he felt
sure that tue nremen would begin to leel anxious
about their money, aud then lie sent them-the
entire taousand-over to the Mayor IN one batch
TO be counterslgned, meanwhile telling all who
called 10 know why there was delay Ia the pay
ment OF the men, why I've signed the warrants
long ago, ana tue Mayor has them in MS posses
son.n THIS trick has been played upon the mayor
several times here olore. but not to such an out
raReons extent as this last time and in tile opinion
OF the officials, among those ~ the Comp
troller's uitce who are not afraid To speak tue
subject 70 their friends. 1t was about time thittn
MAYOR put his foot down ana gave the com ptroler
10 understand that ne would no longer be imposed
upon and IL Is their opinion likewise tuat the
Comptroller has made 4 great mistake II he thinks
that he can SHIFT the Responsibility from
himself 10 the Mayor Tor the delay
IN the payment Of the men who are
vice he so malicOusly resorted TO. How the whole
matter will END 1t Is very nard to say, but II
yesterday among the lawyers turns out 10 be true
Mr. Green viii find out that his mode OF pa, ments
when Is not even at Its best worthy the name OF
a system,
WILL BE JUDICIALLY DECIDED
20 be Illegal. Tue rumOr was to the effect that the
decision IN the case o. Foley ys. Tue Cham oerlan,
In which tue plantin contended, among other
Things, that the Chamberlain and not the Comp
troleris paymasteIs should be the real disbursing
oIlicer Of the city moneys VIII be given to-day,
ana that IL IL IN favor OF the plaintiff. II
points involved IN the case, and which touch upon
this peculiar feature OF Mr.. Green's 'polcy.v
should be decided IN avor Of the plaintiff,
I although the Chamberlain viii have, as a conse-
qnence, TO pay r0undlY Tor clerk hire out Of his
$4,000 a year, the Comptroller Will no longer
nave it in his power, by trick .rles and devices
Of his spites and hates, to create discord In
the city government and distress among those
poor but honest people who work hard or their
living